Title: Understanding the JRD Vote on Israel Arms Sales
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 @ 10am ET
Where: Virtual Zoom Briefing - To register: Briefing RSVP: Understanding the JRD Vote on Israel Arms Sales (11/12 @ 10am ET)
Cosponsors: Demand Progress, FCNL, A New Policy, CIVIC, Amnesty International
Event Details:
In August, the Biden Administration approved a series of arms sales to Israel totaling more than $20 billion. Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) led by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT), Peter Welch (VT), Jeff Merkley (OR), and Brian Schatz (HI) would block the sale of many of these offensive weapons, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions and 120mm artillery shells, that have been used in strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, including aid workers and journalists, in Gaza over the last year.
Independent human rights researchers have thoroughly documented the Israeli military’s use of these weapons in attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Aid groups have also stressed that Israeli forces continue to block the delivery of humanitarian assistance as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the precipice of starvation. U.S. law and the Biden administration’s own arms transfer policy prohibit arms transfers to any country that engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights and restricts the delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.
The urgency of this JRD vote is heightened by the escalating violence across the region. Israel’s military offensive in Northern Gaza and Lebanon has intensified, leading to increasing numbers of civilians killed and the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure. Despite recent warnings by the Biden Administration that it intends to withhold assistance to Israel if aid deliveries are not dramatically scaled up by November 12th, humanitarian access to Gaza has sharply declined in recent weeks, leaving the population facing severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and other essentials.
Our panel of experts will delve into the key aspects of these arms sales, including their implications for civilian harm, the legal considerations under existing U.S. law and policies, and the broader geopolitical and humanitarian context surrounding this historic vote. This will be followed with a Q&A section.
Panelists:
- Elizabeth Rghebi, Middle East and North Africa Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA
- Josh Paul, Director, A New Policy
- John Ramming Chappell, Advisor on Legal and Policy Issues, CIVIC
- Odeliya Matter (moderator), Program Associate for Middle East Policy, FCNL
The panel will conclude with a Q&A section, where we encourage attendees to share their questions (submit questions ahead of time via RSVP form) Briefing RSVP: Understanding the JRD Vote on Israel Arms Sales (11/12 @ 10am ET)
Questions? Email cavan@demandprogress.org