The Biden administration’s recently published “Conventional Arms Transfer Policy” (Section 2, Paragraph 7), also known as National Security Memo 18/NSM-18, holds that the United States government has a duty to “prevent arms transfers that risk facilitating or otherwise contributing to violations of human rights or international humanitarian law.”  

Further, under amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 22 U.S. Code 2378d and 10 U.S. Code 362, (collectively known as the Leahy Law) prohibits the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights. The $1.2 trillion spending bill just signed into law violates both precedents by greenlighting $3.8 billion in funding and military aid to Israel despite overwhelming evidence the Israeli Defense Forces are actively committing genocidal war crimes in Gaza.  

The recent report by the State Department concluding that Israel is not in violation of NSM-18 is a profound fabrication that even members of Biden’s own party don’t align with as indicated in a letter they sent to the president, in which they specifically question the credibility of information provided by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

We demand a fully independent investigation conducted by the United Nations Security Council as well as the 17 Senators who signed the March 22, 2023 letter to President Biden into the legality of the billions for direct military aid approved by Congress and President Biden since the start of Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza.  

Sign the petition here.