Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, is one of eight senators who sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, March 11, calling for an end to U.S. offensive military assistance to Israel.
The seven Democrats and one independent senator say a humanitarian crisis has developed in Gaza, which has been under attack by the Israel Defense Force for months. “Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian access, both at the border and within Gaza, are one of the primary causes of this humanitarian catastrophe,” the letter reads.
The senators claim that the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is interfering in U.S. humanitarian operations, which would violate the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, a portion of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which states: “No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter or the Arms Export Control Act to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”
The lead signature on the letter is from Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. Beyond Merkley, it is signed by Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Mazie H. Hirono of Hawaii, Peter Welch of Vermont, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico.
The Middle East crisis began when the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. According to the Al Jazeera news site, the revised death toll in the Oct. 7 attacks stands at 1,139, and dozens of Israeli citizens and foreigners continue to be held captive.
In response, Israel began waging war on Hamas, which operates amid predominantly Palestinian civilian populations in the Gaza Strip, the thin strip of land between Egypt and Israel founded in 1949. Al Jazeera says at least 31,184 Palestinians have been killed and 72,889 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The eight senators quote Vice President Kamala Harris in their letter. She spoke about Gaza on March 3, saying, “We have seen reports of families eating leaves or animal feed, women giving birth to malnourished babies with little or no medical care, and children dying from malnutrition and dehydration.”
The letter to President Biden continues, “Your Administration has repeatedly stated, and the United Nations and numerous aid organizations have confirmed, that Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian access, both at the border and within Gaza, are one of the primary causes of this humanitarian catastrophe.”
Merkley did not release a separate statement.
The letter reads, “The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that interferes with U.S. humanitarian assistance. We note that the language of the statute does not preclude U.S. assistance for missile defense, such as the Iron Dome, or other defensive systems provided to Israel pursuant to the provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act. Federal law is clear, and, given the urgency of the crisis in Gaza, and the repeated refusal of Prime Minister Netanyahu to address U.S. concerns on this issue, immediate action is necessary to secure a change in policy by his government.”
Iron Dome is Israel’s air-defense anti-missile system.
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