Muslim civil rights group urges Congress to permanently block transfer of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs and suspend all military aid to Israel.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks’ decision to place a hold on the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion sale funded by American taxpayer dollars of 40,000 destructive 2,000-pound bombs to the Israeli government.
SEE: Meeks Places Hold on Trump Administration’s $2.8 Billion Bomb Sale to Israel
According to a statement the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Meeks declined to clear the sale because the Trump administration failed to provide sufficient assurances that the weapons would be used in accordance with U.S. and international law or with appropriate protections for civilians.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“We welcome Congressman Meeks’ decision to prevent the Trump administration from giving the Israeli government 40,000 of the most destructive bombs in America’s arsenal as part of a $2.8 billion transfer funded by the American taxpayer. After years of mass civilian slaughter, forced displacement and the systematic destruction of Gaza, no reasonable person can claim ignorance about how Benjamin Netanyahu’s government plans to use these weapons.
“A 2,000-pound bomb cannot distinguish between a child and a combatant, and it has no legitimate place in a densely populated civilian area. Sending tens of thousands of these bombs to a government repeatedly accused of violating U.S. and international law would not promote security – it would facilitate more devastation and make American taxpayers complicit in it.
“This hold is an important first step, but a temporary delay is not enough. Congress must permanently reject this unconscionable arms transfer, restore meaningful oversight of American arms transfers, and stop writing blank checks for the Israeli government’s violence. Not one more American-funded bomb should be provided to enable the mass killing of Palestinians and others across the region.
The proposed package reportedly includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds. Most of the purchase would be financed through U.S. foreign military assistance, meaning American taxpayers would effectively fund the transaction.
These weapons are capable of causing enormous blast damage and mass casualties when used in densely populated areas. The Biden administration previously paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because of concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza, but the Trump administration later lifted that restriction.
CAIR is urging other congressional leaders to join Rep. Meeks in opposing the transfer and called on all members of Congress to support legislation blocking the sale.
The civil rights organization also called on the Trump administration to end the transfer of offensive weapons to the Israeli government and use American diplomatic and financial leverage to secure a permanent end to attacks on Palestinian civilians, unrestricted humanitarian access, reconstruction of Gaza, and accountability for violations of international law.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, 410-971-6062, [email protected]; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]