House Democrats say ‘impunity’ for Israel violates US human rights law

As the death tolls from the U.S.-supported Israeli assaults on Gaza and Lebanon neared 42,000 and 2,000 respectively, a group of House Democrats urged the Biden administration this week to ensure Israel is held to the human rights standards set forth under existing U.S. laws.

In a letter dated September 30, addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and first published by HuffPost on Friday, Democratic lawmakers—Reps. Jim McGovern (Mass.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Betty McCollum (Minn.), Mark Pocan (Wis.), and Joaquin Castro (Texas)—expressed their “deep alarm regarding the lack of U.S. enforcement of the Leahy Law as it pertains to U.S. assistance to Israel.”

The Leahy Laws, named after former Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), were passed in the late 1990s and build upon the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which prohibits U.S. military aid to foreign security forces that commit gross human rights violations.

The lawmakers emphasized, “We strongly urge you to apply the law as written and act swiftly to bar any Israeli military unit that faces credible accusations of committing a gross violation of human rights from receiving U.S. assistance or training.” They noted their long-standing support for Israel’s right to self-defense but stressed that, “As Israel defends against threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups, it must ensure that U.S. security assistance is used in compliance with U.S. law—whether in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, or elsewhere.”

The letter also referenced numerous reports documenting human rights abuses by Israeli security forces, including allegations of torture, ill-treatment, prolonged detention without charges, and other violations. The lawmakers highlighted that credible investigations have shown Israeli forces firing on civilians in Gaza, even those carrying white flags.

This correspondence was sent just ahead of the anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel and the Israeli retaliation, which has resulted in over 148,000 Palestinians in Gaza being killed, wounded, or missing, and millions more displaced or suffering from starvation and disease.

Israel is currently facing a genocide trial at the International Court of Justice, and International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan is pursuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders.

In recent weeks, Israel has escalated airstrikes and launched a ground invasion into Lebanon, resulting in thousands of Lebanese casualties, following aerial attacks by Hezbollah in response to the October 7 events.

The Biden administration, despite delaying a shipment of heavy bombs used in Israel’s bombing of civilian areas in Gaza, resumed these shipments soon after, as the Gaza death toll continued to climb. Tens of billions of dollars in near-unconditional U.S. military aid, alongside diplomatic protection such as vetoes of U.N. ceasefire resolutions, have enabled Israel’s actions.

The Democratic lawmakers also pointed to several cases of human rights violations against U.S. citizens. Among them was Omar Assad, a former grocer from Milwaukee, who was blindfolded, gagged, and handcuffed by Israeli forces before dying while in detention. Additionally, they referenced Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist who was shot dead by Israeli forces in 2022, and Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old activist with the International Solidarity Movement, who was shot during a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The letter underscored that Israeli impunity for killing Americans is not new, citing the 2003 death of Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli military bulldozer, and the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, which killed 34 U.S. sailors and injured 171.

An American citizen, Hajj Kamel Ahmad Jawad from Michigan, was also killed this week by Israeli bombing in Lebanon while volunteering at a local hospital.

“When properly enforced, the Leahy Law prevents U.S. complicity in gross human rights violations and deters further violations by incentivizing foreign governments to hold perpetrators accountable,” the Democratic lawmakers stressed. “However, the Leahy Law can only serve these purposes when it is enforced.”

They concluded by urging the Biden administration to uphold the law, suspend assistance to any Israeli unit credibly accused of human rights abuses, and ensure justice for crimes committed against U.S. citizens. The lawmakers also pointed out that past U.S. administrations have provided support to regimes responsible for genocidal violence in several countries, including Indonesia, Cambodia, and Gaza, since the passage of the Foreign Assistance Act and Leahy Laws.

With input from Commondreams.org.