June 3, 2021

By Rich Procida

The world just witnessed the Israeli military carry out a devastating eleven-day assault on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel killed over two hundred Palestinians, including at least sixty-seven children. That’s more than the total number of Israelis killed by Palestinians over the last eleven years. Israeli airstrikes destroyed schools, refugee camps, international media outlets, hospitals, and damaged Gaza’s only COVID-19 testing lab. Entire families were killed. Over 52,000 Palestinians were displaced by the bombing. This has contributed to an ongoing public health crisis as COVID-19 continues to spread.

Even without Israel dropping bombs, life in Gaza is unbearable. Palestinians in Gaza have been living under Israel’s brutal blockade, sealed off from the rest of the world, for nearly fifteen years. Palestinians experience violence every day under Israel’s occupation. Living under Israel’s blockade also means severe shortages of life-saving medicine, food, electricity, and clean water. Palestinians in Gaza were still recovering from the 2014 invasion when Israel attacked them.

This was not a conflict among equals. One of the most advanced militaries in the world attacked a largely defenseless, civilian population. Israel claims that Hamas is responsible for the civilian deaths because they shoot their rockets from civilian areas, but major human rights organizations around the world say that Israel bombs civilian areas indiscriminately. 

What Israel has done in Gaza could constitute war crimes. Even Israeli soldiers participating in groups like Breaking the Silence have admitted to knowingly committing atrocities. It’s time to stop listening to Israel when it absolves itself of crimes against Palestinian children and civilians, and start paying attention to what reputable human rights organizations tell us. Israel’s actions are unacceptable. The United States must stop enabling Israel’s misuse of American military aid and weaponry. 

Amid all this unnecessary death and destruction, it is unacceptable that the Biden Administration has approved a 735 million dollar sale of advanced weapons systems and munitions to Israel. The bulk of the proposed sale includes Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS). These are likely among the kind of weapons used by the Israeli government in the most recent assault on Gaza. 

This planned arms sale has faced opposition in Congress. Joint Resolutions of Disapproval were introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Resolutions are endorsed by over two hundred civil society organizations. We desperately need to scrutinize and debate the selling of more weapons to Israel. 

The United Nations is now investigating allegations that Israel has committed war crimes. The Biden administration’s decision to sell arms to Israel at this time sends a message to Israel that it can act with impunity. It gives support to Israel’s flagrant violations of international law.

Members of Congress should publicly call on the Biden administration to halt the 735 million dollar weapons sale to Israel. Congress should demand further debate before this weapons sale is delivered to Israel. 

Congress and the United States Government provide Israel with a whopping 3.8 billion dollars in annual military funding along with diplomatic cover at the United Nations. Israel then uses the weapons and diplomatic cover to kill Palestinians.

American weapons and taxpayer dollars must not be used to slaughter innocent civilians, violate human rights, imprison Palestinian children in the unjust Israeli military court system, demolish Palestinian homes, forcibly displace Palestinian families, or annex Palestinian land in violation of international law.

The siege must end. Israel must stop blocking the shipment of food, medical supplies, and basic consumer goods into Gaza. For these reasons, I call on the Biden Administration to halt the 735 million dollar weapons sale to Israel and to support all efforts to send humanitarian aid to Gaza. Ultimately, the only way to solve this problem is to end Israel’s illegal and brutal military blockade and occupation of Gaza.

Rich Procida writes about religion and politics and produces a podcast called “Bible Study for Progressives.” He studied law and international service at American University in Washington, D.C., where he authored a textbook on foreign comparative constitutional law. 

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