The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed US sanctions on an Israeli extremist group that blocked humanitarian aid from being sent to Gaza and urged the Biden administration to go further and sanction the Israeli government for its forced starvation of Palestinians in Gaza and its campaign of genocide.
The Biden administration imposed sanctions on Tsav 9, an Israeli group with ties to Israeli army reservists and Jewish settlers in the West Bank, for attacking humanitarian aid convoys bound for starving civilians in Gaza. Israel’s minister of national secretary, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is reportedly linked with nongovernmental organizations which are very close to Tzav 9.
SEE: US imposes sanctions on Israeli group that attacked Gaza aid
Israel Gaza war: UN aid convoy ‘denied entry to north’
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“These sanctions are a welcome first step, but do not go far enough. The Israeli government is primarily responsible for the growing starvation by it stopping humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. It is responsible for the starvation of thousands of innocent Palestinians. The Biden administration should sanction the Israeli government and demand it immediately put an end to its campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity.”
He noted that Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is linked to the sanctioned extremist group, recently called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians at a rally.
Yesterday, CAIR called on the Biden administration to stop enabling and backing the starvation of children in Gaza by the far-right Israeli government.
SEE: CAIR Calls on Biden Admin to End Support for Starvation of Children in Gaza
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com