Sen. Jeff Merkley among members of Senate urging president to suspend offensive military aid to Israel

PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) is one of eight senators who sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, March 11, calling for an end to U.S. offensive military assistance to Israel.

The seven Democrats and one independent senator say a humanitarian crisis has developed in Gaza, which has been under attack by the Israel Defense Force for months. “Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian access, both at the border and within Gaza, are one of the primary causes of this humanitarian catastrophe,” the letter reads.

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The senators claim that the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is interfering in U.S. humanitarian operations, which would violate the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, a portion of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which states: “No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter or the Arms Export Control Act to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”

The lead signature on the letter is from Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. Beyond Merkley, it is signed by Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Mazie H. Hirono of Hawaii, Peter Welch of Vermont, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico.

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The Middle East crisis began when the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. According to the Al Jazeera news site, the revised death toll in the Oct. 7 attacks stands at 1,139, and dozens of Israeli citizens and foreigners continue to be held captive.

Read more at PortlandTribune.com.

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