By Farrah Hassen
In a shameful moment for U.S. history, an accused war criminal addressed Congress on July 24.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to plead for more arms for his war on Gaza, where the International Court of Justice has found it “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide. “Give us the tools faster and we’ll finish the job faster,” Netanyahu said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity. But instead of arresting him, Congress gave him multiple standing ovations.
Beyond applause, the U.S. government is also Israel’s chief supplier of arms. Every year, Congress sends billions in military aid — including thousands of high powered explosives and other weapons since October.
To avoid complicity in war crimes and genocide, these shipments must end.
There is overwhelming evidence that Israeli forces under Netanyahu’s leadership have committed massive human rights atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza. And that’s against the backdrop of an illegal military occupation of Palestinian territory and apartheid, as another ICJ ruling confirmed recently.
Nonetheless, Congress invited Netanyahu to speak. He used this platform to deny any responsibility for the slaughter, famine, and catastrophic destruction in Gaza — and to denigrate Americans who are rightly horrified by their government’s support for his genocidal campaign.
As Netanyahu spoke, thousands of people took to the streets near the Capitol. Braving tear gas and arrest, they gave voice to the majority of Americans who demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an embargo on arms to Israel.
Most Americans are disgusted that U.S-made bombs keep turning up at massacre after massacre. Over the past few weeks alone, Israel has repeatedly bombed so-called “safe zones” and at least eight schools in Gaza where thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
On July 9, the Israeli military murdered at least 30 Palestinians who were playing soccer at the Al-Awda school using GBU-39 bombs made by Boeing. Israel also dropped GBU-39s on another UN school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp on July 6, killing at least 40, and before that on Palestinian families sheltering in plastic tents during the May 26 Rafah massacre.
On July 13, Israeli forces killed 90 people and injured hundreds more at the Al-Mawasi refugee camp that Israel had designated a “safe zone.” Children were reportedly found “in pieces.” Eight 2,000-pound bombs turned the civilian area into a “smoldering crater.” At least one of the munitions was a Boeing-made JDAM.
Despite these atrocities, the weapons continue to flow.
In May, President Biden announced that he would pause the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs ahead of Israel’s invasion of Rafah, which Biden had called “a red line.” However, Israel has still received destructive 500-pound bomb shipments despite invading Rafah, and the killing in Gaza continues.
These weapons shipments violate both international and U.S. law. The United States is legally obligated to withhold military assistance when U.S. weapons are used to violate human rights.
The UN Human Rights Council and various experts have called on all countries to end the sale and transfer of military equipment to Israel — or else risk complicity in crimes, including genocide. They called on arms manufacturers supplying Israel to do the same, including Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.
Polls show that a majority of Americans support closing the arms pipeline to Israel. In advance of Netanyahu’s speech, seven major labor unions representing nearly 6 million workers called on President Biden to “immediately halt all military aid to Israel.”
The voices of the American people deserve more respect in Congress than Netanyahu’s lies and demands. An immediate end to all U.S. weapons transfers to Israel is long overdue, alongside a permanent ceasefire and larger pursuit of freedom and justice for the Palestinian people.
We must not allow ourselves to become a nation that applauds mass murder.
Farrah Hassen, J.D., is a writer, policy analyst, and adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at Cal Poly Pomona. Born in the United Arab Emirates, raised in the United States, Farrah holds a Master’s in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2007.
R.S. says
It’s been quite telling that the Druze parents whose children were killed by what may have been an accidentally misdirected missile, did not want to meet with Netanyahu, presumably because they know the source of the problems for the region. And it’s unfortunate that the US does not profess any obligations to the International Court, except to go for third-world heads of state or Putin. Shameful!
Engin Roslpostur says
I am no fan of Netanyahu, but why is it reasonable to forget / excuse Hamas MURDERING AND wounding over 1200 people at a music festival and taking AND STILL KEEPING HOSTAGES months after the event. Terrorists are NOT HEROES. What would any citizen of the USA say about forgiving ISIS after 9/11?
Pierre Tristam says
Apply the same reasoning to Israel. Rinse off the blood. Repeat 30 times. And counting.
