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Satire for Sanity
14 Democrats Urge Biden to Shift Approach to Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Probe U.S. Aid Violations
Israel's 'illegal de facto and de jure annexation of the occupied West Bank is well underway,' bicameral letter warns
WASHINGTON — Fourteen Democratic lawmakers on Thursday urged the Biden administration to undertake a foundational shift in its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in progressives' most significant missive to date against the Israeli government since Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition assumed power.
Spearheaded by Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the bicameral letter urges U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “undertake a shift in U.S. policy in recognition of the worsening violence, further annexation of land, and denial of Palestinian rights. Only by protecting democracy, human rights, and self-determination for all Palestinians and Israelis can we achieve a lasting peace.”
The progressive lawmakers are further urging the Biden administration to ensure U.S. taxpayer funds are not supporting Israeli settlements projects, and to determine whether U.S. military aid is in violation of the Arms Export Control Act or the so-called “Leahy Law.” The Arms Export and Controls Act stipulates that U.S. weapons are sold only for legitimate self-defense, while the Leahy Law prohibits U.S. funding from being used to equip or train foreign military forces suspected of human rights abuses or war crimes.
“Furthermore, we call on your administration to ensure that all future foreign assistance to Israel, including weapons and equipment, is not used in support of gross violations of human rights, including by strengthening end-use monitoring and financial tracking. We ask that you respond with a detailed plan as to how the administration plans to achieve that goal,” they add.
The lawmakers emphasized that they are “deeply concerned by Israeli government moves that demonstrate that illegal de facto and de jure annexation of the occupied West Bank is well underway,” stressing that “this Israeli government’s anti-democratic mission to dismantle the rule of law is a threat to Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
MORE;
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...conflict/00000187-7d6f-d484-adef-ffeff6950000
The snowball is on the move.