WASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW)– In a letter signed by 143 members of Congress, including a dozen Jewish members, House Democrats on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to retract his plan to take over Gaza and to resettle its residents elsewhere.
“Such an act would not only be morally indefensible, but it would also violate the Geneva Convention, jeopardize US interests and troops and undermine our global standing,” their letter to Trump said. “Even to attempt the forcible removal of two million people would lead to an untold number of American casualties and a monumental increase in terrorism worldwide.”
The Democrats urged Trump “to work with Israel, as well as regional and global partners, to uphold the ceasefire agreement and bring all the hostages home. Together, we can develop a realistic, internationally-backed, and funded plan to make Gaza livable for its existing residents as quickly as possible.”
The letter said the signers “commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering, and we will work together to ensure that Israel never experiences another terrorist attack from Gaza like the one on October 7, 2023. A comprehensive regional agreement, including normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside the Jewish and democratic State of Israel, is the only viable long-term solution that can guarantee peace, stability and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
The letter was signed by three members of San Diego County’s congressional delegation — Sara Jacobs, Mike Levin, and Scott Peters — and, in addition to Jacobs, eleven other Jewish members of Congress.
They included Becca Balint of Vermont, Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Laura Friedman of California, Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Kim Schrier of Washington, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, and Brad Sherman of California.
The letter drew prompt approval from the J Street lobbying group, whose President Jeremy Ben-Ami commented: “This is a clear rebuke of Trump’s toxic ‘concept of a plan’ for Gaza — one which has already destabilized a delicate ceasefire, put hostages in more danger, and gifted recruiting tool to terror groups. The timing is particularly important now, as Trump seeks to strong-arm partners like Egypt and Jordan into operationalizing this morally repugnant plan.”
Ben-Ami said the 143 Congressional Democrats reflected “the fact that most Jewish and pro-Israel Americans see Trump’s plan as a grotesque violation of our values and a pathway to more war and misery. We’re deeply concerned that extremists on both sides will use it as a pretext to bring down the ceasefire deal.”
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Preceding is a San Diego Jewish World staff report