The Biden administration’s policy on supplying arms to Israel has come under scrutiny due to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Netanyahu government has been accused of killing thousands of people, including children, dropping bombs on civilian complexes, and impeding the delivery of essential supplies. The International Court of Justice has suggested that Israel may be committing genocide. Despite this, the Biden administration continues to send billions of dollars in weapons to Israel, while claiming to be working to limit civilian casualties.
The administration recently released National Security Memorandum-20 (NSM-20), which requires arms recipients to commit to following U.S. law on the use of weapons. However, it appears that the release of NSM-20 was more of a political move to preempt Congress from debating amendments rather than a genuine attempt to hold Israel accountable for its actions. The administration has also stated that it has not found Israel to be in violation of international humanitarian law, further raising concerns about its compliance with U.S. and international law.
An independent task force was formed to analyze Israel’s use of U.S. arms during the conflict in Gaza. The task force found that Israel’s actions demonstrate a systematic disregard for international law, leading to grave concerns about the Biden administration’s compliance with legal standards. The task force highlighted specific examples, such as a deadly airstrike on a residential building that killed civilians, including children. The report was submitted to the administration to inform their future actions, including the reports to be submitted to Congress under NSM-20.
The independent task force’s report aims to push the Biden administration to change its current approach of condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza while simultaneously supplying weapons. The report suggests that the administration should cut off military aid to Israel until the killing in Gaza stops and a long-term ceasefire is agreed upon. By using the task force’s findings as a model, the administration has the opportunity to reverse course and take decisive action to halt the ongoing violence in Gaza. The hope is that the new report will motivate the administration to make meaningful changes to its policy on arms supply to Israel.
