November 21, 2024- Yesterday evening, the Senate voted on three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) that would block the sale of certain weapons to Israel, including systems such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions and 120mm tank rounds, both of which have been used in ways that are contrary to US law.

For the very first time, 19 Senators voted for conditioning our military aid to Israel to ensure that it is only used in ways that align with our policies and our values. Americans for Peace Now was proud to support these important resolutions and is grateful to the sponsors, Senators Sanders, Welch, Merkley, and Schatz for their leadership and to the additional Senators who voted in favor of them last night.

Americans for Peace Now’s Director of Government Relations, Madeleine Cereghino, said: “The weapons in question are responsible for extensive civilian casualties including strikes on schools, hospitals and refugee camps. With a groundbreaking number of Senators opposing these arms sales, last night’s vote sent a clear message of disapproval regarding Israel’s conduct in Gaza. This is a matter of our values. The US cannot credibly champion peace and human rights while sending Israel the weapons they are using to perpetuate the war in Gaza in violation of US and international law.”

Last week, despite the abundance of evidence to the contrary, the Biden Administration refused to hold the Netanyahu government accountable by declaring them in violation of US foreign assistance laws, and declined to halt the transfer of offensive weapons. Now, just a week later, the Senate will vote on a series of bills to block the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel.

With over 43,000 Palestinians killed, 102,000 injured, and the humanitarian crisis worsening daily, the United States must respect our own laws and end our role in fueling this war. Contact your senators today and urge them to support the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT), Peter Welch (VT), Jeff Merkley (OR), and Brian Schatz (HI).

November 18, 2024- Americans for Peace Now welcomes the Biden Administration’s announcement of new sanctions on extremist West Bank settlement organizations and settlers.

The sanctions on the largest West Bank Settlement organization, Amana and its subsidiary, Binyanei Bar Amana Ltd, are long overdue. Amana has played a significant role in facilitating the establishment of illegal outposts and driving Palestinians from their land.

November 6, 2024- Americans for Peace Now remains deeply committed to our values, our country’s democracy, and the struggle for peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and we will fight for them. Whatever challenges may arise, we will push the incoming Congress and the Trump administration to respect our democracy, and we will never surrender in our struggle to make our world a better place.

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

October 29- Americans for Peace Now strongly condemns the passage of two bills in the Knesset yesterday to bar the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating within Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

In the months following the horrific attacks on October 7, troubling allegations about the involvement of a handful of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) employees came to light. UNRWA and the UN responded swiftly to the accusations by immediately terminating the employees allegedly involved, ordering an independent outside review of the agency’s neutrality practices, and directing a review of the allegations by the UN’s highest investigative body, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).

We remain deeply troubled by the affiliation of individual UNRWA employees with Hamas, but we cannot allow the actions of a handful of people, however heinous, to overshadow the critical role UNRWA plays in Gaza’s survival. UNRWA is the primary aid organization in Gaza, and its work there is crucial.

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

October 21, 2024- Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, led 64 of his colleagues in calling on the Biden Administration to push for Israel to allow American and international journalists unimpeded access to Gaza.

Americans for Peace Now strongly supports Representative McGovern and his colleague’s push for increased press access to Gaza, which amplifies a call from over 70 media and civil society organizations from this past July.

As the Members wrote, “The absence of foreign media reporting has created significant challenges in obtaining accurate, verifiable information from Gaza, leading to increased skepticism about the limited reports that do emerge. At a time when reliable information is more critical than ever, the restrictions on independent reporting undermine the very foundation of press freedom and democratic accountability.”