DaleL says
Unless I missed something, Farrah Hassen did not mention Hamas even once in her editorial. She also made an extraordinary claim that the demonstrators who took to the streets near the Capitol gave voice to the majority of Americans. The demonstrators as with the American people have varied opinions concerning the situation. Those demonstrators who burned American flags and chanted pro-Hamas slogans were rightly condemned by among others, Vice President Harris.
As a sovereign democratic nation in the center of a region of hostile regimes, Israel deserves our support. At the same time, the USA must insist that Israel stop all annexations of West Bank land. Israel must forcefully punish all Jewish settler vigilante “justice” (violence). Netanyahu’s administration’s brutality in Gaza is counterproductive. In addition to the unnecessary and excessive brutality against civilians, very few Israeli captives have been freed from Hamas.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Time for Isreal to finish the job!
Tim says
War is hell and not a cakewalk. Hamas poked the bear and must now pay the price. People that think Hamas understand and respect others are misguided. Go back to your bubble if you think otherwise!
Pierre Tristam says
Nobody defends Hamas, its terrorism or its racist, repressive, theocratic horrors. That doesn’t mean we should defend Israel, its 30 times bloodier terrorism, its Palestine-denying racism, its 70 years of occupation and its own theocratic horrors in the name of a biblical past that has no place in running the fates of human beings.
Hank says
Agree… but where are those articles from “Journalists” condemning Hamas, condemning Hamas for hiding behind innocent Palestinians, condemning Iran who funds them and uses Hamas and the slaughter if innocent Palestinians as a tool to put Israel as a head line in the news. Is the media serious about wanting it to stop? Or are they too using the slaughter of innocents as a tool just to condemn Israel. Just actually a tool of Iran to condemn Israel, not really giving two shits about the Palestinians being slaughtered. If you are serious, cut the snake off at the head and stop it.
Pierre Tristam says
There is no equivalency here. Israel is by far the worse offender: 39,000 killed so far, more than 30 times the Oct. 7 toll. It isn’t payback. It’s genocide. But Israel’s disproportionate responses have been this way since before its founding, when it was itself awash in the terrorism of the Stern gang and other terror groups led by killers like Begin and Shamir, both of whom, naturally, would become prime ministers. Netanyahu exercises his terrorism from the top, as Sharon did.
Hank says
I did not propose any sense of equivalency here. I only indicate one of the causes of the problem that you and the media continue to not to address. I cannot believe that you Pierre, do not agree that Iran is using and funding Hamas so that innocent Palestinians get slaughtered and it makes the news. Until that funding and support stops this never ends. Israel will continue to strike out against those who attack them and if you allow those attackers to hide behind woman and children, woman and children will die. If the media is serious about the stopping it, stop it at the beginning. If “media” is only outraged by the outcome and not one of the major causes, then they are being complicit and being used as a tool. Expose the ALL of the truth to the public.
oldtimer says
apparently, a lot of white collage kids not only support Hama they proudly fly the flag. I wonder if they know who they are they are supporting while they burn American flags.
Pierre Tristam says
Hama is a city in Syria that old Hafez el Assad massacred to the last Muslim brother in 1982, then invited the press to show the world what he’d do to dissenters. Collage is something children do in their earliest years, though it helps develop skills for college. Burning the American flag while defended as free expression by the conservative Supreme Court with Scalia and Kennedy in the majority, was not a scene you’d see much of during those protests you’re referring to. It would help, old timer, if you put in an instant’s thought before connecting your speech-to-text utility from Fox crap to the comment box.
oldtimer says
I don’t get my news from fox but I did see with my own eyes “children” flying the flag of Hamas, I agree it’s free speech but let’s pretend they were flying swastika’s, would the coverage be the same?
Pierre Tristam says
I see children flying the Israeli flag all the time. Adults, too. What’s your point?
oldtimer says
My point is everyone who disagrees with you is not some fox fed maga nut. I guess since I’m retired i have the advantage of travel when I want, I have seen first hand the lunacy on both sides, if you can get out from behind your keyboard and travel the country like you did when you were younger check out the border states to see what is really going on, check out some of the ruined city blocks were the “peaceful” demonstrations happened, believe me there is enough insanity on both sides Rep and Dem
Steve says
This article is a disgrace. How could you be so ignorant about what’s going on an what’s happened in the middle east
Pierre Tristam says
I had the same reaction. I can’t believe we haven’t suspended diplomatic relations with the Israelis. The American blind spot for its 51st state is bigger than Texas.
