Hybrid Press Conference: Palestinian Families Sue State Department to Enforce Law Prohibiting U.S. Aid to Abusive Israeli Forces

Hybrid Press Conference: Palestinian Families Sue State Department to Enforce Law Prohibiting U.S. Aid to Abusive Israeli Forces

Washington, DC —  December 12, 2024: DAWN is hosting a press conference to announce the filing of a groundbreaking complaint by plaintiff Palestinian families under the Administrative Procedures Act against the U.S. State Department for its arbitrary and capricious failure to abide by and enforce the Leahy Law with respect to security assistance to Israel. 

This failure has caused and will continue to cause harm to the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, including Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and Palestinian-Americans with family and property in Gaza and the West Bank.  This historic lawsuit, supported by DAWN, seeks to compel the State Department to abide by and enforce the law. 

Since 1997, the Leahy Law has prohibited the State Department from providing security assistance to foreign security forces credibly implicated in gross human rights violations. Despite extensive documentation of such violations by Israeli security forces over nearly two decades since passage of the Leahy Law, the State Department has deliberately avoided enforcing the law with respect to Israel, and as a result has never excluded even a single Israeli military unit from receiving security assistance to Israeli security forces. 

The press conference will include a detailed review of the legal claims made by plaintiffs in their complaint, what plaintiffs hope to achieve, and why this lawsuit is a critical effort to uphold the rule of law in the United States, without exception.

Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid event will be posted on the DAWN website.

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM (Doors open at 12:00 PM)

WHERE:

IN PERSON:

National Press Club

Zenger Room

529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor

Washington, DC 20045

• LIVESTREAM: If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate will be provided to those who RSVP.

WHO:

·         Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director, DAWN

·         Charles Blaha, Senior Advisor, DAWN; Former U.S. State Department Official

·         Josh Paul, Senior Advisor, DAWN, former U.S. State Department official 

·         Plaintiff: Ahmed Moor and other plaintiffs represented in the lawsuit

·         Bruce Fein, Attorney for Plaintiffs

VISUALS & MEDIA AVAILABILITY:

·         On-site visuals include copies of the complaint, plaintiff statements, and multimedia presentations summarizing key facts of the lawsuit.

·         Speakers will be available for one-on-one interviews following the Q&A session.

LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED

RSVP:
Please RSVP by December 16, 2024, at 

·         Bit.ly code and link: https://bit.ly/LeahyRSVP