Congressman Casten remains complicit in US enabling of Israeli genocide in Gaza

Congressman Casten remains complicit in US enabling of Israeli genocide in Gaza

 

Glen Ellyn IL based West Suburban Peace Coalition is in the Illinois 6^th District served by Congressman Sean Casten.

 

For nearly 2 years now we have been lobbying Congressman Sean Casten to turn against bipartisan US policy which fully enables Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza with over $20 billion in weaponry obliterating Gaza’s 139 square miles. US policy further vetoes any UN Security Council resolutions demanding end to the genocide, and does nothing to force Israel to feed the starving Palestinians their US bombs don’t kill.

 

Casten’s response is to express dismay at Gaza's destruction but does nothing of substance to oppose it. He refuses to call it what the rest of the world aside from the Trump administration and most of Congress correctly label it…genocide.

 

Last week we asked his office if Casten will support H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Bill to Israel, introduced by neighboring congressperson Delia Ramirez (D-IL 3) and cosponsored by 44 others including 5 more from Illinois.  

 

Casten’s September 8 response was astonishing. He totally omitted any support for the bill other than that he would “consider our views“ if it comes to a vote. But be a cosponsor? You can’t be serious.

 

Casten knows full well we’ve supplied Israel with over $20 billion in weapons to unleash its genocide beginning the day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. That’s provided over 50,000 tons of US bombs and related weaponry to kill upwards of 100,000 Palestinians, the remaining 2,200,000 of which are slowing dying from starvation and lack of medical care if they’re not shot to death reaching for the few morels of food Israeli deigns to let in.

 

After ignoring the grotesque US enabled Israeli bombing campaign, Casten pivoted to this feigned concern for the starvation his Congress is ignoring. “You may be interested to know that I have been a strong supporter of pressuring Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.” Apparently for Congressman Casten, obliterating Gaza’s 139 square miles with US bombs is A-OK, but US supported mass starvation, not so much.

 

At West Suburban Peace Coalition we have no idea what occurs in the heart and soul of Congressman Casten to turn away from opposing the most grisly humanitarian crisis our country has ever enabled. But we implore every morally centered resident of the Illinois 6^th to demand Casten have an epiphany to begin removing the genocide enabler stain from his congressional record.