Throughout the last 17 months, the United States has supported Israel’s disproportionate retaliation for the Hamas attacks with both military aid and arms sales and diplomatically. The US has provided more than $25 billion in military aid and arms to Israel, including a new $3 billion sale approved by President Trump and another $12 billion in sales announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month.  The Biden Administration suspended funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in 2024, and the Trump Administration has not restored it.  UNRWA plays a critical role in providing education, healthcare, emergency relief, and employment for Palestinian refugees – including in Gaza, where between two-thirds and three-fourths of the Palestinians are refugees.  To defund UNRWA is to deny Palestinians access to the essential services they need.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are considering new Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on arms sales to Israel.  At the same time, they are also considering the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act, Senate 898.   The House version of the bill will be introduced soon and has 49 co-sponsors, and many more organizational supporters, including the PCUSA Office of Public Witness. Please write your Senators and Representative to urge them to reject more military aid to Israel and instead to reinstate funding to UNRWA.