Axios reports that an internal State Department dissent memo, signed by 100 current employees, states that Biden’s support of Israel has made him “complicit in genocide” in Gaza. The dissent memo says that Israel is committing “war crimes” against the Palestinians in Gaza and that the Biden administration is “spreading misinformation.”
The Intercept reports in “Palestinians Sue Biden for Failing to Prevent Genocide in Gaza“: “A group of Palestinian human rights organizations, residents of Gaza, and U.S. citizens with family members impacted by Israel’s ongoing assault jointly sued President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday for failing to ‘prevent an unfolding genocide.’“The 89-page lawsuit, filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights in a California federal district court, traces 75 years of history and analyzes acts committed and rhetoric espoused by the Israeli government that exhibit a disregard for international law. It is accompanied by a declaration from a genocide expert who describes Israel’s actions as signs of genocide and argues that the Biden administration has breached its duty under international law to prevent it.“’Under international law, the United States has a duty to take all measures available to it to prevent a genocide. Yet, Defendants have repeatedly refused to use their obvious and considerable influence to set conditions or place limits on Israel’s massive bombing and total siege of Gaza,’ the lawsuit reads.“’Despite escalating evidence of Israeli policies directed at inflicting mass harm to the Palestinian population in Gaza,’ the Biden administration has opposed ‘a life-saving cease-fire and lifting of the siege, even vetoing United Nations measures calling for a ceasefire,’ the lawsuit continues. ‘Instead, their actions to fund, arm, and endorse Israel’s mass and devastating bombing campaign and total siege of the Palestinians in Gaza constitutes a failure to prevent an unfolding genocide and complicity in its development.'”MARC VAN DER HOUT, [currently in DC] MV@vblaw.com,
Van Der Hout, one of the lawyers on the case, of the law firm of Van Der Hout, LLP, said, “The United States must fulfill its obligations under the Genocide Convention and international law to prevent escalating atrocities in Gaza. The killings and kidnappings perpetrated by Hamas on Oct 7, horrendous as they were, in no conceivable way justify the massacres now being perpetrated by the State of Israel with the unconditional support and acquiescence of the United States. The courts must now force the U.S. to comply with its obligations under the law.” See piece quoting Van Der Hout in the San Francisco Chronicle.
See statements by Center for Constitutional Rights and Al-Haq: “Palestinians Sue Biden for Failure to Prevent Genocide, Seek Emergency Order to Stop Military and Diplomatic Support for Israeli Government’s Assault on Gaza.”
Also, at the Center for Constitutional Rights, contact: press@ccrjustice.org.
See past related IPA news releases.
