Beginning on July 3, Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp were the targets of a deadly two-day raid by the Israeli military. The military terrorized the refugee camp from the ground and air, leaving Palestinians completely vulnerable during the invasion. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) claimed this attack was a military operation--targeting resistance fighters--but civilians are among the 12 who were murdered, including four children.
The assault on Jenin was carried out using weapons purchased through US arms deals, specifically the Apache helicopter, made by Boeing which was also used to attack Jenin during the second intifada. Biden’s Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy states that the US shall not authorize arms transfers if it is assessed that the recipient is more likely than not to use the arms to commit “grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949…including serious acts of violence against children.” Even though Israel continues to kill Palestinians with U.S. weapons, these arms deals are still being authorized when they are in clear violation of the CAT policy and international law. Join us in demanding Blinkin bar future arm sales to Israel by adding your name below!
Dear Secretary Blinken,
Over 130 Palestinians, including 35 children, have been murdered by the Israeli military so far in 2023. Unfortunately, we know there will be more because the US continues to enable this violence by arming Israel.
Just last week, we witnessed a spark in this violence as the Israeli military launched an attack on Jenin during a two-day invasion. The assault left 12 Palestinians dead, including four children, and over 50 wounded. This was made possible by weapons purchased through US arms deals, specifically the Apache helicopter which was also used to terrorize Jenin during the second intifada in 2002. The aircraft, made by Boeing, was used to aid in the murder of children-a violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
According to President Biden’s Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy, arms deals to Israel should not be authorized since Israel has proved time and time again that they will be used to violate international law and commit crimes against humanity. The Israeli government admitted to targeting the children of Jenin, and the US is facilitating this war crime as long as it refuses to ban future arms sales to the apartheid state.
The people of Jenin are refugees in their own country and have been the targets of Israeli violence since being exiled from their homes in 1948. The Israeli government and military have no reason to attack this already vulnerable group of people other than to advance their ethnic cleansing project by killing them or forcing them to leave. The US must do all everything in its power to stop this, and that starts by complying with its own CAT policy which would prevent future arms sales to Israel.
We, the undersigned, ask that you bar future arms deals with Israel in order to prevent them from continuing to target children and violating international law.