Congress Members Are Joining Rep. Jayapal To Block Weapons To Israel –– But None From Washington State

In the last 12 weeks, ten additional members of congress have signed on to co-sponsor the Block the Bombs Act — five of those members signed on in the last week alone. That brings the total count to 31 Democrat representatives co-sponsoring the Block the Bombs Act. But still, only one supporter, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, comes from Washington state, which is supposed to be a leader on progressive causes. I guess not bombing civilians is too fringe for the majority of our delegation!

At the end of May, Jayapal, alongside Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), and Mark Pocan (WI-02) introduced the Block the Bombs Act, initially supported by a total of 21 representatives. 

“This is a moment of great moral consequence. Over the past year and a half, the Government of Israel has repeatedly used U.S.-supplied weapons in violation of both international and U.S. laws,” said Jayapal at a June press conference. “We can no longer be complicit and allow our tax dollars to facilitate this violence and destruction. I am proud to co-lead this bill that would prevent the transfer of the most egregious offensive weapons to Israel without firm assurances that they will not be used indiscriminately against civilian populations.”

According to Ramirez’s press release, the legislation would withhold the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel and demand Israel’s compliance with U.S. and international law. The legislation is not a full arms embargo, specifically denying “offensive” weapons. It's worth noting that since this act's introduction, many of the co-sponsors of the legislation, including Jayapal, voted “No” on an amendment to block $500 million in funding for the Israeli military’s Iron Dome program. 

According to the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), more than 26,000 people have contacted their representatives to demand they support the Block the Bombs Act. While the advocacy convinced 10 additional representatives to sign on to the legislation, the pressure has yet to sway any additional members of Washington's congressional delegation. 

You can contact your congressional representative by calling the United States Capitol switch board at (202) 224-3121 and asking the operator to connect you with the representative or senator of your choice.