Dear John,
Today, NIAC was one of 75 organizations that announced our public endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders' historic resolution demanding accountability for U.S. support of Israel's war in Gaza. In a letter [[link removed]] signed by allies like Amnesty International, IfNotNow, Indivisible, and FCNL, we called on all U.S. Senators to vote for the Sanders resolution to force needed action that can stop the bloodshed.
We are increasingly alarmed that the United States is on the verge of being pulled into an all out regional war in the Middle East and a direct military confrontation with Iran.
Already, 10,000 children and 20,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza, where the population faces famine, disease, and displacement. The war has expanded into bombings in Lebanon and tit-for-tat attacks between Iran-linked forces and the U.S. and Israel in Iraq, Syria, and the Red Sea. If we do not act, a regional war would mean that the unprecedented humanitarian suffering of the past three months will expand exponentially.
We will not stand by while the Biden Administration enables the continuation and expansion of this disaster and sleepwalks into a catastrophe of monumental proportions. As Americans, we demand that our government take control of its Middle East policy, honor our own rules and international human rights obligations, and stop this conflict before it is too late.
<< Support these efforts: make a contribution to support NIAC's advocacy to end humanitarian suffering and prevent regional war >> [[link removed]]
After months of debate and repeated calls for a ceasefire, this is a critical moment. This is our next step, our agency.
Below, you can find more information from NIAC's explainer [[link removed]] on the resolution. We will update you on the status of this resolution, including a likely vote on the Senate floor next week, as this process continues.
Sincerely,
Jamal Abdi
Executive Director, NIAC Action
[[link removed]]
What is S.Res. 504?
1. The Significance of the Resolution
Senator Bernie Sanders' introduction of a resolution under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act marks a historic and significant step towards scrutinizing and curtailing U.S. military support for any war crimes being conducted by Israel. This move can finally force our government to evaluate whether Israel is upholding the standards set by U.S. law and international human rights and war law. It can also provide the American people with transparency regarding the transfer of U.S. weapons fueling the war – including secret stockpiles [[link removed]] of U.S. weapons inside Israel – and any other forms of potential U.S. government complicity in the illegal slaughter of Palestinian civilians – and put those actions to a halt.
2. Understanding Section 502(b)
Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, a rarely used but powerful tool, prohibits the U.S. from providing weapons or other forms of support for countries committing gross violations of human rights or war crimes. Under the statute, a single lawmaker can offer a "privileged resolution" that must receive a vote. If Congress then passes that resolution, the State Department is required to investigate potential human rights violations being carried out by the government of a country receiving U.S. weapons and support. If the State Department does not provide a report within 30 days of the resolution's passage, all security assistance to that country must be halted until the report is submitted. Sanders' resolution calls for such a report on Israel, focusing on whether use of U.S. weapons in Gaza and the West Bank violates international law.
3. Historical Precedent
In 2019, Senators Chris Murphy and Todd Young introduced a resolution requesting a report on Saudi Arabia's human rights practices under Section 502B(c). This action highlighted concerns about U.S. complicity in human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. The resolution did not pass, but the effort significantly increased scrutiny of and pressure on U.S. support for the Saudi war in Yemen.
4. Pressure on Biden and Netanyahu Governments
Sanders' resolution could exert significant and much needed pressure and accountability on both the U.S. administration as well as the Netanyahu government. By highlighting potential human rights violations and the use of U.S.-made munitions in Israeli strikes, it challenges the status quo of unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel. It also puts the spotlight on the Biden administration's responsibility to monitor compliance with international law in real-time, a commitment stated in the Conventional Arms Transfer policy. This comes as Israel finds itself in the International Court of Justice in The Hague — charged with genocide by South Africa.
5. Impact on U.S.-Israeli Relations and Regional Stability
Approval of this resolution could fundamentally alter the calculations of the Biden Administration. It presents Congress with the opportunity to restrict or end military assistance for the Gaza war based on the findings of the State Department's report. This could serve as a key leverage point in negotiations with Israel, potentially hastening progress towards halting the conflict and establishing a precedent for changes in conduct to prioritize human rights and adhere to international law. The Sanders resolution also represents a broader shift in Congressional and public opinion towards conditioning U.S. support for military action in the Middle East, reflecting growing concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the profound risk of regional war.
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