Reshape the Middle East’s future

President Biden,

I am writing you about your Middle East policies, after six months of analyzing, researching and reading hundreds of articles written by American citizens and analysts of various newspapers on both sides of the issue. I, personally, have written about 35 articles, essays, op/ed’s and letters to newspapers, senators, and our congressional representatives about our misguided and conflicted policies and our failure to implement a cease fire and rein in Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people. An immense and dangerous humanitarian crises has been and is currently on -going for months while we lose valuable time by not stopping the Israeli war machine in its tracks.

The United States has an unjust and disjointed policy toward the Israeli Gaza war as we continue to arm Israel and talk about a cease fire. We know what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reply is to any cease fire and yet we embolden him as we continue to support the most right wing extremist government in the history of Israel. You can see the results of his policies in Gaza and The West Bank. Rafah will be the next area to come under Israeli fire and the devastation will be worse than northern Gaza. Can you not see that this is a war about revenge and continued control of Palestinians their land and their future?

Mr. Biden, see it for what it is now, as Israel is no longer a country of Democratic rule but of a ruthless group of autocrats and extremists wanting to hold onto power and expand Israel borders. You must hold Israel’s government to account by withholding any and all funds for military purposes, and furthermore you need to confront Netanyahu’s false goals of destroying Hamas, an excuse just to keep the war going. I am extremely disappointed that, according to The Washington Post, you have approved over 100 separate military sales to Israel. You can stop this unnecessary killing and aggression by stopping the military supply chain to Israel.

Looking back, State Department official Josh Paul’s resignation was the first sign of internal resistance to your policy of military aid to Israel, as he knew precisely what was going to happen. I wish you would have opened up to the hundreds and perhaps thousand of diplomats and career State Department employees when they signed a letter basically asking you not to support this war. Please rethink your strategy, your tactics and your ways of dealing with Netanyahu. You need to save your time and energy for the next government and focus on an immediate unconditional cease fire. You can reshape the entire future of the Middle East, but a strong concrete policy for a future Palestinian state and your ability to say no to Israel are required. I am of Lebanese descent, my parents having emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s, and understand you will be affected, in one way or another, by the American Arab vote. You must earn that vote by making the right choices for Palestinian causes that are just and equal to any freedom seeking people that have been occupied for generations

Kamel Aossey is a Cedar Rapids native and son of Lebanese immigrants. He’s a marketing professional who lives in Minnetonka, Minn.