October 31, 2024
1040 Park Avenue, Suite 120
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (667) 212-4610
Dear Senator Van Hollen,
We, the undersigned organizations and constituents, urge you to
cosponsor and vote in favor of the joint resolutions of disapproval introduced
by Senators Sanders, Welch, Schatz, and Merkley regarding several specific
major arms sales to the government of Israel.
The joint resolutions of disapproval would suspend the transfer of
some of the weapons that the Israeli government has used in strikes that have
killed thousands of civilians, including aid workers and journalists, in Gaza
over the last year. Independent human rights and conflict monitors have
thoroughly documented the Israeli military’s use of weapons from the United
States in attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians. President Biden has described
Israeli government attacks as “indiscriminate.” The joint resolutions of
disapproval would block certain sales of joint direct attack munitions
(JDAMs) and tank shells,
which the Israeli military has repeatedly used in attacks that have killed
civilians in densely populated areas. The resolutions do not implicate missile
defense systems.
Israeli military attacks have killed
more than 40,000 Palestinians and decimated Gaza’s hospitals,
schools,
critical
infrastructure, and residential
housing. Human rights organizations have concluded that the Israeli
military has repeatedly
violated
international humanitarian law. Humanitarian groups have stressed that Israeli
forces continue
to restrict the delivery of humanitarian aid as hundreds of thousands of people
in Gaza are on
the precipice of starvation and suffering
from the spread of deadly diseases, including polio.
The Israeli military is also carrying
out attacks in Lebanon, including recent strikes in densely populated areas of
Beirut, that demonstrate
a similar disregard for the protection of civilians.
Continued arms transfers to the Israeli government are contrary
to U.S. law and the Biden
administration’s own arms transfer
policy, which
include
restrictions
on arms transfers to any country based on human rights, international
humanitarian law, and humanitarian assistance criteria. For example, U.S. law
prohibits military aid to governments that restrict the delivery of U.S.
humanitarian assistance. As demonstrated
by the National Security
Memorandum 20 process,
the Biden administration has not complied with these standards.
The Senate will soon have the opportunity to demonstrate that it
opposes further suffering and stands for the rule of law and the protection of
civilians by supporting the joint resolutions of disapproval introduced on
September 25. We endorse Senator Sanders, Welch, Schatz and Merkley’s
resolutions and urge all Senators to cosponsor and vote in favor of their
passage.
Contact Max Obuszewski at
410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001@comcast.net
Organizational Signatories
Action Corps Maryland
Prevent Nuclear War- Maryland
The Peace and Justice Coalition of Prince
George's County
Peace Action Montgomery
Maryland Peace Action
Baltimore Nonviolence Center
Individual Signatories (Public Only)
Alex Harrell, Baltimore, 21218
Daniella Williams, Baltimore, 21218
Max
Obuszewski, Baltimore 21212
Janice
Sevre-Duszynska, Towson 21286
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