As Israel’s assault on Gaza continues to be described as the world’s first live-streamed genocide, graphic images of the horrors inflicted on Palestinian children have flooded global media. These disturbing photos and videos show children maimed, mothers holding their dead infants, and mass graves of civilians unearthed, sparking global outrage.
It is hard to imagine that U.S. lawmakers, who have played a significant role in arming and funding Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, remain unaffected by these images. The photos, widely available on social media platforms and mainstream news outlets, reveal the staggering human cost of the war. A growing majority of the American public now supports halting U.S. weapons sales to Israel until the conflict ceases. But why have so many U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump, continued their unwavering support for the war?
As Omar Suleiman, a scholar and human rights activist, wrote in Middle East Eye: “A healthy conscience can’t simply ignore the mutilated bodies of tens of thousands of dead Palestinian children… The Gaza genocide is an American one, and it is high time Americans came to terms with their government’s complicity in the type of war crimes they so often associate with historical hegemonic rivals.”
The horrors faced by children in Gaza are undeniable. According to the United Nations, the vast majority of those killed in Israel’s 11-month campaign have been women and children. These victims are not only dealing with the physical devastation of relentless bombings but are also suffering from what one Gaza mother described as “complete psychological destruction.” The impact on Gaza’s youth will be felt for generations to come.
While faced with overwhelming evidence of mass atrocities, many Republican lawmakers have responded with callous indifference or, worse, attempts to justify the slaughter. Representative Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), at an event in March, said that Gaza should “be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima.” His remarks echo the genocidal posture that some GOP members have adopted. Similarly, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), when confronted by CodePink’s Medea Benjamin about the images of children killed in Gaza, replied, “These are not innocent Palestinian civilians.”
Despite this blatant disregard for Palestinian lives, other U.S. lawmakers have taken a stand against the carnage. During an emotional speech in April, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) urged her colleagues to support a permanent cease-fire, highlighting “images of children in Gaza celebrating Eid on top of rubble of their homes, the schools, and masjids that no longer stand.”
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also spoken out, bringing graphic evidence to the Senate floor in June. He shared photos of children starving to death due to Israel’s blockade of Gaza. “What kind of permanent damage will occur to virtually every one of these children?” Sanders asked, putting the suffering of Gaza’s children front and center in his plea for a cease-fire.
Despite these voices of opposition, the Biden administration continues to provide critical military aid to Israel, supplying the bombs and planes used to conduct airstrikes that have killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace Action sharply condemned the U.S. role in the bloodshed, stating, “The U.S. continues sending the Israeli government the bombs and warplanes it uses to slaughter Palestinians… STOP ARMING ISRAEL.”
Nihad Awad, the national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), offered a more searing indictment: “The far-right genocidal Israeli government continues to use its one-ton Biden bombs to massacre Palestinians as if they were sheep for the slaughter, not human beings deserving life and freedom.”
Awad also emphasized that Biden’s continued support for Israel’s war crimes would have lasting consequences, stating, “The continued military and financial support for Israel’s genocide by President Biden will live in the memories of the survivors of these massacres and in the hearts of their loved ones for generations to come.”
Biden and Harris, while acknowledging the devastation, have stopped short of endorsing an arms embargo on Israel. As Harris said in March: “What we are seeing every day in Gaza is devastating.” Yet, during her speech last month as the Democratic Party’s nominee, she used passive language, referring to the violence as “what has happened in Gaza,” seemingly distancing the U.S. from its direct role in the devastation.
As the destruction in Gaza drags on, a key question remains: How long can U.S. lawmakers ignore the haunting images of child carnage that have become impossible to avoid? Will they continue to support military aid to Israel, or will they finally act to halt the slaughter?
As Suleiman warned in Middle East Eye, “It is high time Americans came to terms with their government’s complicity” in the atrocities unfolding in Gaza.
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