WASHINGTON, (PIC)
A few days after Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu gave a racist and warmongering speech at the Congress, over 75 US organizations have released a statement calling on president Joe Biden and the Congress to impose an immediate arms embargo on the Israeli government.
“We the undersigned human rights, civil rights, and social justice organizations call on you to implement an immediate arms embargo on the Israeli government in order to save lives,” according to a statement released by the US organizations on Friday.
“This week, US Congress welcomed Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, even as he and his government face international investigations for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This joint address was a direct affront to the values of human rights, freedom, and democracy.”
“Netanyahu’s government has utilized US support and weapons to kill nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including 15,000 children, wiping out entire generations of Palestinian families in Gaza. To not only destroy hospitals, bakeries, schools, churches, mosques, universities, refugee camps, and homes, but Gaza’s entire health care system and entire residential neighborhoods. The Israeli government’s siege is starving Palestinian children and has brought Gaza to the brink of a full-blown famine. To save lives, we must stop sending bombs and warplanes to the Israeli military.”
“The Israeli government has shown clearly that it does not respond to warnings or stern words. Our government must exert tangible and material pressure on Israel now. The United Nations and legacy human rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are all calling for countries to enact an arms embargo to stop these atrocities. An arms embargo is essential to uphold not only international law, but our own US law, and to send a clear message that the United States will not support the Israeli government’s policies of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.”
“Furthermore, as the cost of living rises and inflation squeezes American families, we need to prioritize funding for housing, healthcare, childcare, schools, and jobs — not weapons and bombs for Netanyahu’s war crimes. Pouring billions in weapons funding for a government committing human rights abuses is a betrayal of our own communities’ needs. It’s time to redirect our resources towards building a better future at home, instead of supporting violence abroad.”
“The only way to reach a desperately needed lasting ceasefire – including the release of all Israeli and Palestinian hostages – is for the US to exert pressure on Netanyahu’s regime by ending the flow of weapons to the Israeli government. We cannot claim to be working towards peace while simultaneously sending the weapons that enable atrocities.”
“Therefore, we call on you to immediately halt the sale, transfer, and shipment of all further weapons to the Israeli government. This is the first step towards building a future in which all people living on the land can live in safety, equality, freedom, and justice.”
