AIPAC Lobbies Against a Bill to Ensure Israel Complies With the Ceasefire
Pro-Palestine groups argue the ‘Ceasefire Compliance Act’ is too modest in its effort to get Israel to stop killing Palestinians. AIPAC, meanwhile, hates it.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is lobbying against modest legislation meant to ensure Israel complies with the supposed Gaza “ceasefire” deal it keeps violating, according to correspondence obtained by Zeteo.
Moderate Democratic Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) is leading the bill, called the Ceasefire Compliance Act, which was released Monday. The legislation aims to stop Israel from violating the Gaza ceasefire deal, negotiated by Donald Trump. Israel has already allegedly violated the deal hundreds and hundreds of times.
Some pro-Palestine groups and lawmakers, meanwhile, argue the bill would not actually stop Israel from continuing to kill Palestinians in Gaza – and that it’s a distraction from other measures that would cut off the transfer of heavy weapons to Israel, which is internationally accused of committing genocide.
The Ceasefire Compliance Act would direct the US government to conduct reports every 90 days to ensure that the Israeli government is complying with the ceasefire deal, is not inhibiting aid into Gaza, does not annex more territory in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and is taking steps to stop settler violence there. If the US finds Israel to be violating any of the conditions, the bill would stop the sale or transfer of US weapons to Israel for use in the West Bank or Gaza – and stipulates that weapons previously transferred to Israel couldn’t be used in Gaza or the West Bank, either.
“The legislation aligns US policy with American values and interests, reduces civilian harm, supports humanitarian access, and makes a durable regional peace more likely by promoting dignity and security for Israelis and Palestinians,” Casten tells Zeteo in a statement.
The bill offers some exceptions.