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win without war
'Regional War Is Here': Biden Urged to Act Before Catastrophe Engulfs Middle East
"Unless the Biden administration changes course immediately, the likelihood we see even more violence, more displacement, and tens—if not hundreds—of thousands more lives lost in this conflict will only spike."
Oct 11, 2024
Amid reports that the Biden administration has dropped its push for a cease-fire deal on the Lebanon-Israel border, a U.S. peace group said Thursday that the White House "appears both in the dark and in denial about how much worse the current wars in the Middle East could get" and demanded an urgent cease-fire push to avert catastrophe.
"As Palestinians in northern Gaza are displaced by yet another IDF offensive while still contending with a humanitarian crisis, as thousands of people flee Lebanon, as Iranian families wonder whether their cities and towns will be bombed, as children in Syria are killed by the IDF—likely with U.S.-made bombs—and as Israeli civilians continue to flee to shelters and hostages still languish, it's time to admit that a regional war is here," said Sara Haghdoosti, executive director of Win Without War.
"Right now, tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed across the Middle East are also in acute danger—and the risk the United States is drawn further and more directly into this war is terrifyingly high," Haghdoosti added. "Unless the Biden administration changes course immediately, the likelihood we see even more violence, more displacement, and tens—if not hundreds—of thousands more lives lost in this conflict will only spike."
For the first time in two months, Biden on Wednesday spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly obstructed cease-fire talks with hardline demands and publicly undermined a U.S.-led effort last month to institute a pause along the Lebanon-Israel border.
According to a White House readout of the Wednesday conversation, Biden "emphasized the need for a diplomatic arrangement to safely return both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line" but did not push Netanyahu to stop Israel's large-scale bombardment of Lebanon, which has killed more than 2,100 people since mid-September.
Days before the call, CNNreported that the Biden administration was "not actively trying to revive" the three-week cease-fire proposal that Netanyahu tanked last month and "resigned itself to trying to shape and limit Israeli operations in Lebanon and against Iran rather than halting hostilities."
As Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, wrote for Foreign Policy earlier this week, "The Biden administration has now become an active participant in the very outcome it had spent months warning against and working to prevent."
"Whereas only weeks ago it had been frantically working to negotiate a cease-fire in Lebanon, the administration has now openly embraced an Israeli bombing campaign and invasion that it once cautioned against," Elgindy added. "The Biden administration's single-minded focus on Israeli demands, needs, and pain has blinded it not only to the humanity of Palestinians and Lebanese but to the long-term damage done to the region, U.S. interests, and even Israeli security."
"We have to engage every diplomatic tool available to us for a permanent cease-fire, and we have got to stop sending bombs."
On Thursday, Israel's cabinet met to discuss a response to Iran's ballistic missile attack earlier this month, which was retaliation for Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The cabinet was expected to authorize Mr. Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the defense minister, to initiate the response at their discretion," The New York Timesreported, citing unnamed officials. "The results of the meeting were not released."
Gallant pledged Wednesday that Israel's attack on Iran would be "deadly, precise and, above all, surprising."
"They will not understand what happened and how it happened," he added. "They will see the results."
The Israeli government has declined to provide assurances that it does not intend to target Iran's nuclear energy facilities and reportedly has not briefed the U.S.—its principal ally and arms supplier—on the specifics of its plans.
Senior Biden administration officials have also discussed the possibility of "very limited" U.S. strikes "against Iranian targets," according toNBC News.
As the possibility of an Israeli and U.S. attack looms, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Iran "is fully prepared to take more and stronger defensive measures against any act of aggression, and will have no hesitation in this regard." Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier this month was limited to military targets and did not kill any Israeli civilians.
Peace advocates and regional experts say Israel's intensifying assaults on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and its looming attack on Iran underscore the need for immediate deescalation and renewed cease-fire talks.
But the prospect of a deal appears as remote as ever—and the Biden administration has refused to use U.S. military aid as leverage to force Netanyahu's hand.
