PROVIDENCE — US Representative Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat, on Friday announced he is co-sponsoring a bill to halt the transfer of certain weapons from the US to Israel to build pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The “Block the Bombs Act” has been introduced by US Representative Delia Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat, aiming to curtail US military support for Israel.
“This was not a decision I arrived at lightly,” Magaziner said in a statement announcing that he is backing the bill. “As a person of Jewish heritage, I strongly support the existence of Israel as an independent state and a refuge where Jews from around the world can live in safety.”
He emphasized that Israel has a right to defend itself from attacks like the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. And he said he is “sickened by the rise of antisemitism in our country and globally in recent years, including at times in the anti-war movement.”
But, Magaziner said, “We are well past the point where a continuation of the war in Gaza serves the best interests of Israelis, Palestinians, or Americans and the United States must exert pressure on Netanyahu to change course.”
While the acts of terror committed by Hamas are “horrific,” Magaziner said, “Injustice does not justify injustice, and the prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza must end.”
He cited reports of the Israeli Defense Forces dropping 2,000-pound bombs in densely populated urban areas, killing civilians. And he said the Israeli government has withheld food and medicine from the civilian population in Gaza.
Magaziner noted the Israeli government claims Hamas-controlled authorities in Gaza exaggerate the death toll and the extent of the famine. But he said it’s impossible to verify those claims because the Israeli government refuses to allow independent journalists into Gaza without IDF escort.
“The continued war in Gaza puts Israelis at risk as well, as the actions of the Netanyahu government have significantly eroded the global support that has been vital to Israel’s security for decades,” he said.
Magaziner said he hopes the legislation will lead to increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza and stopping the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
“Extremist settlers in the West Bank continue to act with impunity, killing civilians including five Americans, with no legal consequence,” he said. “Israeli cabinet ministers speak openly of permanently annexing both the West Bank and Gaza and expelling the millions of Palestinians who have called those areas home for generations.”
Magaziner noted that in 2024 he joined 85 percent of Congress in voting to provide military assistance to Israel. He said did so in recognition of the threat posed to Israel by Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah, but he said the military strength of those groups has since been “significantly degraded.”
“At the same time, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and lawless killing of Palestinians in the West Bank have reached crisis levels,” Magaziner said. “Netanyahu has presented no plan for achieving peace and appears to believe that the United States will comply with his every whim. It is time to try something different.”
Rhode Island’s other Democratic congressman, US Representative Gabe Amo, was not listed as a co-sponsor of the bill as of Friday.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.