On Tuesday, a group of 20 Democratic Members of Congress sent a letter urging the Biden administration to halt the transfer of offensive military weapons to the Israeli government.

The letter was organized by Representatives Greg Casar (D-TX) and Summer Lee (D-PA), both of whom are part of the “Squad,” a group of Democratic lawmakers who have expressed critical views of Israel, with 18 other Congress members joining them in signing the letter.

This letter comes after the Biden administration’s communication on October 13, 2024, to Israel’s then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, outlining the actions the Israeli government must take to continue receiving transfers of offensive weapons in accordance with U.S. law and policy.

The 20 lawmakers who signed the letter argue that Israel has not met the required humanitarian standards and are calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to uphold the standards the administration has set.

“We believe continuing to transfer offensive weapons to the Israeli government prolongs the suffering of the Palestinian people and risks our own national security by sending a message to the world that the US will apply its laws, policies, and international law selectively,” the members wrote.

“Furthermore, a failure to act will put Israeli lives in danger by prolonging Netanyahu’s war, isolating Israel on the international stage, and creating further instability in the region… While Israel made nominal progress in some areas, it overwhelmingly failed to meet the minimum standards laid out in the Administration’s own letter.”

“We urge your Administration to adhere to and uphold U.S. law by suspending offensive military transfers to Netanyahu and his government. Failure to do so not only risks our leverage in ceasefire negotiations, it undermines our country’s own national security and weakens America’s commitment to human rights as a cornerstone of our foreign policy,” the members continued. “We remain committed to saving Palestinian and Israeli lives. This means doing everything possible to prioritize the release of hostages, secure a lasting ceasefire deal, and move toward long term peace.”

Following the October 13 letter, Israeli officials assured U.S. counterparts that steps would be taken promptly to improve conditions in Gaza.

The letter had given Israel a 30-day deadline to take action to improve Gaza’s situation. When this deadline passed, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel commented that Israel had partially met the demands but had not fully complied.

Patel added that, although Israel had not fulfilled all the conditions set by the U.S., the administration had not “made an assessment that the Israelis are in violation of US law.”

{Matzav.com}