Senators urge Biden to stop arming Israel, citing violation of US aid law

A group of Democratic senators on Monday urged President Biden to stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons for the war against Hamas until Israel lifts restrictions on US-backed humanitarian aid to Gaza.

In a letter to Mr. Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent of Vermont, and seven Democrats argued that by continuing to arm Israel, Mr. Biden was violating the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits military aid from going to any country that supplies limited from it. of humanitarian aid.

It was the latest bid by members of his own party to intensify pressure on Biden to use his power to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu change his tactics and ease the suffering of Palestinians as the Gaza offensive enters its fifth month .

“We urge you to make it clear to the Netanyahu government that failure to immediately and dramatically expand humanitarian access and facilitate safe aid deliveries across Gaza will lead to serious consequences, as specified in existing US law.” , the group wrote.

Mr Sanders said it was clear that Mr Netanyahu’s actions violated the conditions for US military aid set out in the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, which is part of the foreign aid law. The law says that once the president is notified that a country is blocking or restricting the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid, U.S. military assistance cannot be provided.

“That is exactly what Israel does; they are preventing American humanitarian aid from reaching the people of Gaza,” Sanders said in an interview. “They are against the law and therefore the financial assistance should be suspended.”

The move is the latest initiative by Democrats in Congress to signal their dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s behavior and rely on Biden to use his power to try to change Israel’s tactics as civilian deaths mount and reports about famine increasing. The letter, written by Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, is signed by some of the Democratic Party’s most progressive members: Senators Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii, Peter Welch of Vermont and Tina Smith of Minnesota.

“I hope the president understands that a growing number of members of Congress, and the American people in general, are tired of seeing the destruction of the people of Gaza and the onset of mass famine,” Sanders said.

But so far, Congress has not shown the ability to use its own power to try to change Israel’s behavior. Supporters of limiting military aid or making it conditional on a change in behavior by Mr. Netanyahu do not have the votes to secure passage of such measures in the House of Representatives or the Senate. That has given them a chance to express their fears about the progress of Israel’s offensive and the suffering it has caused in Gaza through a series of strongly worded letters that have elicited little action from Mr. Biden.

Last month, the Senate passed an emergency national security relief bill that would send another $14.1 billion in military aid to Israel, including $10 billion for offensive weapons for the war against Hamas.

The letter makes a distinction between defensive aid to Israel, such as the Iron Dome, and military aid that would serve to further the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.

“Israel has the right to defend itself,” Mr. Sanders said, “but Israel in no way has the right to wage war against the entire Palestinian people.”

For months, the United Nations and aid agencies in the region have accused Israel of either failing to provide safe passage for aid deliveries or preventing vehicles from passing through checkpoints and stopping aid supplies along the border.

Mr. Biden has not directly blamed Mr. Biden for the halt in humanitarian aid and has continued to provide unequivocal support for Israel’s military operation.

But because the United States sees itself as both the source of offensive weapons and the provider of aid to those affected by the attacks with those weapons, Mr. Biden has had to figure out ways to get around the obstacles that prevent aid from reaching countries . Palestinian people.

This month, Mr. Biden authorized an airdrop of 38,000 ready-to-eat meals in Gaza, and last week he announced that the U.S. military would build a temporary pier to create a new entry point for aid in the region.

The actions, the senators said, are a tacit admission by the White House that Israel is standing in the way of desperately needed food and supplies reaching starving Palestinians.

“People are dying of hunger now, and we must use all our power,” Mr. Van Hollen said. “The government has not used the influence it currently has. I don’t know how many more children have to starve before we can use all our influence here, but they really need to do more.”