J Street welcomes long-overdue decisions by the Israeli war cabinet to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and better protect aid workers. These actions follow a call between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu in which the President made clear there would be consequences for a failure to change course.
President Biden must now sustain pressure on all parties, including Hamas, to uphold international law, and ensure food, water, medicine and fuel reaches civilians who need it most. Pressure is also needed to secure an immediate negotiated ceasefire to free hostages and stop the devastation in Gaza.
“The past 24 hours have shown that public American pressure works. The test now is whether the administration can keep it up until we see real changes on the ground. Strong leadership delivers results, and the president should continue to make sure US support isn’t seen as a blank check,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.
“Ensuring that the people of Gaza have sufficient food, medicine and other necessities is more than just a moral imperative. It is in Israel’s own strategic interest and must be a clear American priority. The Prime Minister needs to understand that there will be real consequences if Israel’s actions violate international law and our shared values.”
Changes announced by the Israeli government include opening the Ashdod port and Erez crossing and increasing aid deliveries from Jordan. The IDF has also taken initial steps toward accountability for the horrific killing of seven World Central Aid workers earlier this week.
“These are positive developments but the real test is results and that’s what we’re looking to see in the coming days and months,” Secretary Blinken said following the announced changes. We agree. The United States has leverage, which it must continue to use to save the lives of civilians and hostages and to uphold our shared values.