From the desk of Ralph Nader

300 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Suite 900

Washington, D.C. 20001

Phone: 202-465-8728

July 1, 2024

“Stop it, stop it now Joe” ~ Dr. Jill Biden
(circa Dec. 2023), as the Israeli slaughter
of Palestinian families continues daily.

Dear President Biden,

We wish to reiterate what was asked in a previous unacknowledged letter to you.

1. Instead of a boondoggle that has cost the American people close to half a billion dollars – the ill-fated Pier off the coast to deliver humanitarian aid – why haven't you simply draped the hundreds of trucks full of food, water, medicine and other necessities, ready to enter Gaza, with American flags and ordered Netanyahu to let them enter. Since you have been massively weaponizing, funding and diplomatically covering Netanyahu’s daily genocide, you have considerable leverage to implement your regular plea for him over the months to allow these trucks, paid for by the U.S., entry. The Pier would have never been built to be broken apart three times.

2. American war correspondents have a history of bravely getting information back to the American people. The Israeli war crimes in Gaza cannot be so reported because there is no freedom for American reporters and reporters of other nations, including from Canada, Western Europe and Israel, to freely cover the daily events in that tiny enclave. For years, the Israeli embargo of Gaza – illegal under international law – has barred all journalists, including from Israeli newspapers, from reporting inside that surrounded Palestinian territory. Have you ever inquired, why?

Why haven't you seriously demanded, with your European allies, that the freedom of the press extends to Gaza and the effects of the weapons of mass destruction you have shipped to your friend Netanyahu? Are you unable to anticipate their reportage of the carnage flowing from your unconditional weapons shipments that are violating at least five federal laws conditioning military shipments to nations abroad? Do you wish to continue the absence of reporting that would confirm the huge undercount of deaths and injuries and sicknesses among the defenseless Palestinian civilians, especially babies and children, in Gaza since October 7?

3. Why are you rubber-stamping Netanyahu's craven plans to destroy UNRWA – the long-time United Nations Relief and Works Agency providing food, healthcare and education for Palestinian refugees in occupied Palestinian territory and neighboring nations since 1948? You made the unconscionably cruel decision to cut off U.S. funding and took along some allies. They have since resumed funding (e.g., Canada, Germany, Spain) but you went with the vicious GOP in Congress to codify the prohibition in a recent bill. You must call on Congress to repeal this ban on this life-saving agency, especially for children as an amendment, in a larger forthcoming “must legislation” for Congress to be sent to you.

We are among many Americans watching how you and the obeisant Congress have been backing the genocide of these Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank – with many billions of American taxpayer dollars desperately needed by the poor and the deprived here in America.

We expect a considered response from you soon.

Ralph Nader, Esq.
Bruce Fein, Esq.
Mike Ferner, Special Projects Coordinator – Veterans For Peace

[Salon] Stop the Genocide in Gaza

From the desk of Ralph Nader