As 116 hostages languish in Gaza and the death toll continues to rise to over 38,000 Palestinians and 1,500 Israelis, Speaker Mike Johnson and Congressional leadership are preparing to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to Washington in less than two weeks time.

They may be welcoming Netanyahu, but we are not. In the absence of a ceasefire, Netanyahu’s presence undermines the efforts of all those striving for an end to the fighting, the return of the hostages and for peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Families of hostages are in the streets, demanding a deal and protesting the government’s abandonment of their relatives. Their pleas highlight the desperation and urgency of the situation.

Join them by calling on your elected officials to skip the speech.

The October 7 Hamas attack and the months since have been devastating for both Israeli and Palestinian societies. After months of war in Gaza, Israel has begun to signal a shift in strategy towards a new phase of this conflict. This shift has raised questions of what comes next for Gaza. Far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s government, such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, have made concerning remarks calling for the expulsion of Palestinians. Ben-Gvir even asserted that such a move would pave the way for Israel to rebuild Jewish settlements in Gaza. 

The Times of Israel reported last week that the “voluntary” resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza is slowly becoming an official policy of the government, with conversations taking place with several countries about the potential absorption of Palestinians from Gaza.

Any ideas of expelling Palestinians from Gaza or establishing Israeli settlements within the strip are unacceptable. The Biden administration has called such rhetoric “inflammatory and irresponsible,” and Vice President Harris’ has stated that “under no circumstances will the United States permit the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, the besiegement of Gaza, or the redrawing of the borders of Gaza.” Still these comments have done little to curb the far-right. 

The October 7th Hamas attacks and the subsequent IDF bombing campaign in Gaza has changed the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the cycle of violence that was part of the status-quo was never sustainable or acceptable, the past two months have brought the deaths and suffering to a new level. The truth is that we already know how to end this. The key is and always has been a political agreement and the cessation of this conflict. However, achieving this requires breaking away from past approaches.

President Biden has sought additional funds to provide security assistance to Israel and deliver crucial humanitarian aid to Gazan’s affected by the conflict. While aid to Israel is crucial, it should align with our values and policy priorities, as is the case with all US assistance.

Now 13 Democratic Senators led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin, (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) are introducing a vital amendment aimed at ensuring the responsible use of military assistance provided by the proposed national security supplemental. This amendment emphasizes adherence to U.S. law and international humanitarian law.

Dear Friend of APN,

The world changed on October 7th. The horrific attacks by Hamas, and in response the massive bombing of Gaza by the IDF, have continued the cycle of violence with devastating consequences. We all know that the path to a better future for Israelis and Palestinians lies only with a political agreement and an end to this conflict. But we will not get there by doing only what we have done in the past.

President Biden has requested much needed supplemental funds that would provide security assistance to Israel and deliver crucial humanitarian aid to Palestinians affected by the conflict. Aid to Israel is important, but, like all US aid, it should align with our values and our policy priorities. Prominent Democrats in Congress are calling for conditioning aid, and President Biden himself has stated that conditioning aid is a "worthwhile thought."

It is time we turn thoughts into actions.

The weeks since the horrifying October 7 Hamas attack have been devastating for both Israeli and Palestinian children.

During the atrocities on October 7, Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people in Israel, among them at least 38 children and babies. Many children were left orphaned. The terrorists abducted more than 240 hostages, including at least 32 children, among them a 9-month-old baby, and removed them to Gaza. Another hostage was nine months pregnant at the time of her abduction and is believed to have given birth in captivity. Many adult hostages, including nursing mothers, were separated from their infants and children.

As the war in Gaza continues, and the Israel-Lebanon border heats up, there are also rising tensions in the West Bank, with a shocking increase in settler violence that threatens to destabilize an increasingly volatile situation.

According to the Israeli human rights organization, Yesh Din, in the month following the October 7 terror attack, 163 Palestinians were killed by settlers and Israeli security forces in the West Bank and more than 900 adults and children were forcibly driven from their homes following settler violence. These actions constitute a violation of human rights, threaten to inflame an already dangerous situation, and endanger the possibility of a two-state solution.

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the associated humanitarian crisis is deepening in Israel and in Gaza.

In response, President Biden made a much needed supplemental funding request that includes $14.3 billion in security assistance to Israel as well as $9.15 billion for humanitarian needs across Gaza, Israel, and Ukraine. If passed, this humanitarian assistance would be a lifeline to millions of people.

Unfortunately, instead of supporting this proposal, House Republicans are playing politics by proposing a bill that cynically offers military assistance to Israel but excludes the desperately needed global humanitarian aid, while also requiring the assistance to be offset by hyper-partisan cuts to IRS funding.