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The American people must urge an immediate end to the Israeli attack on Gaza. As Americans, we support Israel's right to exist but we also need to support the rights of the Palestinian people. We must strongly object to the fact that taxpayer funded U. S. military equipment is being used illegally in this conflict. We must show our concern that Israel is using weapons supplied by the United States to harmPalestinian civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and the Geneva Conventions.
The Israeli air force fighter squadrons are composed of Lockheed Martin F-16I Fighting Falcons and Boeing F-15Is, which fire US-manufactured AMRAAM, Sidewinder, and Sparrow missiles.
From 2000-2005, the United States licensed to Israel at least $1.062 billion of spare parts, engines, and missiles for its F-15 and F-16 fighter planes.
From 2000-2005, the United States licensed to the Israeli navy more than $572 million worth of patrol boat, ship, and submarine components and spare parts, torpedoes, and sonar equipment.
From 2000-2005, the United States licensed to Israel more than $348 million worth of tanks, components, and spare parts. (Statistics for US weapons licensed to Israel are compiled from the State Department's annual report to Congress pursuant to Sec. 655 of the Foreign Assistance Act)
By using US-supplied weapons to attack Gaza, Israel is violating the terms of the US Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act. The Arms Export Control Act restricts the use of US weapons to legitimate self-defense and internal policing. US weapons cannot be used to attack civilians in offensive operations nor can they be used to destroy civilian infrastructure such as power plants and water works. The Foreign Assistance Act prohibits US aid of any kind to a country that routinely harms civilians as a result of its military operations. The aerial bombardment of the densely populated Gaza Strip is causing large numbers of civilian casualties.
We must urge the President and Congress to act immediately to call for an end to Israel's military attacks in the Gaza Strip that are being conducted with U.S.-supplied weapons in violation of our laws. We must urge the President and Congress to stop all foreign assistance and military equipment exports to Israel until it ceases military attacks outside of its internationally recognized borders. We must urge our government to take immediate steps to end this conflict and to work toward a just peace that recognizes both the security of Israel and the rights of the Palestinian people.
