The highest court in the world just ruled that it’s plausible Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, but Senate leadership is now forcing a vote on a $95 billion bill that contains $17 billion to sustain Israel’s war on Gaza, including $14.1 billion in military support. The bill used to have an immigration component, but after failing a procedural vote yesterday, the border portion was stripped out (along with nearly $2 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine and Gaza, not sure why). Considering the circumstances, the heaps of political capital — and regular capital — US political leaders are investing in enabling Israel’s ongoing war (in no way could Israel do all this without US backing) should be an even bigger scandal than it already is.
As displayed below, the bill gives unconditional, long-term military support to a country prosecuting a military campaign that has intentionally laid waste to most of Gaza’s housing/civilian infrastructure and killed at least 27,708 of its inhabitants; removes limits on the amount of weapons Biden can stockpile this year in Israel, stockpiles he can and is letting Israel access for its war on Gaza; and provides funds to manage the regional fallout from Israel’s war in the most idiotic way possible, i.e., endlessly bombing Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The bill also prohibits any funding from going to UNRWA, the largest and most capable provider of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, as Gaza is on the brink of famine. This is what being complicit in genocide looks like. It’s pretty much exactly what Biden requested on October 20.
^Alt text for screen readers: Biden’s foreign aid bill enables genocide. The bill includes $17 billion to sustain Israel’s assault on Gaza. This table shows bill functions and funding amounts. Provides unconditional military aid to a state acting with the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, $10 billion; allows Biden to stockpile an indefinite amount of weapons in Israel, which Israel can draw from. Funding is to replenish US stocks, $4 billion; sponsors US retaliatory airstrikes in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen for attacks protesting Israel’s war, $3 billion; defunds UNRWA, the main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Gaza is on the brink of famine, $0. Data via author’s analysis of National Security Act, 2024. More at stephen semler dot substack dot com.
*Chart was updated on Mar 9.
-Stephen (@stephensemler; stephen@securityreform.org). Follow me on Bluesky.
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