"We can't just pray for peace, we can't just hope for peace—we have to work for peace," U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said earlier this week. "And that's why we have to engage every diplomatic tool available to us for a permanent cease-fire, and we have got to stop sending bombs."
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Jayapal Slams Israeli Government After US Activist Killed in West Bank
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, she said, "has done nothing to stop settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, often encouraged by right-wing ministers."
Sep 06, 2024
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal blasted Israel's government on Friday after Israeli forces reportedly killed American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi while the 26-year-old was protesting the expansion of settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank.
"My heart goes out to Aysenur's family, friends, and loved ones," Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a statement. "This is a terrible tragedy, and I extend my condolences to all those in mourning today. My office is actively working to gather more information on the events that led to her death."
Eygi, who had dual citizenship in the United States and Turkey, graduated from the University of Washington earlier this year.
"I am very troubled by the reports that she was killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers," said Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Citing witnesses, AJ+ reported that Eygi was killed by a "deliberate shot to the head" in the town of Beita, near the settlement of Evyatar.
"The killing of an American citizen is a terrible proof point in this senseless war of rising tensions in the region."
The congresswoman charged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "has done nothing to stop settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, often encouraged by right-wing ministers of the Netanyahu government."
"The killing of an American citizen is a terrible proof point in this senseless war of rising tensions in the region," added Jayapal, a critic of Israel's 11-month assault of the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 40,878 Palestinians and led to a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
The U.S. government has provided Israel with diplomatic support and billions of dollars in military assistance since it launched the assault on Gaza in retaliation for the October 7 Hamas-led attack, in which more than 1,100 people were killed and over 240 others were taken hostage.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian American in Congress and a fierce critic of the Israeli government, responded to Eygi's killing by calling out American diplomats in a series of posts on social media Friday.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson at the U.S. State Department, said that "we are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens."
Noting his statement, Tlaib said: "Hey how'd they die, Matt? Was it magic? Who or what killed Aysenur? Asking on behalf of Americans who want to know."
The congresswoman slammed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his "complete and utter failure in keeping Americans safe," and urged him to "do something to save lives!"
Tlaib also reposted Zeteo News reporter Prem Thakker's list of Americans killed by Israeli forces. In addition to Eygi, they include teenagers Mohammad Khdour and Tawfic Abdel Jabbar; World Central Kitchen worker Jacob Flickinger; journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; and peace activist Rachel Corrie.
"Today, yet another U.S. citizen was shot dead in the West Bank, almost certainly by Israeli soldiers," said Win Without War executive director Sara Haghdoosti, urging President Joe Biden's administration to direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to launch an immediate investigation.
"Today's tragedy is not a one-off," she stressed. "Violence in the occupied West Bank, driven by right-wing settlers and backed up by Israeli security services, has been increasing since the horrific attacks of October 7th and has spiked in recent weeks. In the last 10 days alone, Israeli security forces have killed 36 Palestinians in the West Bank, including eight children."
Haghdoosti noted that "in February, President Biden declared that settler violence in the West Bank constitutes 'an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States' and promised strict sanctions against those responsible for harming civilians there."
"Eygi's killing is both a confirmation of and a challenge to the president's declaration: A U.S. citizen has been slain, and now it is up to the Biden administration to use the many tools at its disposal to determine who is responsible and hold them accountable," she argued.
"The Justice Department announced indictments this week for Hamas leaders involved in killing U.S. citizens—an entirely appropriate action when Americans are killed abroad," she added. "We are horrified by Hamas' murders, including that of U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin last week. The Goldberg-Polin family deserves justice, and so do Aysenur Eygi's loved ones."
This post has been updated with comment from Win Without War.
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Calls to Boycott Netanyahu Speech Grow as Israeli PM Heads to DC
A new coalition of advocacy groups—some of them Jewish-led—are urging lawmakers to "amplify the voices of those in Israel, Palestine, and around the world who reject Netanyahu's failed leadership."
