Arab and Muslim American groups denounce war criminal Netanyahu appearance before Congress

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 110 organizations joined together to unequivocally reject the invitation and appearance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress at a time when he is credibly accused of perpetrating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide.

Netanyahu and his government’s complete disregard for, and blatant contempt of customary international law, and the Geneva Conventions, for which an arrest warrant is being sought by the ICC, should, at the very least, disqualify him from speaking in front of Congress.

His undermining of US policy, laws and lawmakers makes a mockery out of the United States and our institutions.

This is the fourth time that Congressional leaders have honored Netanyahu by inviting him to address Congress, which would be the highest number of formal addresses that any foreign official has given to Congress.

Gaza Strip, Israeli bombings. Photo courtesy of the Doctors without Borders

This is an honor abjectly undeserved, and we, the undersigned organizations, are calling on all members of Congress to reject his visit and impose an immediate arms embargo on the government of Israel to save lives.

Over the past 9 months, the Israeli government, under the leadership of Netanyahu, has killed over 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza according to UN OCHA.

An additional 15,000 Palestinians are missing and presumed dead. Over 80 percent of homes have been damaged or destroyed as have water, sanitation, health, and other vital services, making Gaza almost uninhabitable.

The Israeli regime has also continued settlement expansion, increased incursions into Palestinian towns and cities destroying infrastructure, increased arrests and administrative detention without charge while killing hundreds in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to severely hindering the right to freedom of movement.

According to the World Health Organization, a child in Gaza is killed every 10 minutes. According to Save the Children, over 20,000 children in Gaza are missing, either dead or separated from their families.

Those that have not become direct victims of the Israeli attacks are forced to endure an engineered famine as Israeli authorities implement a near total siege of Gaza designed to starve the Palestinian civilian population.

Diseases once easily controlled are now spreading because Israeli attacks have decimated Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. Palestinians are forced to attempt to survive abject living conditions and severe lack of necessary medicine.

A joint United Nations and World Bank report published on April 2 estimated that the Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in $18.5 billion in damage to critical infrastructure, and found that for several sectors the rate of damage appeared to be leveling off as there was little left to destroy.

President Biden’s continued shipment of weapons and military funding to the Israeli government has made both him and his administration complicit in the atrocities perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza.

Compounding their complicity, the Administration has blatantly ignored US laws governing arms transfers and sales, in addition to doing everything possible to avoid Congressional notification requirements. When the President is unable to follow the law and hostile to transparency, the answer is clear: Congress must immediately impose an arms embargo on all weapons transfers and sales to Israel, not honor the chief architect of atrocities in which the US is complicit.

As organizations committed to justice and freedom, we oppose honoring a war criminal by allowing him to address Congress. Netanyahu should be held accountable for his crimes against humanity rather than given an opportunity to justify his annihilation of Palestinians.

Therefore, we, the undersigned 109 organizations, call upon all members of Congress to reject this address, explain why publicly, and advocate for an embargo of all weapons sent to Israel.

Signatory Organizations:

99 Coalition
Activate Virginia
Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
American Civic and Humanitarian Coalition
American Federation of Ramallah Palestine
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American Muslim Bar Association
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
Arab American Association of Central Virginia
Arab American Center For Culture and Arts
Arab American Civic Council
Arab Americans for Syria
Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance
Arlington for Palestine
Armenian-American Action Network
Austin With Palestine
Baltimore Nonviolence Center
Beit Sahour USA
Beyond the Ballot
BiH Memories Foundation
Boston Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Catholics for Palestine
Cattaraugus-Allegany Liberation Collective (CALC)
Center for Constitutional Rights
Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community
CODEPINK
Colorado Palestine Coalition
Committee for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Community Peacemaker Teams
Coulee Region Coalition for Palestinian Rights (CRCPR)
Council on American Islamic Relations
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
Dearborn Blog
Democratic Socialists of America
Detroit Jericho Movement
Doctors Against Genocide
DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving
Free Democratic Palestine Movement (FDPM)
Hindus for Human Rights
Houston for Palestinian Liberation
ICNA Council for Social Justice
Inclusive Muslims of Central Virginia
Indivisible Austin
Institute for Religious Studies, Humanities, and Dialogue (IRSHAD)
InterReligious Task Force on Central America
Islamophobia Studies Center
Jewish Voice for Peace Action
Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
JVP Eastern Nebraska
Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War
Maine Coalition for Palestine
Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights
Massachusetts Peace Action
Minnesota Peace Project
MN BDS Community
MPower Change Action Fund
Mudders Against Murder
Muslim Advocates
Muslim Delegates and Allies Coalition
Muslim Public Affairs Council
Muslims for Just Futures
National Arab American Women’s Association (NAAWA$
National Jericho Movement
National SJP
NationalJericho Movement/ Florida Chapter
Nebraskans for Palestine
New Dominion PAC
New York City Jericho Movement
Nonviolence International
North Alabama Peace Network
Oakland Jericho
Ohio Peace Council
PAL-Awda NY/NJ
Palestinian American Community Center
Palestinian American Organizations Network (PAON)
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
Pax Christi New York State
Peace Action
Peace Action Montgomery
Peace and Justice Coalition of Prince Georges County Maryland
Poligon Education Fund
Poor People’s Army
Principles NOT Parties
Project South
Queer Crescent
Quincy for a Free Palestine
SAG-AFTRA & Sister Guild Members for Ceasefire
St. Columba Catholic Church
StandWithKashmir
Students for Justice in Palestine – South Texas College of Law Houston
Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Students for Justice in Palestine-Omaha
Sunrise Movement DC
SW Virginia Coalition for Palestine
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
Titan YDSA
UAW Labor for Palestine
United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network
United Liberation Front for Palestine
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 36
USCPR Action
Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Virginia Council of Muslim Organizations (VCMO)
Visualizing Palestine
War Resisters League
Winchester4Palestine
WMU Students for Justice in Palestine
Women Against Military Madness
World BEYOND War

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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