Key House Dems Urge Biden to Pressure Israel to Change Course In Gaza: A ‘Terror Ideology’ Can’t Be Destroyed By ‘Force Alone’

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Six House Democrats, all of whom are military veterans or former CIA officers, wrote President Joe Biden a strongly worded letter this week urging him to pressure Israel to change course in its war against Hamas.

Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MA), Jason Crow (CO-06), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) signed that letter that read, “We urge you to continue to use all our leverage to achieve an immediate and significant shift of military strategy and tactics in Gaza.”

“We are deeply concerned by PM Netanyahu’s current military strategy in Gaza. The mounting civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis are unacceptable and not in line with American interests; nor do they advance the cause of security for our ally Israel. We also believe it jeopardizes efforts to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas and secure the release of all hostages,” the letter began, adding:

From our positions on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs Committees, we have consistently pushed for Israel to shift its military strategy-there has been no significant change.

We have dedicated our lives to national security and believe our nation’s values are a source of credibility and power. Some of us also spent years fighting America’s war on terror. We know from personal and often painful experience that you can’t destroy a terror ideology with military force alone. And it can, in fact, make it worse.

Accordingly, we urge you to continue to use all our leverage to achieve an immediate and significant shift of military strategy and tactics in Gaza.

Rep. Moulton issued a press release noting that he “has repeatedly called for Israel to learn from the lessons of America’s War on Terror and minimize civilian casualties. He previously published op-eds in CNN and TIME. Earlier this month, he led a letter with Reps. Veronica Escobar and Houlahan outlining concerns over Israel’s current military operations and the need for a strategic approach that works toward a political resolution.”

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