As Americans gathered around their tables for Thanksgiving on November 28, 2025, the contrast between holiday abundance in the United States and the dire food shortages in Gaza could not have been starker. While many families in Maine and across the country struggled to stretch their budgets for a festive meal, families in Gaza have faced a far more desperate situation: for over a year, most have not seen meat, eggs, or fresh vegetables, a direct result of the ongoing Israeli blockade, according to a December 8, 2025, opinion piece featured in local Maine media.
The piece, authored by Kristen Salvatore of Penobscot, Maine, cast a harsh spotlight on the role the United States has played in the ongoing crisis. For more than two years, the U.S. has supplied Israel with bombs, missiles, bullets, and other lethal weaponry, fueling what Salvatore and numerous international organizations have labeled as genocide in Gaza. Despite the existence of five American statutes and international laws prohibiting aid to states that violate human rights, these legal frameworks have not impeded the steady flow of U.S. support to Israel. Public opinion, which has shifted against such support, has similarly failed to sway Congressional votes.
What has proven influential, Salvatore argues, is the significant financial muscle of the American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC). In the most recent election cycle, AIPAC spent $45.2 million to elect pro-Israel candidates, boasting a 96% win rate in the general election. This political spending, she suggests, has played a decisive role in shaping U.S. policy. "Imagine if that money had been used to feed American families and provide affordable housing and health care," Salvatore wrote, echoing a sentiment that has gained traction among critics of current U.S. priorities.
Since October 2023, the U.S. government has funneled tens of billions of dollars into supporting Israel’s military campaign against Palestinians. The consequences, as described in the opinion piece and corroborated by international watchdogs, have been devastating: widespread destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals; the crippling and starvation of children; and the loss of civilian lives on a massive scale.
Meanwhile, the much-touted ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, reached two months before December 8, 2025, has been fraught with violations. According to Salvatore’s account, Israel has broken the ceasefire nearly 500 times, resulting in the deaths of nearly 350 Palestinians in the first five weeks alone. Daily bombings, drone attacks, sniper fire, and home demolitions have reportedly continued, as has the blockade of food, medical aid, and shelter materials. For many Palestinians, this marks the third winter of what multiple organizations have called an ongoing genocide.
The silence—or in some cases, continued support—from U.S. lawmakers has not gone unnoticed. In Maine, only Representative Pingree and Senator King have taken limited steps to rein in Israel, while Senator Collins and Representative Golden continue to back unconditional aid. Salvatore’s call to action is pointed: she urges Maine’s congressional delegation to display the conscience and courage of the state’s legendary Senator Margaret Chase Smith by condemning what she describes as Israel’s horrific and ongoing genocide, and by ending all U.S. aid to Israel.
The international community has weighed in with mounting urgency. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip unlawful. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Amnesty International, B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and Doctors Without Borders are among dozens of organizations that have declared Israel’s actions as genocide. The United Nations Independent International Committee of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the International Peoples Tribunal have both reported Israel guilty of genocide, ecocide, and the forced starvation of Palestinians.
Salvatore’s article asks a pointed question: "How is it that all these respected organizations have recognized the genocide in Gaza, yet the vast majority of Congress has remained silent?" She argues that the failure of Congress to criticize Israel’s actions or to condition decades of aid has enabled Israeli impunity and further human rights violations. "Ignoring international law on Israel’s behalf only encourages further wanton human rights violations," she wrote, underscoring a growing frustration among activists and constituents alike.
The debate over U.S. military aid to Israel has become increasingly heated, with critics pointing to not only the humanitarian toll in Gaza but also the opportunity costs at home. The tens of billions spent overseas, they argue, could instead address pressing domestic needs such as food insecurity, affordable housing, and healthcare—needs that are painfully evident in Maine and across the United States.
On the international stage, the calls for accountability have not been limited to the United States. On December 9, 2025, demonstrators gathered outside the British Foreign Office in London to protest the United Kingdom’s complicity in the ongoing violence in Gaza. According to Press TV, protesters demanded that Britain end its financial, military, and political support for the Israeli government. The demonstration in London reflects a broader pattern of grassroots activism across Western capitals, where citizens are demanding a reevaluation of their governments’ relationships with Israel.
The British protest is just one example of a growing movement that seeks to hold Western governments accountable for their roles in the conflict. Activists argue that financial and military support from countries like the U.S. and the U.K. enables Israel to continue its operations in Gaza without fear of meaningful international reprisal. The protesters’ demands echo those of Salvatore and other American critics: an end to the flow of weapons and money that, in their view, perpetuates the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
Supporters of continued aid to Israel, including some members of Congress and their allies, argue that such support is necessary for Israel’s security and for maintaining a strategic partnership in a volatile region. They point to the threat posed by Hamas and other militant groups, and argue that U.S. and British support is crucial for countering terrorism and promoting stability. However, critics counter that this rationale ignores the disproportionate impact on Palestinian civilians and the mounting evidence of human rights abuses.
The divide in public opinion is mirrored in legislative halls, where the political influence of groups like AIPAC continues to shape policy. Yet, as international legal bodies and humanitarian organizations issue increasingly dire warnings, the pressure on lawmakers to reconsider their positions is mounting. The question remains: will the growing chorus of voices demanding change be enough to alter the course of U.S. and U.K. policy?
For families in Gaza facing another winter without adequate food or shelter, and for Americans and Britons questioning their governments’ priorities, the stakes could hardly be higher. The debate over military aid to Israel is no longer a distant foreign policy issue—it is a matter of urgent moral and political concern, with consequences felt from the streets of Gaza to the kitchens of Maine and the protest lines of London.
As the world watches, the challenge for Western democracies is clear: to reconcile their stated commitments to human rights and international law with the realities of their foreign policy decisions. The voices calling for change are growing louder, and the demand for accountability has never been more pressing.
