John,

Over the past week, U.S. Senators and international leaders showed that the days of the Israeli apartheid government operating with impunity are ending.

In the first-ever Congressional vote to block weapons sales to Israel, 19 Democratic Senators voted yes on Senator Bernie Sanders’ resolutions to block illegal weapons sales to Israel, standing up to intense lobbying from AIPAC, the Biden administration, and Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer. This marks a significant break in the once-universal bipartisan U.S. support for Israel’s human rights violations.

Although the U.S. again vetoed a ceasefire resolution at the United Nations this week, another international body stepped up: The International Criminal Court finally issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Biden’s administration and Republican lawmakers are now trying to undermine the ICC, but leaders in Canada and across Europe announced they will comply and arrest these war criminals if they step foot in their countries.

We have momentum, and we cannot stop now: We must keep trying various methods to end U.S. support for the Israeli genocide of Palestinians.

Earlier this month, Congresswoman Cori Bush and I led a Congressional letter to President Biden questioning his deployment of U.S. troops to the Middle East and the U.S. coordinating with Israeli forces including sharing intelligence. These actions violate the U.S. Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which make clear that Presidents must get Congressional authorization before involving U.S. forces in war.

Please add your name today to co-sign my Congressional letter to President Biden: Demand he stop violating our laws and our Constitution in his support for Israel’s growing regional war.

Thank you. Together, we will continue pressuring the U.S. federal government to end our complicity in Israel’s genocide and occupation of the Palestinian people.

In solidarity,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sat, Nov 23, 2024
Subject: Sign on to my Congressional letter to Biden to end unauthorized U.S. involvement in Israel’s regional war.
To: [email protected]

John,

This week, the Biden administration:

• Lobbied members of Congress against the first-ever Congressional vote to block weapons sales to Israel. Despite this pressure, nearly half of all Democratic Senators (19) voted to uphold U.S. and international law, standing with the majority of Americans—and the majority of Jewish Americans—who want to cut off U.S. weapons to Israel.

• Vetoed a ceasefire resolution at the United Nations, for the fourth time since last October.

• Tried to undermine the International Criminal Court’s historic arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This further isolates the U.S. from the international community: Leaders in Canada and multiple European countries have already affirmed that they’ll arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if these war criminals step foot in their countries.

We’re seeing historic steps from U.S. Senators and international leaders that show the tide is turning. The days of the Israeli apartheid government operating with impunity are ending.

We must keep pressuring the U.S. federal government to end our complicity in these violations of human rights and laws. We must stop arming and funding this genocide and stop shielding Israel from accountability. We have other tools to pressure President Biden in these last months while he's still in office.

My sister-in-service Rep. Cori Bush and I recently led a letter to President Biden to make clear that his actions—such as deploying U.S. troops to the region, intelligence sharing, and operational coordination with Israeli forces—require Congressional authorization. These unauthorized actions violate Article I of the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Congress can act to bring troops home and more.

Will you sign on to support our recent letter to President Biden, pushing for an end to U.S. involvement in genocide and Israel’s regional war?

For decades, unconditional support for Israeli atrocities against Palestinians has been a shared bipartisan stance in the U.S., but our movement is bringing much-needed change. We must build on this momentum and continue pushing our federal government to uphold U.S. and international laws.

Last week, I spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about the Biden administration’s failure to act despite sending a letter giving Israel’s government 30 days to stop blocking aid into Gaza. That deadline has passed and although Israel’s government continues to block even more aid, the Biden administration announced it will do nothing.

As the Institute for Middle East Understanding wrote: “The letter’s recognition that Israel has been blocking aid from entering Gaza over recent months itself is evidence that the U.S. should have suspended all weapons to Israel immediately, according to the law.” I explained on the House floor that U.S. law is very clear: No nation blocking U.S. humanitarian assistance can receive U.S. weapons.

The Biden administration cannot pick and choose when they comply with our own laws, including laws that restrict military assistance to countries violating human rights and laws that require Congressional authorization before involving U.S. Armed Forces in war.

Add your name today: Hold President Biden accountable for violating U.S. laws and our constitution by co-signing the Congressional letter that Rep. Cori Bush and I led earlier this month.

Thank you for continuing to take action toward our collective liberation. We will not stop.

In solidarity,

Rashida