CMEP Welcomes President Biden’s Assurances that U.S. Weapons Will Not Be Used in a Rafah Ground Invasion 

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes recent remarks from President Biden indicating he would stop the transfer of offensive U.S.-sourced arms to Israel, should they proceed with an invasion into Rafah’s population centers. This follows the decision by the Biden Administration to pause at least one shipment of U.S. weapons slated to be delivered to Israel over concerns they could be used in an invasion of Rafah. For months, CMEP – along with Christian leaders from across the country and globe – has called for a demilitarization of the conflict and for halting arms sales to Israel. Human rights groups have already documented how Israel has used U.S.-supplied weapons in violation of humanitarian and human rights law throughout Gaza.

Furthermore, we call upon the Administration to immediately release its report on National Security Memorandum 20. Given President Biden’s own admission that U.S.-supplied weapons have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, we expect it will include instances of how Israel has used U.S.-sourced munitions in contravention of our own laws.  President Biden’s recent commitment to stop the transfer of certain U.S. weapons to Israel is a first step in addressing U.S. complicity in the ongoing destruction and devastation of Gaza. As famine hits Northern Gaza and malnutrition and hunger rise in other areas of the enclave, there is no time to waste. We call upon President Biden to follow through on his assurances by holding Israel accountable to U.S. and international law. Only once all violence ends will a pathway to a lasting and just peace be possible.