Parliamentarians unite against arms sales to Israel – 03/01/2024 – Mônica Bergamo

Parliamentarians from 13 different countries came together behind a letter that defends an embargo against the sale and export of weapons to Israel. The initiative is led by Progressive International, an organization that seeks to organize and mobilize progressive forces from around the world.

“Our bombs and bullets cannot be used to kill, maim and dispossess Palestinians,” the document states. “We know that lethal weapons and their components, manufactured or sent through our countries, have contributed to the Israeli attack on Palestine, which has already claimed more than 30,000 lives in Gaza and the West Bank”, he continues.

In Brazil, the initiative is supported by the entire PSOL bench in the Chamber of Deputies and by Nilto Tatto (PT-SP). Former leader of the British Labor Party Jeremy Corbyn and Frenchman Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the France Insubmissa party, are also among those who signed the letter.

The list, which brings together 218 signatories, also has representatives from Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain and Portugal, among others. From the United States, Tel Aviv’s main ally, only two congresswomen decided to join the mobilization: Democrats Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib.

The country led by Joe Biden has maintained strong support for Israel both in the diplomatic field, blocking resolutions in the UN Security Council three times that called for a ceasefire in the region, and in the military — on Thursday (29), the The Pentagon reported that it has sent around 21,000 precision-guided munitions since the start of the current conflict.

“An arms embargo has gone from being a moral necessity to a legal requirement,” the letter says. “Today, we take a stand. We will take immediate and coordinated action in our respective legislatures to stop our countries from arming Israel,” he further states.

On Thursday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Portuguese António Guterres, said that the UN has been unable to deliver humanitarian aid to northern Gaza in more than a week, calling again for a ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas.

Read the full letter articulated by Progressive International below:

“We, the undersigned parliamentarians, declare our commitment to end arms sales from our nations to the State of Israel.

Our bombs and bullets cannot be used to kill, maim and dispossess Palestinians. But they are: we know that lethal weapons and their components, manufactured or sent through our countries, have contributed to the Israeli attack on Palestine, which has already claimed more than 30,000 lives in Gaza and the West Bank.

We can’t wait. After the provisional decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) [mais conhecida como Corte de Haia] Regarding the case of the Genocide Convention against the State of Israel, an arms embargo went from being a moral necessity to becoming a legal requirement.

We will not be complicit in Israel’s serious violation of international law. The ICJ ordered Israel not to kill, injure or ‘deliberately [infligisse] to the [palestinos] living conditions calculated to bring about…physical destruction’. They refused. Instead, they proceed with a planned attack on Rafah that the United Nations Secretary-General has warned will “exponentially add to what is already a humanitarian nightmare.”

Today, we take a stand. We will take immediate and coordinated action in our respective legislatures to stop our countries from arming Israel.”

_{with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS It is MANOELLA SMITH}

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