As Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues with U.S. bombs and diplomatic cover, one bill in Congress is gaining support – the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565).
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), who introduced the Block the Bombs Act, speaking in Washington D.C. (IMEU)
NIAC Action has been a proud supporter of the Block the Bombs Act which would halt the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel so long as Israel is violating both U.S. and international humanitarian law. As Iranian Americans who have witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of militarism and war, we stand firmly behind this historic effort to end U.S. complicity in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
Introduced in May by Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL), (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) the bill is now supported by 52 Democrats and has been endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus in the House of Representatives.
Urgently Upholding Law and Human Rights
This is urgently needed as the United States has provided more than $30 billion in taxpayer-funded weapons, including an additional $6.4 billion in recent days to Israel as it has conducted what UN experts have determined to be a genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. American-made bombs, tank rounds, and artillery shells—the very weapons targeted by the Block the Bombs Act —have been used to kill tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including children. This flagrant violation of international humanitarian law makes the U.S. not merely complicit, but a partner in these war crimes.
U.S. law is clear: security assistance is prohibited to foreign militaries that have committed gross violations of human rights. The Biden administration’s own conventional arms transfer policy states that no arms transfer will be authorized where weapons will be used to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, or other serious violations of international law. Israel’s actions in Gaza—including the systematic targeting of civilians, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and the collective punishment of an entire population—clearly meet this threshold as underscored by many neutral observers, including the United Nations, Amnesty International and more.
Preventing More War with Iran
The civilian costs of war are borne most heavily by ordinary people, as demonstrated in Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The toll of the June Israel-U.S.-Iran war was staggering, with at least 436 of the 1,100 Iranians killed being civilians —including dozens of children and women—and entire neighborhoods in Tehran reduced to rubble. This devastating loss and possibility for resumption of that war post snapback sanctions underscores the urgent need to confront U.S. complicity in fueling such conflicts. While the immediate priority is ending U.S. complicity in the Gaza genocide, the Block the Bombs Act also establishes crucial precedents for preventing future conflicts. The same legal mechanisms that would restrict weapons transfers to Israel could prevent a reckless U.S. war with Iran or American complicity in Israeli aggression against Iran. The principled application of arms transfer laws in one theatre of war in the Middle East could help prevent the kind of regional escalation that threatens both Iranian and American innocent lives.
The Iranian American community understands the pain of collective punishment and opposes war with Iran. NIAC polling conducted with YouGov in June 2025, before the war, found that 60% of Iranian Americans oppose Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with 44% strongly opposing them. We only expect community opposition to war with Iran to have risen after seeing the senseless human cost to the 12 day war. This opposition reflects our community’s deep commitment to human rights and our understanding that targeting civilian populations is both morally indefensible and strategically counterproductive.
Standing with the Broad Coalition for Peace and Accountability
The Block the Bombs Act has garnered unprecedented support from a diverse coalition of organizations committed to peace, human rights, and the rule of law. The Congressional Progressive Caucus—with nearly 100 members—has officially endorsed the legislation, marking the first time any major congressional caucus has backed legislation to end U.S. funding for Israel’s destruction of Gaza.
This coalition includes organizations representing millions of Americans: Jewish Voice for Peace, Veterans for Peace, AboutFace Veterans, IMEU, IfNotNow, the Center for Constitutional Rights, CAIR and Peace Action, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Indivisible, among hundreds of others. These diverse voices share a common understanding that continuing to arm a military engaged in systematic human rights violations undermines both American values and global stability.
Recent polling data reinforces this coalition’s strength. A Quinnipiac poll from August 2025 found that 50% of voters think Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. 60% of voters oppose sending more military aid to Israel, the highest level of opposition since the question was first asked. This includes 75% of Democrats and 66% of independents who oppose continued military assistance. The American people are demanding accountability, and the Block the Bombs Act provides a concrete mechanism to achieve it.
Is your Member of Congress a cosponsor of the Block the Bombs Act to stop taxpayer-funded weapons fueling genocide in Gaza?
Look it up here and, if not, take action now to hold them accountable.