Tlaib Introduces Resolution Recognizing the Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), alongside 20 other Members of Congress, introduced H.Res.876 – Recognizing the Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza. This resolution officially recognizes that the Israeli government has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and calls for the United States to take immediate, concrete action to fulfill its binding legal obligations as a party to the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.

“The Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has not ended, and it will not end until we act. Since the so-called ‘ceasefire’ was announced, Israeli forces haven’t stopped killing Palestinians,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “Impunity only enables more atrocity. As our government continues to send a blank check for war crimes and ethnic cleansing, Palestinian children’s smiles are extinguished by bombs and bullets that say made in the U.S.A. To end this horror, we must reject genocide denial and follow our binding legal obligations under the Genocide Convention to take immediate action to pursue justice and accountability to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. We must hold individual perpetrators and complicit corporations to account. We must stop sending weapons to a genocidal military. We must follow international law and use all means available to us, including sanctions, to bring this genocide to an end.”

After over two years of slaughter, forced starvation, and mass atrocities in Gaza, the global consensus is clear: the Israeli government has committed genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza have attested to this genocide for over two years and it has been concluded by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and highly respected international, Palestinian, and Israeli human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders, Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, Forensic Architecture, and the University Network for Human Rights. 

The resolution finds that the Israeli government has committed acts of genocide and demonstrated a clear pattern of genocidal intent at the highest levels of its government and military. It calls for the United States to respect its obligations under the Genocide Convention by employing all means reasonably available to it to prevent and punish the crime of genocide, including: 

• the cessation of relevant arms and equipment transfers; 
• the investigation and prosecution of individuals and corporations in the United States implicated in the crime of genocide; 
• compliance with the orders of the International Court of Justice and the investigations of the International Criminal Court; and
• targeted, lawful sanctions with respect to the State of Israel and individuals or corporations involved in or facilitating the commission of genocide.

This legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Becca Balint (VT-AL), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Al Green (TX-09), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

“The United States has used its role as global superpower to undermine the international legal order and its constitutive instruments in order to facilitate Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and now to impose a framework for permanent occupation of the Gaza Strip. Failure to recognize the genocide by its name and to achieve accountability for its Palestinian survivors exposes the entire world to cruel forms of unadulterated state violence. Representative Rashida Tlaib’s resolution seeks to upend that devastating future from within and deserves our robust support,” said Noura Erakat, Professor, Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

“This resolution is an important step towards recognizing Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip for what they are – genocide. The U.S. ratified the Genocide Convention which imposes a duty on states to prevent and punish the crime. Amnesty International calls on all members of Congress to urgently support this resolution and ensure the U.S. begins taking the actions necessary to prevent and punish Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” said Elizabeth Rghebi, MENA Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA.

“For over two years, the U.S. has been a full partner in the Israeli government’s genocide against Palestinians. Presidents and members of Congress have denied and erased Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza, shielded Israel from accountability in the international arena, and attempted to dehumanize Palestinians. Congresswoman Tlaib and the original co-sponsors joining her on this historic resolution are making clear that this complicity must come to an end. These representatives are heeding the call of the overwhelming majority of Americans who want to see an end to his genocide and a halt to U.S. support for war crimes,” said Beth Miller, Political Director, Jewish Voice for Peace Action.  

This legislation is endorsed by over 100 organizations including: A New Policy, Action Corps, Action For Gaza, Adalah Justice Project, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Amnesty International USA, Anti-Fascist Organizing Coalition,Arab American Civil Rights League, Arab American Institute, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Arms Control Association, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Chicago Area Peace Action, Christians for a Free Palestine, Cleveland Peace Action, Climate and Community Institute, CODEPINK, Community Alliance for Peace and Justice, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), DAWN, Defending Rights and Dissent, Defense for Children International – Palestine, Democratic Socialists of America, Democratic Socialists of America – Portland, Oregon Chapter, Detroit Anti-War Committee, Detroit & MI National Lawyers Guild, Detroiters For Tax Justice, Doctors Against Genocide, Forensic Architecture, Freedom Forward, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Friendship-West Baptist Church, Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace, Gen-Z for Change, Hindus for Human Rights, Historians for Peace and Democracy, IfNotNow, International Association of Genocide Scholars, IMEU Policy Project, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Just Foreign Policy, Justice Democrats, Justice is Global, Macomb Defenders Rising, MADRE, Maine Coalition for Palestine, MARUF CT, Maryland United for Peace and Justice, Massachusetts Peace Action, Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Methodist Federation for Social Action, Metro Detroit DSA, Michigan Divest, Migrant Roots Media, Minnesota Peace Project, Money Out of Politics Movement, Moratorium Now, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Advocates, Muslim Civic Coalition, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), National Nurses United, NH Peace Action, North Carolina Democrats for Palestinian Lives, North Carolina Peace Action, Palestine House of Freedom, Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Palestine Legal, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, Pax Christi New York State, Peace Action, Peace Action Maine, Peace Action Montgomery, Peace Action New York State, Peace Action of San Mateo County, Peace, Justice, Sustainability, NOW!, Philadelphia Arab American Development Corps, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico, Progressive Jews of St. Louis (ProJoSTL), Project South, Quincy Institute for, Responsible Statecraft, Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, ReThinking Foreign Policy, Rising Majority, RootsAction, Stand Up Indivisible Rochester, Sunrise Movement, The American Council for Judaism, The Hind Rajab Foundation, The Justice Coalition Action, Transition Security Project, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), United Church of Christ, United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), US Palestinian Council, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action), Veterans For Peace, Watermelon Seed Collective, We The People Dissent (Indivisible), World BEYOND War, and Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation.

The full text of the resolution is available here. 

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