U.S. Bypasses Its Own Laws to Arm Israel and Enable War Crimes

The Biden administration has approved another $8.7 billion military aid package to Israel, as the war crimes in Gaza now extend to Lebanon. In doing so, the administration is ignoring U.S. laws meant to regulate such aid. Bypassing regulations that impose conditions on military assistance has led to the resignation of several officials from the U.S. State Department. This new aid package emboldens Netanyahu to escalate the war, using American bombs freely in Lebanon to continue the massacres.

According to U.S. law, the Secretary of State must report to Congress whether U.S. military aid is being used in accordance with legal requirements. In his latest report to Congress earlier this year, Secretary Antony Blinken claimed that no violations had occurred that would require a halt to arms shipments to Israel. However, draft reports from State Department units suggested otherwise.

Stacy Gilbert, a senior official in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, resigned in protest, stating that Blinken's report to Congress contradicted internal findings. Both USAID and the Bureau were responsible for assessing the lawful use of U.S. military aid. According to their drafts, Israel had violated several conditions and recommended a halt to arms shipments.

Last week, ProPublica published a detailed report on the internal conflicts at the State Department regarding arms shipments to Israel. The documents revealed by ProPublica exposed the events that led to the resignation of Gilbert and others. These documents, including a 17-page memo sent to Blinken, described how Israel obstructed humanitarian aid, bombed ambulances and hospitals, and confiscated medical and food supplies.

ProPublica also obtained internal emails showing that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration had requested sanctions against Israel under the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act for blocking aid. A cable from U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, urged Blinken to trust Netanyahu's war cabinet, despite the realities on the ground.

USAID had repeatedly reported that Israeli forces promised to allow aid to pass through but never followed through. In one instance, a humanitarian convoy, authorized by Israeli forces, was turned back at a checkpoint. As the convoy retreated, Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing two aid workers.

ProPublica’s report includes more details, but for those paying attention, the truth is clear. In her resignation statement, Gilbert declared, "Everything in that report is wrong." Blinken deliberately misled Congress. Whether Congress would have acted differently had it known the truth is another question. Few Democrats and even fewer Republicans expect the U.S. Congress to stop arms shipments to Israel.

Ultimately, it’s the American people who are deceived. They are footing the bill for endless arms shipments that give Israel a license to kill with impunity. Congress may feel reassured by hearing what they want to hear, but until the American public’s voice outweighs that of the Israeli lobby and the military-industrial complex, this disgraceful situation is likely to continue.