C027 Conditioning U.S. Military Aid to Israel
Five rounds of fighting have occurred between Israel and Hamas in the last 15 years in the densely populated Gaza Strip. On October 7, 2023, Hamas, an armed resistance organization, unleashed a brutal attack against Israel, killing hundreds of people, and taking some 200 hostages. Israel retaliated by launching Operation Iron Sword against Gaza, relying on heavy use of airstrikes, tanks, and artillery, when the opportunity availed to foreswear vengeance and turn “swords into plowshares”. Much of the military munitions have been supplied by The United States.
The death toll has risen to more than 25,000, with 70 percent being women and children, according to widely accepted Gaza Health Ministry reports. The UN has reported nearly 1.9 million people, more than 85 percent of the population, have been displaced; already by November 24, over 234,000 housing units had been damaged and more than 46,000 homes had been destroyed. The devastation is worse than the two years of bombing of Dresden.
These facts show 1) the scale of the death and destruction caused by Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, a territory occupied by Israel, which has a duty to protect its inhabitants and infrastructure, 2) the massive material support the U.S. Government (USG) has provided, and 3) the USG failure to implement U.S. law imposing human rights conditions.
The USG has abdicated its duty to limit the scale, scope, and lethality of Israel’s use of military aid against Gaza’s civilians. Thus, White House on October 27 publicly stated, "We're not drawing red lines for Israel,” when that is the USG’s obligation. As a result, Israel has provided no accounting for the civilian deaths and destruction it has caused, has barred the entry of almost all food, water, electricity, and medical supplies since October 7, and has grossly impeded humanitarian relief efforts by governments and NGOs. This was reported on site in January by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.). Finally, South Africa’s pending International Court of Justice case accuses Israel, by using quotes from the highest Israeli officials, of the intention of excessive violence toward civilian Gazans. The court is considering a preliminary finding in order to call a halt to the bombing.
The Episcopal Church should reaffirm the focus of General Convention 2022-D024 with regard to Israel’s violations of human rights; and condemn the USG’s failure to block military aid going to carry out such violations, until Israel has accounted for its actions and committed to abide by human rights norms.
Explanation
Five rounds of fighting have occurred between Israel and Hamas in the last 15 years in the densely populated Gaza Strip. On October 7, 2023, Hamas, an armed resistance organization, unleashed a brutal attack against Israel, killing hundreds of people, and taking some 200 hostages. Israel retaliated by launching Operation Iron Sword against Gaza, relying on heavy use of airstrikes, tanks, and artillery, when the opportunity availed to foreswear vengeance and turn “swords into plowshares”. Much of the military munitions have been supplied by The United States.
The death toll has risen to more than 25,000, with 70 percent being women and children, according to widely accepted Gaza Health Ministry reports. The UN has reported nearly 1.9 million people, more than 85 percent of the population, have been displaced; already by November 24, over 234,000 housing units had been damaged and more than 46,000 homes had been destroyed. The devastation is worse than the two years of bombing of Dresden.
These facts show 1) the scale of the death and destruction caused by Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, a territory occupied by Israel, which has a duty to protect its inhabitants and infrastructure, 2) the massive material support the U.S. Government (USG) has provided, and 3) the USG failure to implement U.S. law imposing human rights conditions.
The USG has abdicated its duty to limit the scale, scope, and lethality of Israel’s use of military aid against Gaza’s civilians. Thus, White House on October 27 publicly stated, "We're not drawing red lines for Israel,” when that is the USG’s obligation. As a result, Israel has provided no accounting for the civilian deaths and destruction it has caused, has barred the entry of almost all food, water, electricity, and medical supplies since October 7, and has grossly impeded humanitarian relief efforts by governments and NGOs. This was reported on site in January by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.). Finally, South Africa’s pending International Court of Justice case accuses Israel, by using quotes from the highest Israeli officials, of the intention of excessive violence toward civilian Gazans. The court is considering a preliminary finding in order to call a halt to the bombing.
The Episcopal Church should reaffirm the focus of General Convention 2022-D024 with regard to Israel’s violations of human rights; and condemn the USG’s failure to block military aid going to carry out such violations, until Israel has accounted for its actions and committed to abide by human rights norms.