Crowds of at least 200 people protested outside an Oakland federal courthouse on Friday as attorneys gave arguments in a lawsuit seeking to stop U.S. aid for the Israeli government’s attacks on Gaza.
Attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights, representing Palestinians in the U.S. and abroad, filed the lawsuit (PDF) in November. They are seeking a court order (PDF) to stop U.S. military aid to Israel, arguing it is fueling a genocide against Palestinian people and urging the Biden administration to pursue a cease-fire. On Dec. 8, the federal government responded with a motion to dismiss the case, saying the court had no oversight on foreign policy.
Friday’s single-day hearing laid out arguments from Palestinians and U.S. officials. Plaintiffs argued that by aiding Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the U.S. government has violated international law codified in the 1948 Genocide Convention, as well as the U.S. Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1988.