109 Organizations Reject Netanyahu
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

(July 24, 2024) — Today, 109 organizations joined together to unequivocally reject the invitation and appearance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress at a time when he is credibly accused of perpetrating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide.

Netanyahu and his government’s complete disregard for, and blatant contempt of customary international law, and the Geneva Conventions, for which an arrest warrant is being sought by the ICC, should, at the very least, disqualify him from speaking in front of Congress. His undermining of US policy, laws and lawmakers makes a mockery out of the United States and our institutions.

This is the fourth time that Congressional leaders have honored Netanyahu by inviting him to address Congress, which would be the highest number of formal addresses that any foreign official has given to Congress. This is an honor abjectly undeserved, and we, the undersigned organizations, are calling on all members of Congress to reject his visit and impose an immediate arms embargo on the government of Israel to save lives.

Over the past 9 months, the Israeli government, under the leadership of Netanyahu, has killed over 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza according to UN OCHA. An additional 15,000 Palestinians are missing and presumed dead. Over 80 percent of homes have been damaged or destroyed as have water, sanitation, health, and other vital services, making Gaza almost uninhabitable.

The Israeli regime has also continued settlement expansion, increased incursions into Palestinian towns and cities destroying infrastructure, increased arrests and administrative detention without charge while killing hundreds in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to severely hindering the right to freedom of movement.

According to the World Health Organization, a child in Gaza is killed every 10 minutes. According to Save the Children, over 20,000 children in Gaza are missing, either dead or separated from their families… Those that have not become direct victims of the Israeli attacks are forced to endure an engineered famine as Israeli authorities implement a near total siege of Gaza designed to starve the Palestinian civilian population.

Diseases once easily controlled are now spreading because Israeli attacks have decimated Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. Palestinians are forced to attempt to survive abject living conditions and severe lack of necessary medicine.

A joint United Nations and World Bank report published on April 2 estimated that the Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in $18.5 billion in damage to critical infrastructure, and found that for several sectors the rate of damage appeared to be leveling off as there was little left to destroy.

President Biden’s continued shipment of weapons and military funding to the Israeli government has made both him and his administration complicit in the atrocities perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza. Compounding their complicity, the Administration has blatantly ignored US laws governing arms transfers and sales, in addition to doing everything possible to avoid Congressional notification requirements.

When the President is unable to follow the law and hostile to transparency, the answer is clear: Congress must immediately impose an arms embargo on all weapons transfers and sales to Israel, not honor the chief architect of atrocities in which the US is complicit.

As organizations committed to justice and freedom, we oppose honoring a war criminal by allowing him to address Congress. Netanyahu should be held accountable for his crimes against humanity rather than given an opportunity to justify his annihilation of Palestinians. Therefore, we, the undersigned 110 organizations, call upon all members of Congress to reject this address, explain why publicly, and advocate for an embargo of all weapons sent to Israel.

There will be no Palestinian state under my watch.”
— Benjamin Netanyahu.

Signatory Organizations:

99 Coalition

Activate Virginia

Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine

American Civic and Humanitarian Coalition

American Federation of Ramallah Palestine

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

American Muslim Bar Association

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)

Arab American Association of Central Virginia

Arab American Center For Culture and Arts

Arab American Civic Council

Arab Americans for Syria

Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance

Arlington for Palestine

Armenian-American Action Network

Austin With Palestine

Baltimore Nonviolence Center

Beit Sahour USA

Beyond the Ballot

BiH Memories Foundation

Boston Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Catholics for Palestine

Cattaraugus-Allegany Liberation Collective (CALC)

Center for Constitutional Rights

Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community

CODEPINK

Colorado Palestine Coalition

Committee for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel

Community Peacemaker Teams

Coulee Region Coalition for Palestinian Rights (CRCPR)

Council on American Islamic Relations

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)

Dearborn Blog

Democratic Socialists of America

Detroit Jericho Movement

Doctors Against Genocide

DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving

Free Democratic Palestine Movement (FDPM)

Hindus for Human Rights

Houston for Palestinian Liberation

ICNA Council for Social Justice

Inclusive Muslims of Central Virginia

Indivisible Austin

Institute for Religious Studies, Humanities, and Dialogue (IRSHAD)

InterReligious Task Force on Central America

Islamophobia Studies Center

Jewish Voice for Peace Action

Jews for Palestinian Right of Return

JVP Eastern Nebraska

Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War

Maine Coalition for Palestine

Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights

Massachusetts Peace Action

Minnesota Peace Project

MN BDS Community

MPower Change Action Fund

Mudders Against Murder

Muslim Advocates

Muslim Delegates and Allies Coalition

Muslim Public Affairs Council

Muslims for Just Futures

National Arab American Women’s Association (NAAWA$

National Jericho Movement

National SJP

NationalJericho Movement/ Florida Chapter

Nebraskans for Palestine

New Dominion PAC

New York City Jericho Movement

Nonviolence International

North Alabama Peace Network

Oakland Jericho

Ohio Peace Council

PAL-Awda NY/NJ

Palestinian American Community Center

Palestinian American Organizations Network (PAON)

Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace

Pax Christi New York State

Peace Action

Peace Action Montgomery

Peace and Justice Coalition of Prince Georges County Maryland

Poligon Education Fund

Poor People’s Army

Principles NOT Parties

Project South

Queer Crescent

Quincy for a Free Palestine

SAG-AFTRA & Sister Guild Members for Ceasefire

St. Columba Catholic Church

StandWithKashmir

Students for Justice in Palestine – South Texas College of Law Houston

Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Students for Justice in Palestine-Omaha

Sunrise Movement DC

SW Virginia Coalition for Palestine

Theater Workers for a Ceasefire

Titan YDSA

UAW Labor for Palestine

United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network

United Liberation Front for Palestine

United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 36

USCPR Action

Virginia Coalition for Human Rights

Virginia Council of Muslim Organizations (VCMO)

Visualizing Palestine

War Resisters League

Winchester4Palestine

WMU Students for Justice in Palestine

Women Against Military Madness

World BEYOND War