On Wednesday, Israel announced the call-up of 60,000 reservists to escalate its ongoing siege on Gaza. Nearly two years into this brutal campaign, the world is witnessing an endless cycle of destruction that has claimed tens of thousands of innocent lives, displaced millions, and left Gaza on the brink of complete devastation.
The Israeli government claims this war is about hostages. But the facts paint a different picture. Another ceasefire proposal is on the table, yet Israel refuses to budge. The refusal to engage in meaningful diplomacy, despite mounting international pressure, exposes a deeper agenda: a total takeover of Gaza under the guise of “security.”
Even within Israel, people are recognizing this. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in nationwide protests, demanding an end to the war. Families of captives have joined demonstrators, declaring that the government is using their loved ones as political pawns while prioritizing endless war over human life. When Israelis themselves are protesting in unprecedented numbers, Americans should be asking: Why are we still financing this catastrophe?
According to the Israeli military, an estimated 23,380 American citizens currently serve in its ranks. That means US citizens are directly participating in this war—sometimes even fighting against the policies and values their own government is supposed to uphold. At the same time, billions of our taxpayer dollars continue to flow to the Israeli military, subsidizing weapons that flatten schools, hospitals, and refugee camps. Our government cannot pretend it is neutral when our money and even our citizens are actively supporting this carnage.
No more blank checks. No more bombs dropped on refugee camps. No more excuses for a war that has long abandoned its stated objectives.
For me, this war is personal. Over the past 22 months, more than 180 members of my extended family have been killed in Gaza. Entire generations of cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews—wiped out. Their names will never appear in congressional speeches or cable news debates, but they were real people. They were teachers, children, engineers, shopkeepers, grandparents. Their lives mattered. And like thousands of other Palestinian families, mine has been shattered by US-funded bombs.
Every day this war continues, America’s moral standing erodes further. We cannot claim to champion human rights abroad while bankrolling war crimes in Gaza. We cannot claim to stand for democracy while ignoring the voices of Americans who are demanding an end to their tax dollars being used to carry out genocide.
US Congress and President Donald Trump have a choice to make. They can continue down the path of complicity, sending weapons and money to fuel escalation, or they can finally put their foot down and say: no more. No more blank checks. No more bombs dropped on refugee camps. No more excuses for a war that has long abandoned its stated objectives.
Our leverage is undeniable. The United States is Israel’s largest military backer, and without US funding, this war could not continue at its current pace. That means we have not only the power but also the responsibility to stop this genocide. History will not judge kindly those who stayed silent or those who offered political cover for atrocity.
The choice before us is stark but simple. We can continue to fund devastation, or we can insist on peace. We can allow ourselves to be complicit, or we can stand on the side of justice and humanity. For the sake of the families torn apart, for the sake of our values as a nation, and for the sake of our shared future, we must choose the latter.
I call on President Trump and every member of Congress: Oppose Israel’s escalation. Stop funding genocide. Demand an immediate ceasefire. America’s hands are not tied—we are the ones holding the purse strings. The question is whether we will finally use our influence to end suffering, or continue enabling it.
The time to act is now.
