A federal court in Carolina heard arguments on Friday in a civil case accusing United States President Joe Biden of being complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The lawsuit was filed by the US civil liberties group Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), on behalf of the human rights organization, Defense for Children – Palestine; Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights group based in the occupied West Bank; and eight Palestinians and US citizens with relatives in Gaza.
The case charges Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin with failing in their legal responsibility to prevent – and their complicity in – Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Attorneys from the CCR asked the court to immediately order the US government to halt military support for Israel’s unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and opposed the government’s efforts to have the case dismissed.
During Friday’s session, the court heard testimonies from lawyers, activists and organizers, including doctors in Gaza.
“The images of our families and communities, Palestinian babies, children, women, and men from Gaza, are shaking us to our core,” said Ayman Nijim, a plaintiff in the case.
“These are times of genocide, and we desperately need a US court to intervene. So much hangs in the balance. Today, Palestinians spoke out in court and made a powerful case for why a preliminary injunction is necessary: we are hopeful the judge will agree with us and issue an order soon.”
“Our plaintiffs’ testimonies today demonstrate just how urgent it is for the Biden administration to finally do what they and the vast majority of the people of the world have demanded: stop sending weapons to enable Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians in besieged Gaza,” said Katherine Gallagher, a senior attorney at the CCR, who argued in court today.
I’m inside the US federal court where Palestinian plaintiffs are suing Biden, Blinken & Austin for failure to prevent -& complicity in – Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza
It’s unprecedented that the case made it this far. Palestinians w family in Gaza will testify soon @ajplus pic.twitter.com/F5CUNAKGUD
— Dena Takruri (@Dena) January 26, 2024
“These are clear legal duties under US and international law, and we call on the court to uphold its Constitutional role to hold President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin to legal obligations and issue a preliminary injunction to stop the flow of weapons for Israel’s genocide.”
The US has continued to transfer weapons and ammunition worth millions of dollars to Israel.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 26,083 Palestinians have been killed, and 64,487 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
Earlier on Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take all measures possible to prevent acts of genocide against Gaza and to do more to help civilians.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
