A letter was delivered to Sen. Van Hollen's offices encouraging him to co-sponsor Bernie's reolution against arms to Israel

Friends,

On Thursday, October 31 at 11 AM, members of Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland will deliver a letter urging Chris Van Hollen to sign on to the joint resolutions of disapproval of arms to a genocidal Israel organized by Sen. Sanders and others.  We do not have an appointment as another group will raise this issue in Van Hollen’s D.C. office.  If you plan to join us in Baltimore, please wait until we have critical mass around 11 AM. Consider bringing signs for a demo before we deliver the letter and for about 30 minutes after delivery. 

Let me know if you have any questions.  Consider calling his Baltimore office to encourage the senator to cosponsor the JRD.  Kagiso, Max

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.

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

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs