Washington, DC | www.adc.org | November 27, 2024 – The U.S.-led ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon showcases the government’s ability to influence peace agreements when the political will exists. This begs the question: why hasn’t the Biden Administration applied the same pressure to secure a ceasefire in Gaza? Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Palestine demand permanent and decisive action, not futile, temporary ceasefire negotiations that have led to nothing except the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
President Biden remains blind to the reality that war is a losing strategy. The pursuit of “absolute victory” is a delusion that sustains cycles of violence and fuels the destruction of entire populations, as seen in Gaza. The international community has been clear: the entire world wants a permanent ceasefire both in Lebanon and Palestine, as anything less perpetuates an on-going genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation, mass starvation, and desecration of holy sites that define Israel’s wars. The people of Lebanon and Palestine both deserve peace—not conditioned, temporary truces, but an enduring commitment to justice, human dignity, and the right to live free from violence and oppression.
While the 60-day ceasefire in Lebanon offers a reprieve, it fails to address underlying issues that fuel Israel’s ongoing actions. In fact, how can sustained peace be possible when Israeli airstrikes continued decimating Beirut as ceasefire negotiations were ongoing, and Gaza is continuing to get bombed as of this morning? The ADC is concerned about the implementation of the ceasefire and respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty. Unrelenting war perpetuates suffering and instability, and we reaffirm our demand for a permanent ceasefire in both Lebanon and Palestine.
The first steps in securing an end to the genocide and wars is the ending of all military aid to Israel, and the enforcement of the enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Today, and always, the ADC remains committed to its values of advocating for an end of U.S. military assistance around the world, as history and the present day continue to prove its devastating impacts on targeted populations.