Council on American-Islamic relations sues US gov’t over genocide in Gaza

Lawsuits against the US government for its support of the recent genocide in Gaza and its involvement in human rights violations during Joe Biden’s presidency are being carried over to the new administration.

Despite reports from US State Department officials documenting Israel’s human rights violations and acts of genocide in Gaza, the Biden administration disregarded these documents, leading to legal action against the former administration.

These cases are now continuing under the new government.

In an interview with Anadolu, Nihad Awad, the executive director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said that Biden and his administration were fully aware of Israel’s human rights abuses.

Internal reports from the State Department and the White House clearly show that former President Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken covered up and dismissed these reports, Awad said.

Awad said that lawsuits filed on behalf of Palestinian-American families who lost loved ones in the genocide — carried out using American weapons — are now proceeding under the new administration.

Our organisation has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Palestinian Americans. The defendants in the case are suing the US State Department, the Department of Defence and the White House, and the legal process is expected to continue into 2025, he pointed out.

Highlighting the strong influence of Israeli lobby groups on the US government and bureaucracy, Awad said that internal government reports reveal that the US administration violated regulations regarding military aid.

However, the problem is that our government does not act on this information or use it to change public policy, Awad explained.

The main reason for this is the influence of pro-Israel lobbies on our government and the reluctance of government officials to take a stand against Israeli policies, he stressed.

Awad also welcomed efforts by President Donald Trump to push for a ceasefire after his election victory.

“Unfortunately, despite having the opportunity and responsibility to stop the genocide, Joe Biden and Antony Blinken failed to do so. We believe that if Kamala Harris had won the election, the genocide would have continued,” he added.

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