Washington - Saba:
The "Proponents of Palestine" Gathering revealed efforts underway in the US Congress to collect signatures for a bill signed by 22 members of the US House of Representatives.
This bill calls for imposing a series of comprehensive new restrictions on US aid to Israel.
These restrictions require specific congressional authorizations for each transfer of several major weapons, and assurances from Israel regarding their use.
The "Proponents of Palestine" Gathering in Congress said on Saturday that the bill, led by representatives from Chicago, prohibits the US administration from transferring or selling a range of weapons to Israel, including various types of bombs, bomb guidance kits, and tank and artillery ammunition, without a separate congressional act authorizing the individual transfer.
The bill requires Congress, in these authorizations, to specify "the specific purpose or purposes for which such materials or services may be used."
Israel must provide "written assurances satisfactory to the President" that the weapons will be used for those specified purposes, consistent with existing US arms sales law—which already binds Israel—and international law.
The proposal goes beyond the conditions previously proposed for US arms sales to Israel or those in place for any other recipient of US aid, and does not include any emergency waiver provision for the administration in the event of an attack on Israel.
The bill's signature collection is being spearheaded by three Chicago congresswomen: Choi Garcia, Dalia Ramirez, and Jonathan Jackson, all of whom are members of the large Palestinian community in Chicago.
This Chicago-based centrist group coordinates with the Palestinian American Network of Institutions, a framework whose members include approximately 32 Palestinian community institutions.

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