Dear MoveOn member,
Bernie here. I’m reaching out because on Tuesday the Senate will vote on a critical resolution that I introduced to investigate the military policies that the right-wing Netanyahu government is carrying out against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This resolution will require that the State Department report on potential human rights violations committed by Israel and evaluate the role that U.S.-supplied weapons have played in civilian deaths and injuries.
As all of you know, what is happening in Gaza right now is horrific. In my view, Israel has the right to go after the Hamas terrorists who launched a brutal attack against them on October 7. They do not, however, have the right to go to war against millions of innocent Palestinian men, women, and children, which is exactly what is happening. As of now, more than 23,000 people in Gaza have been killed, 70% of whom are women and children, and almost 60,000 have been injured. 1.9 million people have been driven from their homes, and 70% of all housing units have been damaged or destroyed. Today, as you read this, many hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza are facing starvation because humanitarian aid is being delayed.
Please—add your name to the petition to support an immediate investigation before more military funding is allocated to Israel.
Americans deserve transparency about how their tax dollars are being spent and if U.S. military aid has been used in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. The Foreign Assistance Act prohibits security assistance to any government "which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights." We need to reassert the checks and balances of our government and ensure there is congressional oversight over U.S. foreign policy.
We don’t have a lot of time. Your senators need to hear from you and know that the American people demand an investigation. Sign the petition NOW, and then share with three friends or family members.
Thanks for all you do.
–U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
P.S. See the email below from MoveOn for more information about the resolution and what’s at stake.
Sources:
1. "In grim milestone, 1% of Gaza Strip population killed since Israel-Hamas war began," ABC News, January 10, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/185862?t=7&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
2. "Israeli bombardment destroyed over 70% of Gaza homes: Report," AlJazeera, December 31, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185863?t=9&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
Dear MoveOn member,
Alarming reports have surfaced that U.S. bombs and artillery are being used in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war that is indiscriminately killing Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including children.3
Will you sign the petition to demand an investigation NOW?
Senator Bernie Sanders has submitted a resolution calling for the U.S. to abide by its own laws and investigate reports of civilian bombings in Gaza, to ensure that U.S. foreign aid is not used to intentionally violate human rights. This action is not unprecedented—back in 2022, the Biden administration withheld $130 million from Egypt due to human rights violations.4,5
John, our U.S. taxpayer dollars are being used to fund the relentless bombing of Palestinian civilians. If you’re heartbroken, there’s something you can do about it. Sign the petition now to call on your elected officials to support Sanders's call for an investigation immediately!
Following the devastating October 7 Hamas attacks, Netanyahu launched a disproportionate and cruel bombardment against Palestinians that has, heartbreakingly, killed more than 23,000 people so far, nearly 70% of whom are women and children, with many more missing in the rubble. More than 57,000 have been injured and at least 1.9 million displaced, and entire generations of families have been killed.6,7 The catastrophe in Gaza is an urgent and ongoing humanitarian crisis—one that is being enabled by U.S. arms. We need an investigation now. Add your name to the petition.
Imagine being told to evacuate and take your family, children, and other loved ones to shelter in safety, only to then be bombarded. Netanyahu is bombing safe zones to which Palestinians were told to evacuate. The U.N. and various humanitarian and human rights organizations increasingly share reports of human rights violations, as well as hundreds of aid and healthcare workers and journalists being killed in the bombings.8,9
Our leaders should be using all resources and political power to advocate for a lasting peace that frees all hostages, allows international aid into devastated areas, and ends the bloodshed. We cannot allow U.S. taxpayer dollars to instead be used to provide endless and unconditional support for this devastating, immoral, and nonstrategic military offensive. Add your name and demand that your senators support calls for an immediate investigation into any possible violations of international law before any additional aid is provided.
Sen. Sanders said, "The scale of the suffering in Gaza is unimaginable—it will be remembered among some of the darkest chapters of our modern history. This is a humanitarian cataclysm, and it is being done with American bombs and money. We need to face up to that fact—and then we need to end our complicity in those actions."10
This weekend, thousands of Israelis protested in Israel demanding the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza, the dismissal of Netanyahu's government, and an end to Netanyahu's war in Gaza.11,12
Until then, Sen. Sanders's resolution would hold the U.S. accountable to its own laws, demanding an investigation into reports of civilian bombings in Gaza to ensure that U.S. foreign aid is not used to intentionally violate human rights.
Taxpayers deserve to know the truth regarding reports of violations of international law and human rights. Click here to add your name to this urgent petition calling for an investigation, and then pass it along to your friends to spread the word.
Thanks for all you do.
–Mana, Aliya, Madeleine, Jaira, and the rest of the team
Sources:
3. "U.S. Sends Israel 2,000-Pound Bunker Buster Bombs for Gaza War," The Wall Street Journal, December 1, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185785?t=19&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
4. "U.S. to withhold $130 mln of military aid to Egypt over human rights -official," Reuters, September 14, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/185788?t=21&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
5. "Bernie Sanders demands answers on Israel's 'indiscriminate' Gaza bombing," The Guardian, December 15, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185789?t=23&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
6. "Israel maintains onslaught as Gaza death toll tops 22,000," AlJazeera, January 2, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/185795?t=25&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
7. "Entire Families Have Been 'Wiped Out' by Israeli Airstrikes, Human Rights Group Says," Time, October 31, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185787?t=27&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
8. "IDF instructions on Gaza refuge zones cruel 'mirage', say aid agencies," The Guardian, December 7, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185790?t=29&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
9. "UN mourns the deaths of more than 100 aid workers in Gaza, the highest number killed in any conflict in its history," CNN, November 14, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185791?t=31&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
10. "NEWS: Sanders Introduces Resolution to Investigate Israel’s Indiscriminate Bombing Campaign in Gaza," Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator for Vermont, December 15, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185792?t=33&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
11. "Thousands Protest Across Israel Calling for Elections and Netanyahu's Dismissal," Haaretz, January 6, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/185814?t=35&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
12. "Thousands protest in Israel demanding captive release, government to resign," Al Jazeera, January 6, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/185804?t=37&akid=373519%2E40999114%2EKscEz7
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