Virtual Briefing: Understanding the JRD Vote on Israel Arms Sales (11/12/24)

Описание: 0:00 - Introduction
4:47 - Elizabeth Rghebi (Amnesty International) opening remarks
6:58 - Overview of Amnesty's investigations on US-origin weapons misuse
8:00 - Examples of Joint Attack Direct Munitions (JDAMs) misuse
12:06 - Examples of 120mm round misuse
17:24 - John Ramming Chappell (CIVIC) JRDs overview & history
19:57 - Sanders' JRDs overview
21:28 - Frameworks for thinking about these JRDs
23:13 - NSM-20, 620I, & recent Israel's violation of Biden admin's deadline
27:36 - Josh Paul (A New Policy) opening remarks
28:16 - JRDs as a failure of arms sales oversight process
29:37 - Positive impacts of previous JRD votes
30:06 - How JRDs reassert congressional oversight
32:56 - Spotlighting arms transfers for incoming admin
35:31 - Rebuttal to "Israel's defense requirements" argument
36:55 - Rebuttal to "precision" arguments
37:51 - Rebuttal to "cost and industry" arguments
38:43 - Rebuttal to "reliable security partnership" arguments
40:24 - Why this effort favors US interests
41:44 - Q&A: Could these weapons be used for defensive operations against Hamas?
43:56 - Q&A: (For Amnesty) How is info gathered on the ground on arms use?
45:11 - Q&A: Cases where leveraging US aid advanced humanitarian access/human rights?
49:48 - Q&A: How do changes in upcoming admin impact arms sales?
51:11 - Q&A: How to understand these weapons vis-a-vis conflict with Iran?
53:20 - Q&A: What are implications of arms sales on Israel budget use?
58:10 - Elizabeth (Amnesty) final thoughts
59:13 - John (CIVIC) final thoughts
1:00:05 - Josh (A New Policy) final thoughts

In August, the Biden Administration approved a series of arms sales to Israel totaling more than $20 billion. Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) led by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT), Peter Welch (VT), Jeff Merkley (OR), and Brian Schatz (HI) would block the sale of many of these offensive weapons, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions and 120mm artillery shells, that have been used in strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, including aid workers and journalists, in Gaza over the last year.

Independent human rights researchers have thoroughly documented the Israeli military’s use of these weapons in attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Aid groups have also stressed that Israeli forces continue to block the delivery of humanitarian assistance as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the precipice of starvation. U.S. law and the Biden administration’s own arms transfer policy prohibit arms transfers to any country that engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights and restricts the delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.

The urgency of this JRD vote is heightened by the escalating violence across the region. Israel’s military offensive in Northern Gaza and Lebanon has intensified, leading to increasing numbers of civilians killed and the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure. Despite recent warnings by the Biden Administration that it intends to withhold assistance to Israel if aid deliveries are not dramatically scaled up by November 12th, humanitarian access to Gaza has sharply declined in recent weeks, leaving the population facing severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and other essentials.

Our panel of experts delved into the key aspects of these arms sales, including their implications for civilian harm, the legal considerations under existing U.S. law and policies, and the broader geopolitical and humanitarian context surrounding this historic vote. This was followed with a Q&A section.

Panelists:
Elizabeth Rghebi, Middle East and North Africa Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA
Josh Paul, Director, A New Policy
John Ramming Chappell, Advisor on Legal and Policy Issues, CIVIC
Odeliya Matter (moderator), Program Associate for Middle East Policy, FCNL