1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As a deeply concerned and actively engaged constituent, as well as a longtime member of Amnesty International USA, I write to share my continued alarm over Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip – which has not stopped, even after the announcement of a so-called ceasefire. As Israel's top arms supplier, the U.S. government is uniquely positioned to bring an end to Israel's genocide. Amnesty International’s research has concluded that Israeli authorities have committed and are continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, including by deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. Civilians continue to be unlawfully attacked, lifesaving aid is still being blocked, and children are starving and freezing amid mass forced displacement and destruction. Thank you for co-sponsoring the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565), which would prohibit the sale or transfer of specific U.S. weapons: including bunker-busting bombs, JDAMs, artillery ammunition, and white phosphorus that Amnesty has documented being used in unlawful attacks and war crimes in Gaza. Continuing to supply these weapons places the U.S. at serious risk of complicity in genocide and other serious violations of international law. Congress must enforce its oversight to ensure the U.S. complies with its obligations under U.S. and international law, including the Genocide Convention. In your role as a sponsor of H.R. 3565, I urge you to continue pressing for its passage and for an immediate suspension of all sales and transfers of U.S. weapons, munition, and military/security equipment to Israel, including the provision of training and other military and security assistance. Please work even harder to convince your colleagues to stand on the right side of history by supporting the Block the Bombs Act and working to end Israel’s genocide, the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, and apartheid.