In response to what he described as Israel’s inability to solve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, U.S. Senator Angus King of Maine announced Monday that he would reject further U.S. assistance to Israel.
King used strong language when he referred to Israel’s actions during the Gaza War as “an affront to human decency.” Israel had good reason to respond to Hamas’ terrorist strikes on October 7, 2023, but King stated that “what appears to be a deliberately induced famine among a civilian population… can never be an acceptable military strategy.”
Because of these factors, I am in favor of the current Israeli government’s policies and will vote and push for the cessation of all US assistance until Israel’s policy direction is clearly altered,” King stated. “My criterion will be straightforward: as long as children in Gaza are going hungry as a result of the Israeli government’s actions or inaction, there will be no aid of any kind.”
After voting against several earlier attempts to deny U.S. military aid to Israel, King was asked in a follow-up interview Monday afternoon why he made his statement.
“Starving children: that’s the short answer,” stated King. In my opinion, there is no defense or explanation for a policy that results in famine, especially when it affects tens of thousands of children. I’ve signed letters, done a number of things, and had multiple conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ambassadors. I simply made the decision that I could not keep quiet. And I think the only thing they’ll comprehend is the simple danger of losing American backing.”
King, a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Senate Intelligence Committees, has previously publicly criticized Israel’s strategies in Gaza. In order to limit American exports of offensive weapons to Israel, he voted in favor of resolutions introduced by fellow independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont last November. However, King also opposed measures in April that would have prohibited the supply of weapons to Israel because, at the time, he was concerned about jeopardizing ceasefire talks.
According to the Maine Coalition for Palestine, they have been waiting for political figures to take a firm stance in favor of Palestinians for years. Although they applaud King’s statement, Fateh Azzam of the Coalition says, “It’s a bit late when the U.S. has enabled this for almost two years, and when the entire world, almost without exception, has come out very clearly to say, ‘This has got to stop.'”
In an effort to raise awareness of the suffering of starving Palestinians in Gaza, Azzam and more than three dozen Coalition members took part in a 40-day hunger strike last spring.
“It makes me feel like, ‘OK, maybe this is finally taking the first steps on what may be a long road towards a real change here,'” Azzam said.
King, an independent who supports the Democratic Party, made the announcement at a time when Israel’s conflict in Gaza and its limitations on the flow of humanitarian supplies to Palestinians in the region are being increasingly denounced internationally. Israel declared on Sunday that it will start taking 10-hour breaks from fighting every day to distribute food aid and other supplies. However, the UN has issued a warning of widespread famine in Gaza.
During a Monday trip to Scotland, President Trump also informed reporters that there is “real starvation” in Gaza, despite Netanyahu’s denials of any such crisis in the Israeli-occupied enclave. Although he did not provide specifics, Trump also stated that the United States would do more to help the Palestinians.
Ross Smith, the U.N. World Food Program’s director of emergencies, informed reporters on Monday that around 100,000 women and children in Gaza are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. According to the agency’s estimates, a third of Gaza’s population of over 2 million people go without food for several days in a row. Additionally, according to the U.N., Israeli soldiers have killed over 1,000 Palestinians in recent months as they tried to obtain food, frequently close to food distribution centers operated by a U.S. contractor.
Israel was “clearly justified” in retaliating against the Oct. 7th strikes that killed over 1,200 Israelis, the great majority of whom were civilians, according to King’s statement and interview. On that day, Hamas also captured about 250 hostages. However, King stated that the “enormous toll on Palestinian civilians” since then is not justified by those awful occurrences.
“A 10-year-old child in Gaza is not a member of Hamas,” stated King. However, the Israeli government has decided to consider women, children, and civilians as additional victims of its attacks. And I simply had the impression that enough was enough.
The only other member of Maine’s delegation to demand a stop to arms shipments to Israel over the war in Gaza is Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree, who represents Maine’s 1st Congressional District. Both Democratic Representative Jared Golden of the 2nd District and Republican Senator Susan Collins have been ardent advocates for the continuation of U.S. aid to Israel.