Jul 22, 2024
Pressure is mounting on U.S. lawmakers to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled address to Congress later this week, as a newly formed coalition of civil society groups announced a protest against the far-right leader—whose policies and actions in Gaza are on trial for genocide at the World Court.
As Netanyahu "brings to Congress his message of extending and expanding the devastating war in Gaza, neglecting the safety of Israeli hostages, and ensuring impunity for the actions of his government, an alternative message must be heard," the new coalition said in a statement Monday. "To amplify a message of safety, freedom, just peace, collective liberation, and human rights for ALL Palestinians and Israelis, nine diverse groups have come together to form the Peace and Justice Protest Bloc."
The groups—American Friends of Combatants for Peace (AFCFP), Win Without War, T'ruah, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, Israelis for Peace, Halachic Left, and three local chapters of Supporters of Standing Together—"will come together in Washington this week to urge members of Congress to skip Netanyahu's speech, sponsor community events with peace activists from the region, and amplify the voices of those in Israel, Palestine, and around the world who reject Netanyahu's failed leadership."
"The bloc, made up of hundreds of Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs, Jews, and allies, will unite to demonstrate that collective struggle and liberation are possible, and there is a growing movement that embodies it," the coalition added. "We must act now to ensure that the voices for a just peace are louder than those of division and bloodshed."
A larger protest by a coalition of groups including Palestinian Youth Movement, National Students for Justice in Palestine, CodePink, ANSWER Coalition, the People's Forum, International Peoples' Assembly, Al-Awda-N.Y., and the Palestinian American Community Center-N.J. is also planned for Wednesday, when Netanyahu is set to speak. Organizers are planning to surround the U.S. Capitol.
"A visit by Netanyahu to Congress and the U.S. confirms something we already knew: The United States of America financially and morally supports the slaughter of Palestinians happening in Gaza," said CodePink Palestine campaign coordinator Nour Jaghama, who was arrested outside the Republican National Convention last week after being falsely accused of assaulting a Republican lawmaker. "They are no better than Netanyahu and every single Israeli official who orders the dropping of bombs on sieges on hospitals."
Groups including the Council on American Islamic Relations and CodePink have circulated petitions urging members of Congress to boycott Netanyahu's speech, which is set for Wednesday. Numerous congressional Democrats have already said they will not attend the address, as has Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who on Monday reaffirmed why he'll skip the speech.
"Netanyahu and his right-wing, extremist government have waged total war against the Palestinian people, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring 89,000—60% of whom are women, children, or elderly people," Sanders said. "Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress."
"On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned," the senator added. "In my view, his right-wing, extremist government should not receive another nickel of U.S. taxpayer support to continue the inhumane destruction of Gaza."
Axios Capitol Hill reporter Juliegrace Brufke said Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris—whom many Democrats have endorsed for president since U.S. President Joe Biden's Sunday withdrawal from the 2024 race—has "declined" to preside over Netanyahu's speech, as is her prerogative as Senate president. So has Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-Wash.), leaving uncertainty as to who will preside over the session.
Like Biden, Harris has been an
ardent supporter of Israel during her tenure in the U.S. Senate and White House. She is facing fresh calls take a "clear stance" against any more weapons sales for Israel.
In 2015—the last time Netanyahu addressed Congress—nearly 60 lawmakers including Sanders boycotted his speech.
Some progressive groups and individuals have called for more than just a boycott of Netanyahu.
The Center for Constitutional Rights on Friday asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Netanyahu and other Israeli officials for allegedly committing or authorizing genocide, war crimes, and torture. The group led a federal genocide complicity lawsuit against Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that was dismissed last week.
Last month, former Democratic Ohio state Sen. Nina Turnerargued that Netanyahu "should be arrested on the spot" for "overseeing a genocide."
Meanwhile, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)
warned attendees of a Republican National Convention event last week that he would order the arrest of any lawmakers who get "out of hand" during Netanyahu's speech.
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