[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

More than 400 days. Nearly 14 months. The Israel-Hamas war continues to be
an unmitigated disaster for all involved.

Over 100 hostages remain in captivity, and Hamas continues to fight, even
as Israel’s now-fired defense chief says that all possible military goals
have been achieved.

And – as hard as it is to fathom – the humanitarian situation in Gaza goes
from bad to worse.

Over a month ago, the Biden Administration outlined clear benchmarks for
the Israeli government to improve the situation for civilians caught in
the crossfire.

By Israel’s own metrics, those targets have still not been met.
Netanyahu’s government still obstructs nearly all aid to north Gaza – and
what does get in isn’t reaching desperate families due to the lack of
appropriate security and oversight.

The reports are painful: Children treated for starvation. Hospitals
running out of anesthetics. Rescue teams, lacking fuel for equipment,
forced to dig through rubble by hand.

It's unacceptable. US law is clear: Recipients of American military aid
cannot prohibit or impede humanitarian supplies or the White House must
follow protocols to hold back parts of that assistance.

Yet consistently, when push comes to shove, the White House backs away
from enforcing the law. Aid to the Israeli government continues to be a
blank check.

President Biden still has 56 days left in office. We have to make the case
that his legacy cannot be one of devastation in Gaza, failing to uphold
our laws, and allowing Netanyahu to mock our shared values.

Friends: We don’t yet have your name on our congressional petition
calling for action. [ [link removed] ]Could you take a moment to read, sign and share our
message to Congress?

As Jewish and pro-Israel Americans, we have a particularly powerful voice
on this issue. We have to use it.

Israel faces real enemies and threats. We’ve seen that this year from
Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis – as well as Hamas and other terror
groups. Israel’s right and obligation to defend its citizens is not in
question.

But we’re also really clear about the values and laws that have to be
upheld in fighting those enemies. The steps we’re advocating – enforcing
restrictions on certain offensive weapons and exemptions for defensive
systems – will not risk Israel’s defense or safety.

As countless former Israeli and American security officials have warned,
laying siege to Gaza and delaying ceasefire negotiations further doesn’t
bring a single hostage closer to freedom. It only makes things worse – in
the end, undermining Israel's security too.

Together, let’s send a clear message to President Biden: Backtracking from
humanitarian aid requirements is not only a breach of our laws, but it
will cost lives in Gaza, further tarnish Israel’s reputation and corrode
our shared values.

[ [link removed] ]Friends: Please take a moment to sign our petition today? Add
your name here >> 

With less than two months left in office, this is really the Biden
Administration’s final chance to demonstrate that its commitment to the
rule of law actually means something.

Thank you, sincerely, for your support.

Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street


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© 2024 J Street | [ [link removed] ]www.jstreet.org | [email protected]

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy
Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the
Jewish people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we
advocate policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish
and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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