Congresswoman Bush Statement on Escalating Violence in the Middle East
Washington, D.C. (October 1, 2024) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement on the escalating violence in the Middle East.
“With each passing day, the world is observing devastating violence unfold, pushing the Middle East closer to the brink of a catastrophic regional war. From Israel’s airstrikes and invasion in Lebanon to Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, I strongly condemn these latest horrifying acts of violence and aggression.
“So much of this violence and more could have been prevented if our government had the moral foresight and clarity to invest in peace and diplomacy instead of violence and war. Now, thousands upon thousands of people across the region, including in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Israel, are either sheltering from bombs or being killed by bombs. My heart breaks for the victims of this devastation, the loved ones uncertain if their families will live to see another day, the families urgently waiting to be reunited with their loved ones who are being held hostage or arbitrarily detained, the scores of people forced to flee their homes in a region where nowhere is seemingly safe, and those traumatized by more endless, preventable wars.
“Despite its hollow rhetoric and false assurances, the Biden administration has given far-right, genocidal, and maniacal Netanyahu the green light to act with impunity, fueling a year-long genocidal campaign that has already claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives. Even when it became glaringly obvious that the Israeli government was using weapons purchased and manufactured by the United States to commit war crimes, violate U.S. and international law, and spur a humanitarian crisis–the U.S. didn’t stop sending weapons, it doubled down. More bombs. More troops. More blood on our hands. This isn’t only a failure of leadership; it is active complicity.
“Every day that passes while the Biden administration continues to enable this violence, only guarantees more death, more human suffering, and more devastation. The Biden administration still has the power to stop this horrific and tragic nightmare and to use its immense leverage and diplomatic tools. An arms embargo and ceasefire are essential to ending the bloodshed. Our moral imperative must be in saving lives.
“To the President of the United States, I ask: how many lives must be taken for you to finally say no more?”
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