US lawmakers demand investigation of Israel’s use of US weapons

A handful of US lawmakers have demanded a proper investigation by the Biden administration to learn about Israel’s use of US-manufactured weapons used to commit human rights abuses in violation of US law, according to a report published by the Jewish Currents on 29 March.

The effort, which is led by Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Bernie Sanders, has been cosigned by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Betty McCollum.

In a letter sent to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the lawmakers cite “the rapidly escalating violence in the occupied Palestinian West Bank and the alarming actions of the new extreme right-wing Israeli government” as the main reason behind the effort, arguing its necessity “to prevent the further loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives.”

“Israeli government’s worsening systemic violations of Palestinian human rights … have only deepened and grown more urgent under the new Israeli government,” the statement read.

The lawmakers hope to find out if US-manufactured weapons play any role in the illegal settlement expansion of Israel and whether the arms sales to Israel violate US-American law and human rights.

Congress granted $3.8 billion in defense funds to Israel for FY2023, as well as approximately $100 million for “other cooperative defense and non-defense programs.”

“It’s long past time for the Biden administration to take a hard look at the use of US-supplied weapons in ongoing human rights abuses committed by the Israeli military and to impose consequences for those abuses,” said the Quincy Institute’s Bill Hartung.

Israel’s military unleashed a series of violent raids this year, particularly in the occupied West Bank, which has killed scores of Palestinians. On 22 February, the military launched a raid in the old city of Nablus, resulting in 11 deaths. The event was deemed a massacre and unleashed a subsequent series of revenge acts by Palestinian resistance groups.

The unfolding events unleashed by the Israeli military led to Israeli settlers rampaging for several hours in the West Bank town of Huwara late on 26 February, leaving one Palestinian dead, at least 390 injured, and setting fire to at least 75 Palestinian homes and 100 cars. Anadolu Agency reports that around 90 Palestinians have been killed by fires this year alone.