Thanks for writing and sharing those thoughts, Dianne.  I am 100% percent with you (as are most folks who stand the Friday Peace Vigil in downtown Bellingham). 

Among the puzzling questions that the media chooses to ignore is asking high government officials why they are exercising the illegal use of power that violates the rule of law which they are required to obey.

The Foreign Assistance Act, which forbids the provision of assistance to a government which “engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”

Arms Export Control Act, which says countries that receive US military aid can only use weapons for legitimate self-defense and internal security. Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza goes way beyond self-defense and internal security.

The U.S. War Crimes Act, which forbids grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, and unlawful deportation or transfer, perpetrated by the Israeli Occupying Forces.

The Leahy Law, which prohibits the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights.

The Genocide Convention Implementation Act, which was enacted to implement U.S. obligations under the Genocide Convention, provides for criminal penalties for individuals who commit or incite others to commit genocide

Under these laws, the State Department has a “Conventional Arms Transfer Policy” which “prohibit [U.S. weapons transfers when it’s likely they] will be used by Israel to commit … genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, [including attacks intentionally directed against civilian objects or civilians protected] or other serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights laws.”

 Foreign Military Aid: $95.3 Billion More Added To The National Debt.

Something to think about as you do your income taxes this year.

 On February 13, 2024 the US Senate passed a bill including $95.3 billion in taxpayer handouts for the Ukrainian, Israeli, and Taiwanese regimes. How much is this bill going to lighten your wallet? The answer to that question is: About $287 per American!

 The political marketing statements will include items like: “Only 1.5% of what the federal government spent last year!” and “Only 11.6% of last year’s US military spending!”

 And the old perennial: “We’re not just giving foreign countries the money — they have to spend it in the US, creating jobs by buying weapons and ammunition from American military contractors! It’s like we’re giving it to ourselves!”

 No, it’s not like we’re giving it to ourselves! It’s US politicians giving it to politically connected defense corporations who then make political donations to congress member’s campaigns at our expense. Also, there is an “administrative” rake-off for the various involved regimes, plus increasing US national debt by billions!

 What could you do with $287 — or, if your family is average size (3.13 persons), what could you do with about $900? How about a month or two in gas, grocery, and utility costs for your household?

 To read  Thomas Knapp’s entire article go to:

 https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/02/15/foreign-military-aid-95-3-billion-sounds-like-a-lot-of-money-so-does-your-cut/ 

 From the current edition of “Veterans for Peace” newsletter:   “The U.S. President has authorized the export of DU (depleted uranium) munitions to Ukraine and has proposed a large sale of these weapons to Israel”.   He has also authorized cluster munitions to Ukraine, which usually cause amputations of children who think they are toys and run to pick them up.   Depleted uranium caused millions of cases of leukemia in Iraq, for which they had no medical system to handle.  As of yesterday’s report on NPR, we have now slaughtered at least 59,000 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children.     We are  sending white phosphorus to Israel for use on Palestinian civilians;  it burns the skin similar to a nuclear blast.  I called the White House again yesterday;  they have absolutely no moral compass.  Biden’s hope for re-election is based on the fact that his opponent is worse.    We see millions of rallies,  from Cape Town to Oslo, Tokyo to New York and D.C.,  yet the military-industrial complex runs everything.   Most of climate change is caused by military action, so we need to unite young people around the combination of those issues ASAP, before we end up in a nuclear war.   I notice there were only 4 Senators who voted against military aid to Israel and Ukraine;  one of them was Oregon Senator  Jeff Merkeley;   I plan to write his name in on the Presidential primary ballot.

Yesterday’s report on NPR said about 69,000 civilians killed since October 7th, whereas last night Democracy Now! said 30,000.   These are estimates, as no one rally knows how many people are under the rubble, but suffice it to say,  even one is too many.    Thanks Tom for your remark.,   Of oucrse it only further demonstrates that international law is meaningless and real power comes from the hegemonic intentions of the power elite in this country and their vassals such as UK and Australia throughout the world,    Julian Assange sits in jail for telling the truth about war crimes,  while Joe Biden raises billions from genocidal Zionists.

One of the many things we have to keep in mind is how governments don’t represent their people. In fact, 51% of Israeli’s would back a US led deal that ends the war. So, of course, Netanyahu is ignoring them. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-01-22/gaza-war-don-t-confuse-netanyahu-s-interests-with-israel-s
While most people would back the removal of a terrorist organization like Hamas none of the people I know, including the Jewish members of my family, back Religious-Extremist Wacko Netanyahu’s obvious genocide of the Palestinian people. Let’s not kid ourselves, genocide is what is actually going on and we should remember this is hardly the first time Israel made a play for Gaza and its land.
Netanyahu and his fascist cronies simply do not see the Palestinian people as human. However, this is NOT how most of Israel’s people feel.
Chuck Schumer calling for new elections in Israel is right on. However, like the Corporate Democrat scumbag he is, it’s not like he stopped the flow of weapons or money to Israel or is likely to vote against warmongers like our own weapons laden blood money Senator Rick Larsen. Who, we should remember, is supported by Alex Ramel and Sharon Shewmake.   
So just like we have a government that doesn’t represent us and does everything to protect corporations, especially weapons manufacturers, against our interests, Israel has a government that simply ignores its people and does whatever the hell it feels like too. So right now Israel has a dictator just like we will if we reelect Trump.
It’s obvious that they need new leadership that represents their actual goals as a people as do we and believes in Democracy. (And no, as an aside that is NOT Joe Biden.) In the meantime, we could at the very least stop giving Netanyahu’s hate machine money and weapons to commit genocide with. 
If the Hamas attack was Israel’s 9/11 then I ask them to learn this lesson from us. The 2nd Iraq War lasted 8 years, 8 months, and 26 days with operations taking place in the area for many years after that. 432,093 civilians were killed along with over 7,000 service members and 8,000 contractors even though most of the 9/11 terrorists weren’t even from Iraq and even though the organization that was responsible was al Queda and not any particular country.
In the end, the war did not defeat al Queda because it is largely more of an idea than an organization and you can’t kill ideas. Israel’s blatant US backed genocide against the Palestinian people is only going to create more terrorists down the road.
Yes, Hamas needs to release the hostages and needs to be dealt with, but there is a better way to go about that than genocide, like special forces led extractions, diplomacy, etc. Remember, Dictator Netanyahu wants the land and doesn’t see the Palestinian’s as people. He is too biased to lead a modern democracy which is why, in effect, he doesn’t. It’s also obvious that Netanyahu is a sociopath like Trump.
I really wish our leaders were required to play the Civilization game series before taking office. Then they would learn that trying to exterminate everyone that doesn’t agree with you is generally not the best course of action without actually costing the lives of real people in the process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(series)
Also, don’t we need the $300 billion we’ve given in Israel since 1946 at home?
https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts
Our healthcare system still bankrupts Americans, our educational systems are failing, our infrastructure is a joke, and we’re beind the world in technological infrastructre as well. Our housing is unaffordable and our homeless crisis is out of control. I could go on, but that seems like enough for now. We need our money at home.
Also, Israel had a higher GDP than Japan last year. If they want to do something stupid, they don’t need our help to do it.