Civil society groups demand Senate block military aid to Israel amid human rights concerns

The coalition launched the “No More Weapons for Israel’s War” campaign, urging millions of their members across the U.S. to call on their senators to support joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) to block the transfer.

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As the U.S. Senate prepares for a historic vote on military aid to Israel, a coalition of 57 civil society organizations is mounting pressure on lawmakers to block over $20 billion in proposed offensive weapons transfers. The coalition, which includes advocacy groups like Demand Progress, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), and the Center for Constitutional Rights, launched the “No More Weapons for Israel’s War” campaign, urging millions of their members across the U.S. to call on their senators to support joint resolutions of disapproval (JRDs) to block the transfer.

The JRDs, introduced in September by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), aim to prevent the transfer of U.S. arms, such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), tanks, and artillery shells, to Israel. Since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza over a year ago, these weapons have been linked to significant civilian casualties. Senator Sanders highlighted the JRD’s importance, pointing to “a mountain of documentary evidence” that these arms have directly contributed to the deaths and injuries of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have extensively documented Israel’s use of U.S.-manufactured arms in attacks on civilian infrastructure. In one attack involving JDAMs manufactured by Boeing, 43 civilians—nearly half of them children—were killed. Additional strikes using U.S.-made bombs and artillery resulted in at least 95 civilian deaths, including 42 children, prompting Amnesty to submit detailed reports to the federal government.

A Guardian analysis similarly found that U.S. weapons were used in an IDF airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed at least 22 people and wounded over 115. These findings have intensified calls for U.S. lawmakers to take decisive action.

The Biden administration has been criticized for allowing these weapons transfers despite widespread evidence of civilian casualties. Recently, the United Nations reported that, between November 2023 and April 2024, 70% of the people killed by IDF forces in Gaza were women and children. Advocates argue that this data contradicts claims by the U.S. and Israeli governments that their military operations exclusively target Hamas militants.

For organizations like the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, the upcoming vote represents an opportunity for the U.S. to leverage arms sales as a means to encourage de-escalation and protect civilians. “It’s time for the Israeli government to take U.S. demands about de-escalation, civilian protection, and humanitarian aid seriously,” said Tori Bateman, the Quincy Institute’s advocacy director. “If the United States wants to see the Israeli government change its behavior, then it must change too by being willing to leverage arms sales.”

Advocacy groups and some lawmakers have underscored the urgency of the JRDs amid ongoing humanitarian concerns. Israel’s military blockade of Gaza has led to widespread hunger and the rapid spread of preventable diseases. In July, United Nations experts declared that Gaza was nearing famine due to restricted access to essential goods and humanitarian aid.

In addition to the ethical concerns, critics argue that continued U.S. military aid to Israel may violate American law. Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act prohibits the U.S. from supplying weapons to a country obstructing U.S. humanitarian assistance. The ongoing humanitarian blockade of Gaza has fueled arguments that U.S. arms transfers to Israel may not only be morally questionable but also legally problematic.

Yasmine Taeb, legislative and political director of the MPower Change Action Fund, expressed appreciation for Senator Sanders’ efforts to introduce the JRDs and emphasized the broader legal ramifications. “Sending any offensive arms to Israel is a violation of U.S. and international humanitarian law,” Taeb said. “We urge senators to co-sponsor and vote YES on the JRDs.”

The FCNL’s Hassan El-Yayyab stressed that Israel’s actions in Gaza represent “not just a humanitarian catastrophe but a mass atrocity carried out with U.S. bombs and military support, funded by American taxpayers.” He described the JRDs as a pivotal moment in U.S. history, marking “the first major effort in Congress to block offensive arms sales to Israel.”

Chip Gibbons of Defending Rights & Dissent connected the issue to broader principles of U.S. responsibility, noting that Israeli forces’ targeting of Palestinian journalists represents one of the gravest attacks on press freedom globally. “As a domestic civil liberties group, we don’t take stances on international issues,” he explained. “But when our government provides weapons that are used to violate human rights, that implicates our core mission.”

Other organizations involved in the campaign share similar views. Sue Udry, executive director of Defending Rights & Dissent, praised Sanders’ introduction of the JRDs and stated, “It’s well past time to hold our government accountable to our own laws.”

The Senate vote is expected to be contentious, with President-elect Trump’s vocal support for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu adding to the political divide. Cavan Kharrazian, senior policy adviser for Demand Progress, argued that passing the JRDs has become “even more urgent now,” given Trump’s anticipated support for increased military aid to Israel.

As advocacy groups press senators to act, progressive lawmakers and civil rights organizations continue to emphasize the need for accountability and restraint. “Our goal is to end U.S. complicity in the mass killing and starvation of Palestinian civilians,” stated El-Yayyab. “Senators must vote yes and press the Biden administration to use all forms of U.S. leverage to finally end the war in Gaza.”

The upcoming vote has galvanized human rights advocates, marking what they see as an historic attempt to align U.S. foreign policy with its stated values of peace and human dignity. “It’s well past time to hold our government accountable to our own laws,” said Udry, “and ensure that American tax dollars are not funding atrocities.”

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