Dan says
I guess you forgot howmany young Isreali children died or rated when mama’s started this war.
Pierre Tristam says
As for the 10,000 or more Palestinian children murdered by Israeli-American bombs—oh well, they’re only Arabs, must not really count. Just like 70 years of occupation. See Kennan’s comment for a better explanation.
Dennis C Rathsam says
These are the morons who ellected Hamas as their savior, they brought it all on themselves.
Sherry says
@dan. . . Geeeez. . . maybe have surgery to remove that phone from “where ever”, and take a @#$%^& moment to read and edit words before you post them. “Mama’s” did not start that war! And, it’s “Israeli, not Isreali”. . .
Already wishing I had that wasted 2 minutes back. . .
Kennan says
I don’t get it. Have we truly lost our Humanity? is the fact that I am half Syrian the most important template in regards to caring about Gazza and Being enraged with what is happening? Well, it certainly adds a pinch of personal, but I’m an American. Born in DC. Been around the politics, my whole life. Seen the affirmations of America, it’s freedom, it’s so-called desire to help the underdog because it was once and underdog.
Unfortunately The US has gone from the underdog everyone needed to succeed in World War II to the overlord involved in proxy wars throughout the decades and serving nothing but its own interests.
We condemn terrorism yet we hypocritically support “Industrial Terrorism” being administered to initiate a 21st century “Holocaust “ On Arabs. All this is being done with the complete financial backing, weapons, and our Tax dollars.”God Bless America”.
I often wonder why we even ask the question of why this is happening to our administrations and our leaders anymore. The sheer hypocrisy of supporting a country that subjugates people for 75 years while It calls itself a democracy and a” Leader of the free world”. The media and the biased reporting propaganda delivery system that holds one countries people above all others? Even our own?
October 7 didn’t happen in a vacuum. For 17 years, Palestinians have lived in an open air prison. Nobody in. Nobody out. Calorie restricted diets. Sanctions. Blockades, And regular air strikes that Israel simply calls “ Mowing the lawn”.
The unbridled attacks by Netanyahu and Israel further deepen the discourse in the Middle East. The actions stabilize and already.” Inflamed” Middle East.
Benjamin Netanyahu is very aware of what he is doing, because he does this with the complete support and blessing of the U.S. He doubles down because he knows the international criminal court, the international court of Justice, and the UN, who have deemed his actions in Gaza as” Crimes against humanity”, War crimes and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. He knows if he keeps this.” So-called war” Going, he can avoid punishment, sanctions, and jail.
The whole point is it isn’t a war. It is simply shooting.” Fish in a barrel”, Not knowing what or which Hamas members he did or didn’t get while he hides behind the U.S. And their support. In a sense using the.U.S. And it’s broken policies in the Middle East as a shield(sound familiar?) Against having to be accountable for anything in Gaza.
They have been several” Red line” Occasions were president. Biden has Said, the”Red Line” is Rafa after several pushed relocations of Gosens only to be bombed somewhere else, all with the state department contradicting itself by stating that it is important to have a cease-fire while voting against it in the United Nations. We watch as UN workers, doctors and nurses and the hospitals they are in, working without electric or water are relentlessly bombed.
The state department needs to simplify this by abandoning the “ Pretz logic” And” Mental gymnastics” And simply say:” We are down with genocide”
I don’t get it. We are living in some kind of parallel universe. Nothing makes sense and you don’t have to be a genius to know it. Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress this past week will be the.” Nail in the coffin” Of the U.S. in terms of respect and standing on the international stage. We are fast becoming a pariah state.
Maybe America needs to fall as an empire so that it can rise as a country. To be a Country that’s actual values mirror its implied ones by simply abandoning The selfish endgame our blind ambition has given us.
Sherry says
Thank You Kennan!
abalce says
good
Kennan says
Tim. Just as a simple sidenote. An important fact. The Israelis put Hamas in power Using Qatari money. Benjamin Netanyahu made that move, saying that it would quail a Palestinian uprising, which he knew would never happen. As you can see, it blew up in everyone’s face.