At the end of March, the United States made the preliminary determination that the IDF’s conduct in Gaza does not violate US and international humanitarian law. This determination followed months of elected representatives, intergovernmental bodies, international courts, Israeli and global human rights observers, and members of the Biden Administration themselves persistently expressing grave concerns regarding the actions of the Netanyahu government.
Preliminarily finding Israel in compliance with President Biden’s National Security Memorandum (NSM-20), which requires that all countries receiving US security assistance comply with US and international humanitarian law before receiving US assistance, means that the United States will continue to send weapons to be used in the war in Gaza.
Now, in advance of the May 8th deadline for the State Department to report to Congress about Israel’s compliance with NSM-20, Congresswoman Escobar and Congressman Castro are circulating a letter addressed to Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, and Director Haines expressing deep concern over the State Department’s preliminary determination and seeking their responses to a series of questions about whether have produced any substantive analysis related to Israel’s actions in Gaza as it relates to NSM-20.
The letter highlights mounting reports and allegations suggesting that Israel may have used US-supplied weapons in ways that violate US and international law. It questions the validity of assurances provided by the Netanyahu government and emphasizes the need for a thorough examination and accountability in US policy towards Israel, and the consultation of various governmental agencies, including the State Department, Department of Defense, and the US Intelligence community, to ensure an accurate assessment of Israel's actions in Gaza.
As the deadline for the Biden Administration to report its final determination on Israel's compliance to Congress approaches, we must ensure that the determination is made based on substantive analysis by experts.
You can see the letter here.
Ask your member of Congress to sign on to this important letter.