We urge the U.S. government to take a firm stance against Israel’s military actions Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) vehemently condemns the Israeli government’s escalation of military operations in Lebanon and demands President Biden ensure that U.S. troops are not drawn into a regional war. We call on the Biden administration to adopt principled diplomacy, focusing on de-escalation and a commitment to international law and human rights. We also reiterate our call for President Biden to suspend all military weapons transfers to Israel immediately. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has become an emboldened rogue state, engaging in genocide in Gaza while bombing Syria and Lebanon, provoking instability in the region and the potential for a regional war. These attacks are blatant violations of Syrian and Lebanese sovereignties, intensifying tensions in the region. Today, Israel attacked a neighborhood in Lebanon, threatening a further escalation in its fight against Lebanon, demonstrating a pattern of aggressive and unilateral military actions against its neighbors. Israel's military aggressions, ranging from Damascus to Beirut, reveal an increasingly reckless and destabilizing approach by Israel. These actions are not aligned with the Biden administration's alleged stability interests in the region. President Biden must be vocal in his stance that Israel's attempts to widen wars in the region are detrimental to U.S. interests. Military engagements against Iran, Syria, Lebanon, or Yemen, whether directly or through support for Israeli operations, risk entangling the United States in an aggressive and unjustifiable regional war that may ultimately lead to avoidable American casualties. Americans should not have to risk their lives to ensure Netanyahu’s political future nor to bail out the miserable failure of Israeli security and military brass. The Biden administration stands at a crossroads: either fight Netanyahu and Israel's wars, increasing our complicity in crimes of genocide, apartheid, and war crimes in occupied Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and the broader Middle East, or cut ties with the brutal, genocidal, and corrupt politicians and army of Israel. If the United States joins Netanyahu and Israel’s war, it risks losing the little that remains of its moral and political capital and risks exposure to criminal proceedings. For instance, South Africa recently filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocidal acts in Gaza. The U.S. could risk being implicated as a partner in these crimes. We stand against the genocidal, racist, and criminal agenda these Israeli actions represent. The path to peace and justice in Palestine and the Middle East lies in recognizing the rights and aspirations of all people in the region, including Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, and Iranians. If the U.S. is serious about its moral and strategic interest in promoting a just and lasting peace in the region that respects all nations' sovereignty and the dignity of all peoples, then the path forward must be rooted in diplomacy and respect for international norms, rather than military intervention and support for unilateral Israeli aggression. AJP Action demands the U.S. government take a firm stance against recent Israeli military actions and pursue a foreign policy that promotes justice and stability in the Middle East. Sincerely, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) |
