A federal court in the United States has dismissed a case that accused President Joe Biden and other senior US officials of being complicit in Israel’s alleged genocide in Gaza. However, the court’s decision encouraged Biden and his colleagues to consider the human rights implications of their unwavering support for Israel.
The case, which was filed by human rights groups and individual Palestinians affected by the war, accused Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin of failing to fulfill their responsibilities to prevent genocide under international and domestic law. The lawsuit called attention to the US’s significant influence on Israel, as well as dehumanizing remarks by senior Israeli officials, in its argument.
While the court ultimately dismissed the case due to procedural grounds and the division of powers under the US Constitution, the judge acknowledged that it is plausible that Israel’s conduct amounts to genocide, referencing a provisional ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The lawsuit called for the US to end its unwavering support for Israel, which provides the country with billions of dollars in military aid annually.
Following the court’s ruling, Katherine Gallagher, senior staff lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights, stated that the judge affirmed that the Palestinian population in Gaza is enduring a campaign to eradicate a whole people, and urged the Biden administration to reconsider this course of action. While the Biden administration called for the lawsuit to be thrown out and government lawyers argued that the court was intruding into political branches of government, the plaintiffs and their supporters emphasized the importance of the court’s recognition of the US’s support for Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza. They pledged to continue pursuing legal avenues to address the situation.