Michigan lawmakers are urging Congress to block arms sales to Israel and increase aid for Gaza, citing the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict on Palestinian families. A group of Democratic representatives from Michigan has introduced House Resolution 223, calling on their congressional delegation to halt U.S. military aid to Israel, restore revoked visas for Palestinians seeking medical treatment, and support an emergency surge in humanitarian assistance.
The resolution was sparked by the growing death toll in Gaza, where more than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023, according to health officials. Many of those killed are women and children, and international aid groups have warned that widespread hunger, medical shortages, and the destruction of hospitals are leaving civilians facing mass starvation.
Michigan's large Arab American population has watched the war with grief and panic as relatives in Gaza and southern Lebanon have been killed or displaced. The state's lawmakers say they are taking a moral stand against U.S. military aid to Israel, which they believe is fueling genocide.
"This resolution reflects our community's moral and democratic mandate: stop funding weapons that are killing civilians," said Rep. Alabas Farhat of Dearborn. "Our communities want peace, accountability, and policy that values human life and this resolution moves us in that direction."
A similar call to action has come from U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who introduced a resolution recognizing Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The resolution also urges the U.S. to fulfill its obligations under the Genocide Convention to intervene and seek accountability.
Michigan taxpayers have contributed more than $420 million toward U.S. military aid to Israel since 2023, according to Rep. Dylan Wegela of Garden City. Wegela said that instead of funding war, the money could be used to fund vital services such as rent assistance, groceries for low-income households, teacher salaries, children's healthcare, or student loan relief.
The resolution is nonbinding but adds pressure on Michigan members of Congress to take action against U.S. military aid to Israel. The lawmakers plan to continue working with local advocacy groups to push for policy change and ensure that civilians receive the humanitarian aid they need.
As one Jewish community organizer said, "The fact that a genocide is being perpetrated by the government of Israel on the Palestinian people is horrifying to me as a human being and as a Jew who was taught the intrinsic value of every life." The resolution represents a multifaith, multicultural coalition refusing to let Michigan be complicit in genocide.
Meanwhile, other community leaders praised the lawmakers' efforts. Layla Elabed, sister of Rep. Tlaib, said that the resolution represents "a powerful message from our community: we will not stand by while thousands of lives are extinguished in our name."
The resolution was sparked by the growing death toll in Gaza, where more than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023, according to health officials. Many of those killed are women and children, and international aid groups have warned that widespread hunger, medical shortages, and the destruction of hospitals are leaving civilians facing mass starvation.
Michigan's large Arab American population has watched the war with grief and panic as relatives in Gaza and southern Lebanon have been killed or displaced. The state's lawmakers say they are taking a moral stand against U.S. military aid to Israel, which they believe is fueling genocide.
"This resolution reflects our community's moral and democratic mandate: stop funding weapons that are killing civilians," said Rep. Alabas Farhat of Dearborn. "Our communities want peace, accountability, and policy that values human life and this resolution moves us in that direction."
A similar call to action has come from U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who introduced a resolution recognizing Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The resolution also urges the U.S. to fulfill its obligations under the Genocide Convention to intervene and seek accountability.
Michigan taxpayers have contributed more than $420 million toward U.S. military aid to Israel since 2023, according to Rep. Dylan Wegela of Garden City. Wegela said that instead of funding war, the money could be used to fund vital services such as rent assistance, groceries for low-income households, teacher salaries, children's healthcare, or student loan relief.
The resolution is nonbinding but adds pressure on Michigan members of Congress to take action against U.S. military aid to Israel. The lawmakers plan to continue working with local advocacy groups to push for policy change and ensure that civilians receive the humanitarian aid they need.
As one Jewish community organizer said, "The fact that a genocide is being perpetrated by the government of Israel on the Palestinian people is horrifying to me as a human being and as a Jew who was taught the intrinsic value of every life." The resolution represents a multifaith, multicultural coalition refusing to let Michigan be complicit in genocide.
Meanwhile, other community leaders praised the lawmakers' efforts. Layla Elabed, sister of Rep. Tlaib, said that the resolution represents "a powerful message from our community: we will not stand by while thousands of lives are extinguished in our name."
I'm with these Michigan lawmakers on this one - it's sickening to think about all those innocent ppl dyin in Gaza 
. If we're gonna be payin' for that, let's make sure the money's goin' towards helpin people, not fuelin a war 
. I got a lot of respect for Reps Farhat and Tlaib for takin the stand against this genocide - it takes guts to speak out like that 
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That's more than enough to fund vital services like rent assistance and healthcare 
. I'm all for diplomacy, but let's not be naive here - if we're not willin to stand up against genocide, what's the point? 
. This resolution might not be perfect, but it's a start, and I'll be rootin for these lawmakers as they keep pushin for change 
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and btw $420m is a crazy amount for rent assist + grocery subsidies 4 low-income households cld cover so much more than just military aid 
And don't even get me started on the whole 'funding vital services instead of war' thing... like, isn't that just a nice way of saying "let's take away funding from Israel and give it to the US"? 
we're already paying 420 million towards israel's military but what are we doing to help the civilians? 
, it's heartbreaking to think about all those innocent people losing their lives. I've been following this story for a while now and it's just getting worse. The fact that Michigan is taking a stand like this is really inspiring 
. The more people speak out against this, the more pressure there'll be for change 
. We need to keep pushing for policy changes that prioritize humanity over politics 
the fact dat we're payin over $420 mil to israel since 2023 while ppl r dyin out dere is just...wow 
. These lawmakers think they can just make a bunch of noise, get some good PR, and then forget about the whole thing? Please. It's not like it's going to actually change anything. They're still gonna keep pouring billions into Israel no matter what because, let's face it, that's what their donors want 
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. Our politicians need to stop playing politics with human lives and take action on behalf of the Palestinian people. It's time for them to put aside their differences and work together to bring about change 
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69k+ ppl killed in Gaza, that's a lot of innocent lives lost. US military aid to Israel is like pouring fuel on the fire, it's not gonna solve anything but just make things worse. We gotta take a stand and support those affected by this conflict. Maybe we can even use some of that $420m to help ppl in need instead of funding war 
! It's time for us to stand up and say that violence and genocide won't be tolerated in our name. The fact that the state of Michigan has contributed millions to Israel's military aid is just crazy, we could be using those funds to make a real difference in people's lives 
!
. We need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and demand that they prioritize human life over military aid.