Tell Congress: Oppose a $20B arms transfer that will only fuel the fire of genocide in Gaza
The Israeli government has received over 50,000 tons of weapons and military equipment from the U.S. since October 2023. As we’ve watched in horror, these weapons have been used to slaughter and displace tens of thousands of Palestinians, and to uphold a brutal siege that is now starving children across Gaza.
Now, the Biden administration has just notified Congress of its intent to authorize another massive $20 billion new arms sale to the Israeli government, including billions of dollars in the same kinds of weapons that have already killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza.
The potential for U.S. complicity in even more violence and suffering couldn’t be higher. The most recent arms packages announced look to include:
⚡️ $18.8 billion for 50 F-15 fighter jets and related equipment
⚡️ $774 million for 32,739 120mm tank cartridges
⚡️ $61 million for 50,000 high-explosive mortar cartridges
⚡️ $262 million for 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs)
If you’re outraged that the U.S. government is green-lighting more suffering and violence in Gaza, we need you to act now. Congress has the legal power to stop this madness, but your Congress members need to hear from you!
The Biden administration recently has talked a better game regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. Yet, they are simultaneously sending a steady flow of bombs to the Israeli government, green-lighting and enabling its atrocities and putting a ceasefire further out of reach. Israel’s genocide has been backed and enabled by the U.S. every step of the way.
The U.S. government has enormous power to bring the suffering to an end. It can pressure Israeli officials to end settler violence. It can lift its restrictions on UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) to allow critical humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian people. But most importantly–– it must stop sending billions in deadly arms to Israel.
In breaking news, while addressing the Brattleboro Vermont Senior Center, Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he will introduce a Joint Resolution of Disapproval against this $20B arms deal, stating “I will lead the effort to make sure that we do not give any more arms to Israel unless there’s a radical change in politics.” This is the kind of pro-peace leadership we need now more than ever!
It wasn’t that long ago that only a handful of our strongest allies were leading the charge for a ceasefire. Today, because of our massive grassroots pressure, that has become a common call amongst U.S. officials. We can’t get complacent now, though. This weapons package will only embolden and empower the war and genocide against the Palestinian people to continue at full scale.
Thank you for everything you’ve done to help end the suffering and genocide in Gaza.
Onward!
Jon Rainwater
Executive Director
Peace Action
