Thu Jul 24 20:58:57 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Rights Advocates Urge Trump, Congress to End Support for Israeli Actions in Gaza**
**Washington, D.C.** – Outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, a coalition of veterans, doctors, former officials, and activists, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, called on President Trump and Congress to heed growing American discontent and halt unconditional support for Israel, citing a severe hunger crisis in Gaza.
The demonstration highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, where according to UN agencies and health officials, over 100 have died of hunger due to what advocates say is an Israeli blockade. Holding images of malnourished Palestinian children, the group emphasized the U.S.’s role in enabling the crisis through military aid and diplomatic backing.
Congresswoman Tlaib urged her colleagues to listen to their constituents who increasingly oppose Israeli actions. Recent polls suggest a shift in public opinion, yet Congress remains largely supportive of Israel. Tlaib criticized the bipartisan support for aid to Israel, questioning why lawmakers wouldn’t “listen to [their] constituency?”
The demonstration also brought scrutiny to a recent vote where many, including progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, opposed an amendment to block $500 million in missile defense aid to Israel. While Ocasio-Cortez argued that cutting “defensive” aid wouldn’t end the bombardment, Tlaib countered, urging an end to enabling what she described as “genocide,” regardless of whether the weapons are offensive or defensive.
Former State Department official Stacy Gilbert, who resigned in protest over the U.S. stance on aid to Gaza, called on President Trump to break from what she called the “disastrous policy of unconditional military support for Israel.”
Dr. Nidal Jboor of Doctors Against Genocide echoed this sentiment, warning Trump against following in his predecessor’s footsteps and stressing the President’s power to end the war.
Despite campaign promises to bring peace to the region and initial credit-taking for a truce, critics point to Trump’s proposal to remove Palestinians from Gaza, continued arms provisions to Israel, and support for the resumption of war as evidence of broken promises.
The U.S. State Department defended its approach, citing the GHF aid initiative as a commitment to getting aid to those in need without it being “weaponized by Hamas.” However, the effectiveness and safety of GHF distributions have been questioned amid reports of Israeli fire targeting aid seekers.
As the crisis in Gaza deepens, advocates remain determined to shift U.S. policy, vowing to hold leaders accountable if they continue to fund Israel. One veteran said that every voice is powerful to move the needle and make them understand that if they do not stop funding Israel, we will vote them out.
First Piper 