Progressives call for arms embargo as 'Israel' expands war on Lebanon
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In a report by The Intercept, the news outlet highlights the immense pressure on the US to halt arms aid to "Israel".
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Black smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on Kafar Hamam, a Lebanese border village in South Lebanon, on May 17, 2024. (AP)
The Intercept reported on Tuesday that more than 1 million people in Lebanon have reportedly been displaced as "Israel" escalates its bombing across the country and chose to enter a new phase on Friday with the assassination of Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli airstrikes have devastated entire residential buildings in and around Beirut, resulting in hundreds of martyrs, according to Lebanese authorities.
As "Israel" plans a possible “limited” invasion of southern Lebanon, it continues its heavy bombardment of Gaza.
While President Joe Biden stated on Monday that "Israel" should not enter Lebanon, his administration continues to provide weapons and political support that facilitate "Israel’s" barbaric actions.
On Thursday, "Israel" announced it had secured $8.7 billion in military aid from the United States, with $3.5 billion already dispatched. Reports also indicated that the 2,000-pound bomb that killed Sayyed Nasrallah was US-made, despite the US pausing shipments of that type back in May. Meanwhile, progressives are increasing their calls for the White House to take a firm stance against "Israel’s" escalation, starting with a halt to arms sales.
Sanders calls to block weapons sales to 'Israel'
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation to block a $20 billion arms sale to "Israel", having previously urged the US to stop bomb shipments. Reps. Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib have also called for an arms embargo. Meanwhile, at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris supported a ceasefire in Gaza while protesters demanded a "total arms embargo" against "Israel", arguing that ending the bombings is crucial to stopping the violence.
“The United States must end its complicity in this atrocity,” Sanders wrote in a statement announcing the legislation.
As reported by The Intercept, lawmakers will not address the resolutions until after the November election, as Congress is out of session until then. Experts believe these resolutions still send a significant message that Democrats and their allies want the Biden administration to act against US complicity in "Israel's" bombing campaign in Gaza and Lebanon.
According to The Intercept, Sanders introduced six separate resolutions, co-sponsored by Senators Peter Welch, Jeff Merkley, and Brian Schatz. Each resolution aims to block different types of weapons sales to "Israel", including Joint Direct Attack Munitions that convert unguided bombs into precision-guided missiles, as well as new F-15IA fighter jets.
Regardless of battlefield impact, an arms embargo would also carry moral and political weight, humanitarian experts told The Intercept.
“I do believe that the US suspending the transfer of arms [would send] a significant message to the government of Israel that its conduct is inconsistent with international law, and the U.S. will not risk complicity with that,” said Amanda Klasing, national director of government relations and advocacy at Amnesty International USA.
“Right now, all the US has done is have words; we just have not seen action to really push the government of Israel to adhere to tenets of international law.”
US complicit in illegal Israeli attacks
An Amnesty International investigation revealed that US-made munitions and components were used in at least four unlawful attacks by Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths and injuries of numerous Palestinian civilians. The report indicated that none of these incidents occurred near military targets, and many of the victims were children.
“What we have seen time and time again is that US-origin weapons are being used inconsistent with international law and potentially in war crimes,” said Klasing. “And the US has to make a calculus whether or not it actually believes in an international legal system to protect civilians or not, and right now, it is sending a message to the world … that it is not going to hold security partners to account for the way they use their US-origin weapons.”
Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized that beyond the clear moral obligations, there is also a strategic case for the US to refrain from supplying additional weapons to Israel.
“The rule of law is something that the United States has said that it stands forever since its founding,” Yager said, “and the United States currently is breaking its own laws by supporting Israel with weapons, which has an extraordinarily long-term impact.”
