(RNS) — A rabbinic human rights organization has signed on to a statement calling for an end to offensive military aid to Israel in light of the country’s continued blocking of humanitarian aid to the ravaged Gaza Strip.
The group, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, made clear it does not favor an end to all military aid. It still supports defensive military aid to Israel, such as the Iron Dome, the missile shields that intercept short-range rockets.
But at this time, it is opposed to further offensive weapons such as those decimating the Gaza Strip, where to date more than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed with bombs and munitions that have helped to flatten the enclave and left tens of thousands homeless.
“Offensive weapons are keeping the war going, causing horrific damage to Palestinians,” Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T’ruah’s chief executive, told RNS. “It’s not keeping Israelis safe, certainly not getting the hostages back.”
On Oct. 13, the Biden administration warned Israel that if it continued blocking humanitarian aid it would constitute violations of international law and could amount to war crimes. It gave Israel 30 days to increase the amount of aid allowed to enter Gaza. But that deadline came and went last week and the Biden administration did not follow up on its threat.
Last week, eight aid agencies, including OXFAM, Save the Children and Refugees International, issued a joint statement saying Is …