House passes $14B Israel military aid, excludes humanitarian funding
The package from the Republican-controlled House does not include any humanitarian assistance for Gaza or funding for Ukraine.
LEARN MOREPosted: 8:43 p.m. EDT Nov 4, 2023
The White House is under increasing pressure from Capitol Hill as a chorus of lawmakers, including some of President Joe Biden's biggest allies, demand more decisive action regarding the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The mounting death toll deeply troubles the lawmakers.
Notably, among those voicing their discontent is Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who holds the distinction of being the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress.
Tlaib, an advocate for Palestinian rights has accused President Biden of supporting a genocide against Palestinians and called on the president to back a ceasefire.
In a video posted to X, Tlaib said "POTUS, the majority of the American people are not with you on this one." At the end of the video, the words “Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people. The American people won’t forget. Biden, support the ceasefire now or don’t count on us in 2024," are displayed.
Tlaib is not alone, however, as many of her colleagues have also called for a ceasefire.
“I think the president needs to speak very clearly about a ceasefire; that's my position with regard to the administration, recognizing that we support Israel's security, we support their rights to defend themselves,” said California Rep. Barbara Lee.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also believes that, as a country, we can and should do more.
"I believe that this administration and we as a country should take a more forceful stand on the United States commitment to human rights and the protection of human rights globally. And I also think that that absolutely pertains to the humanitarian crisis that's going on in Gaza," said Ocasio-Cortez.
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll in Gaza has reached almost 10,000, most of whom are women and children. Now, while many Democrats believe Israel has the right to defend itself, they also feel Israel has an obligation to protect innocent civilians from getting hurt.
Israel has previously said its target is Hamas, not civilians, and blames Hamas for civilian deaths.
Democrats, on the other hand, are looking at the war with a very sharp eye and want to see a pause in fighting to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza for the thousands that need it most but also allow civilians to escape Gaza.
While the White House hasn't officially called for a ceasefire, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed the U.S. commitment to supporting a humanitarian pause aimed at delivering more aid to Gaza and securing the release of hostages. However, he also says that a ceasefire might offer Hamas an opportunity to regroup and launch further attacks on Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserts that military operations will continue at full force, and he insists that there will be no halt in the fighting until more than 200 hostages held by Hamas, including several Americans, are released.
