June 25, 2024

Dear Trane,


Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about the crisis that has been unfolding in Israel and Gaza. I appreciate you taking the time to write to me about your thoughts. Serving as your representative in Congress is a tremendous privilege, and I deeply value your input.
Like you, I am deeply troubled by the loss of Israeli and Palestinian life that has followed Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Tragically, this attack involved the killing of 1,200 Israelis as well as the capturing of hostages, around 120 of whom remain unaccounted for. As you know, ten days after October 7, I cosponsored H.Res. 786, the Ceasefire Now Resolution, and called for a ceasefire because it was clear to me that the only way forward was a negotiated ceasefire that allowed for the release of all hostages and a path toward peace and safety for both Israel and Palestine. 
In the months since October 7, the reality in Gaza has become even more horrifying. The Israeli military’s unrelenting attacks have killed over 36,000 Palestinian people. 1.9 million Palestinian people have been displaced from their homes with nowhere to go in the Gaza Strip. 80% of homes and schools have been damaged or destroyed, and Israeli air strikes have struck hospitals and refugee camps, including places where civilians were told to shelter. Over 200 humanitarian aid workers and at least 97 journalists have been killed. 
President Biden has said that the Israeli military must follow international humanitarian law, or the “laws of war.” These laws regulate the conduct of armed conflict and seek to limit the inhumanity of war. They prohibit attacks on civilian populations with weapons that are indiscriminate, inhumane or likely to cause unnecessary losses or excessive suffering. They also prohibit the “collective punishment” of civilians. Importantly, these laws apply regardless of who started the conflict, or why someone goes to war – including in situations of self-defense.
Experts now say that the Israeli government’s military campaign in Gaza is among the deadliest and most destructive in history. It is clear that the Israeli military is not following those laws of war, and the United States is increasingly making ourselves party to this. 
I have spent the last several months meeting with multiple families of hostages, feeling their palpable pain and anxiety, and it is my sincere hope that we can achieve a negotiated permanent ceasefire and the development of a political solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live with safety and security.
The more the United States unconditionally supports the Netanyahu government, the more we attach ourselves to the actions of an extreme Israeli government and make the United States complicit in the killing of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. 
It is time to reset our relationship to the Israeli government. The United States is the largest backer of military aid to Israel, and we have provided more than $130 billion in military aid as well as a majority of Israel’s weapons since its founding. If the Israeli government continues to flout international law, we must withhold or at minimum, condition offensive military assistance.
That is why I, alongside 36 of my Democratic colleagues, voted against H.R. 8034, the Israel Security Supplemental bill. My vote against H.R. 8034 was a vote against supplying more offensive weapons without conditions to the Netanyahu government that could result in more killings of innocent civilians in Gaza, as H.R. 8034 does not contain any conditions on military aid to the Netanyahu government, and it does not differentiate between offensive aid and defensive aid. Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently supported Iron Dome funding and other defensive aid for Israel. My vote against H.R. 8034 was not a vote against Israel – it was a vote for the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.
In addition, I was proud to lead a letter with Rep. Madeline Dean (PA-05) and 55 Members of Congress to President Biden calling on the Administration to use all tools possible to dissuade the Israeli government from moving forward with an offensive invasion into Rafah, including the suspension of offensive military aid. 
In this devastating time, the United States must lead the way forward and ensure that our foreign policy lives up to our values of democracy and human rights. For months, I have been pressing top officials at the State Department and within the Biden Administration about the contradiction between the President’s calls for the Israeli military to follow international laws of war and the actions of the Israeli government. Please be assured that as your representative, I will continue to call for a ceasefire and fight for human rights at home and abroad.
Again, thank you for getting in touch with me about this important issue. If you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at 202-225-3106. Also, please sign up for my e-mail newsletter at jayapal.house.gov/contact/newsletter, join us on Facebook at facebook.com/RepJayapal, on Twitter at twitter.com/RepJayapal and on Instagram, at instagram.com/RepJayapal.



Sincerely,



PRAMILA JAYAPAL

Member of Congress