In his final days as President, Biden should act on ceasefire

President Biden has an opportunity to take actions that support human rights and international diplomacy before his term ends. Will he?

The U.S. has given blind support to Israel. U.S. taxpayers fund bombing of residential areas, killing women and children. Our United Nations vetoes are evidence we are not impartial in viewing all parties as equals. Biden needs to be blunt with Netanyahu that the flow of arms to Israel will stop without a permanent ceasefire. The Palestinians must be accepted as equals. We need to let the U.N. take over. This may be unpopular yet lame ducks don’t need popularity; they need to be fair and just.

Judging by the stock market, our economy is booming. How much of that is due to defense spending? No other country in the world spends as much. Meanwhile we are playing with nuclear brinkmanship in the Middle East and Ukraine. What is the return on investment when basic human needs are not being met?

President Biden must reiterate the fundamentals of our government. We are seeing more and more proposals to restrict free speech and the right of assembly, from police crackdowns on protests to threats to take away 501(c)(3) status from organizations deemed to support “terrorist” groups. If these basic rights are eroded, where is government of the people, by the people, for the people?

Biden must continue to press the Netanyahu government for a permanent ceasefire that will establish mutual respect for Israelis and Palestinians.

Art Roche, Barbara A. Zilles, Bill O'Neill, Bob Mueller, David Hempel,

David Quegg, Dennis Bricker, Donna Hirst, Ed Flaherty, Harold R. Frakes,

John Fyotek, John Ivens, John Jadryev, Kathy McGowan, Louis De Grazia,

Mary Martin, Pamela Fitzgerald, Pat Bowen, Patrick Bosold,

Patrick Cummings, Paul Deaton, Quinn Dilkes, Rick Chambers,

Robert Fischer, Ross Porch, Samuel Bakken

Members and Friends of Veterans for Peace Chapter 161

Iowa City