PORTLAND, Ore. – Outside Portland City Hall on Thursday, September 4, a coalition of community advocates, faith leaders, and elected officials gathered to deliver a message: Oregon’s congressional delegation must take a stand to end U.S. military support for Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
A Personal Story of Loss
Among those who spoke was Mohanad, a Palestinian now living in Oregon. For him, the issue is not abstract policy but a daily reality. His mother, still in Gaza, suffers from chronic health conditions, and many of his relatives have been killed during Israeli military strikes.
One of the hardest truths to face, Mohanad said, is knowing that his American tax dollars help fund the weapons that killed his loved ones.
“The tax dollars I pay to the U.S. government contribute to the weapons that killed members of my family,” he said.
His testimony underscored the deeply personal stakes for Oregonians connected to Gaza, even as the debate in Washington plays out at the geopolitical level.
Billions in U.S. Military Aid
Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, the U.S. has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid and arms shipments to Israel. Reports indicate that nearly $18 billion in direct military assistance was delivered in the first year of the conflict alone—the largest single-year sum in U.S. history.
Advocates at Thursday’s press conference estimated that the total has now surpassed $31 billion. They argued that this level of funding, much of it untracked or classified, diverts resources from domestic needs like housing, healthcare, and education.
The “Block the Bombs” Act
At the heart of the rally was support for the Block the Bombs Act, legislation introduced in May by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL). The bill seeks to prohibit transfers of the most lethal U.S. defense weapons and services to Israel.
Proponents say the measure would directly halt U.S. complicity in civilian deaths in Gaza, where airstrikes and blockades have devastated the population. Critics, including Oregon’s senior senator, argue that curbing arms sales would weaken Israel’s ability to defend itself against threats from Iran and armed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Local Officials Call for Action
Speakers included Portland City Council members, state legislators, and representatives of faith and advocacy groups.
Councilor Angelita Morillo outlined the potential local impact if the billions spent on military aid had instead been invested at home.
“We could do anything with $31 billion,” she said. “We could upgrade our seismic infrastructure, cap I-5 at the Rose Quarter to reconnect Albina, or ensure no child goes hungry in our schools. Instead, that money is going toward starving and bombing children abroad, because our leaders do not find their lives valuable.”
Mounting Civilian Toll in Gaza
According to reports verified by the United Nations and peer-reviewed studies, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since 2023, many of them women and children. Hundreds more, mostly children, have died of malnutrition amid severe restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory.
For speakers at Thursday’s event, these statistics were more than numbers. They represented lives cut short and communities destroyed—casualties they argued were made possible by U.S. weapons.
Oregon Delegation Split
Two Oregon lawmakers—Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Val Hoyle—have already signed on as co-sponsors of the Block the Bombs Act.
Representative Maxine Dexter has publicly called for halting offensive weapons transfers but has not yet added her name as a co-sponsor.
In the Senate, Jeff Merkley has voiced support for restricting arms sales, returning recently from a fact-finding trip to Israel and the Gaza border. His colleague, Senator Ron Wyden, has consistently opposed such measures, citing Israel’s right to self-defense.
Wyden’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from Portland activists, including members of Jewish Voice for Peace, who accuse him of ignoring humanitarian realities on the ground.
Voices from the State Legislature
At Thursday’s press conference, State Senator Khanh Pham directed her remarks at members of Oregon’s federal delegation who remain undecided.
“We urge you to listen to the stories of Oregonians whose family members have been injured and killed by U.S.-funded weapons,” Pham said.
Representative Willy Chotzen admitted that he had rarely spoken publicly about Gaza, focusing instead on bread-and-butter issues like housing and infrastructure. But, he said, his position in office comes with broader moral responsibility.
“Almost everything I work on in Salem is something I can directly control,” Chotzen said. “But with this position of power comes responsibility to disrupt violence when we see it.”
National Momentum and Challenges
Nationwide, the Block the Bombs Act has gained 40 co-sponsors but faces an uncertain future. The bill currently sits with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and leadership has not indicated whether it will advance to a floor vote.
Advocates argue that grassroots support is growing, citing recent polling that shows a majority of Americans now oppose continued military aid to Israel.
Still, the issue remains politically divisive. Critics of the bill contend that restricting arms could embolden Israel’s enemies, while supporters stress that U.S. complicity in mass civilian casualties undermines both American values and global credibility.
Calls for Reinvestment at Home
Many speakers connected foreign policy directly to local priorities. They emphasized that federal tax dollars could instead fund infrastructure improvements, education, and housing programs in Oregon.
For Mohanad and others with personal ties to Gaza, however, the issue was even more immediate. Stopping arms sales, they argued, is not just about redirecting resources—it is about preventing further deaths of their relatives and communities abroad.
Looking Ahead
The press conference concluded with a call for unity and urgency. Advocates pledged to continue pressuring Oregon’s delegation, holding rallies, and organizing constituents to demand accountability.
As Senator Pham put it:
“Silence is not an option. Neutrality is not an option. We must act to stop the bombs.”
Whether the Block the Bombs Act gains traction in Congress remains uncertain. But in Portland, at least, the demand is clear: Oregonians want their representatives to prioritize human rights over military aid.
The Broader Picture
The debate unfolding in Oregon reflects a national reckoning over America’s role in foreign conflicts. It also raises fundamental questions: Should U.S. tax dollars be used to fund wars abroad? Or should they be reinvested into struggling communities at home?
For advocates like Mohanad, the answer is painfully obvious. As long as U.S. weapons continue to flow into Gaza, his adopted country will remain complicit in the suffering of his family overseas.
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