Progressive Politics

Israel’s bombing of the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday marked the sixth country the powerful U.S. ally attacked so far this year.

U.S. and Israeli officials told CNN and other outlets on Tuesday that Israel — which the U.S. arms to the tune of billions of dollars each year — gave President Donald Trump’s administration advance warning before carrying out the strike. The attack drew ire from progressive members of Congress, who told The Intercept that the U.S. must stop arming Israel as it accelerates attacks around the globe.

“In the past two years, Israel has bombed nation after nation with no repurcussions—all while conducting a genocide and manufacturing a famine in Gaza using U.S. taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Penn. “There must be accountability for Israel’s unchecked power and destabilization of the region. The United States must implement an arms embargo immediately.”

Israel has carried out tens of thousands of attacks in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Yemen, and now Qatar since the October 7 Hamas attacks, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. In the last three days, Israel bombed three residential buildings in Gaza City and dropped leaflets ordering residents to evacuate.