{"id":46919,"date":"2024-04-03T10:44:34","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T18:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/?p=46919"},"modified":"2024-04-03T10:44:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T18:44:34","slug":"active-duty-airman-on-white-house-hunger-strike-against-starvation-of-children-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/03\/active-duty-airman-on-white-house-hunger-strike-against-starvation-of-children-in-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"Active Duty Airman on White House Hunger Strike Against Starvation of Children in Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"

An active-duty Air Force airman is on a hunger strike in front of the White House, in solidarity with the children of Gaza, who are being deliberately starved to death.<\/p>\n

Larry Hebert, a Senior Airman with six years in the Air Force, began his hunger strike at the White House on Easter Sunday. He says he will be present at the White House from 10 am to 3 pm, April 1-6, and will then move to the House of Representatives, beginning Monday, April 8, when Congress is back in session.<\/p>\n

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Airman Hebert, who recently joined the organization Veterans For Peace,<\/em> says he was inspired by the self-immolation of active-duty Airman Aaron Bushnell.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Aaron Bushnell took his own life\u00a0at the Israeli Embassy for the people of Gaza, that had a profound impact on me<\/em><\/strong>. I felt and resonated exactly with how he was feeling, and so that was really powerful and influential,” Hebert said. “But what really infuriated me was the response afterward. Leadership within the military and within our government were just silent. There was utter silence surrounding Aaron Bushnell and what he did.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cI knew I had to raise my voice in opposition to the U.S. government supplying Israel the bombs and rockets to commit genocide in Gaza,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> said Hebert. \u201cActive-duty members are afraid to speak out, and I hope my\u00a0example and that of others, like Aaron, can change that.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In mid-March, Hebert, from rural New\u00a0Hampshire, took an authorized leave\u00a0from his assignment at Naval Station Rota, Spain. Since then he has participated in demonstrations demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and visited several Congressional offices to press for an end to US weapons shipments to Israel, which violate several U.S. laws\u00a0(see below).<\/p>\n

Hebert is standing outside the White House this week with a sign that reads \u201cActive duty airman refuses to eat while Gaza starves.\u201d He is not wearing a military uniform, which might be considered a violation of military regulations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am on Day 4 of my hunger strike in solidarity with the civilians that are being deliberately starved in Gaza,\u201d <\/em><\/strong>said Aaron Hebert on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Hebert told Task and Purpose<\/em><\/a> that he currently works as an avionics technician assigned to Naval Station Rota, Spain. The\u00a0NAVSTA base<\/a>\u00a0provides cargo, fuel and logistics support to military units in the region and supports U.S. and NATO ships with three active piers.<\/p>\n

Hebert plans to continue the hunger strike \u2013 limiting himself to water and a juice supplement \u2013 for as long as he physically can. He told Military.com<\/a>,<\/p>\n

“I don’t have a stop or an end for it right now. I’m going to go until my body cannot go any longer or we get the cease-fire and the end of unconditional aid to Israel.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Senior Airman Larry Hebert joins many hundreds of current and retired military\u00a0and civilian government officials urging U.S. leaders to stop fueling Israel\u2019s war<\/strong> that has killed over 32,000 Palestinians, nearly half of whom are children. Starvation and disease are rapidly becoming as deadly as the war itself throughout Gaza, where Israel has bombed hospitals, mosques and residential neighborhoods to rubble.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe applaud and wholeheartedly support the courageous action of this young Airman,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> said Mike Ferner, national director of Veterans For Peace<\/a>. \u201cWe hope he will inspire other military personnel and veterans to take similar actions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Veterans For Peace supports military personnel who act in good conscience and refuse to participate in genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, whether directly or in support roles. For example, orders to load or transport US weapons to Israel are illegal, under both US and international law. See details below. <\/em><\/p>\n

Veterans For Peace recommends that military personnel who want more information about their legal rights, or who wish to be discharged from the military, contact the GI Rights Hotline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Airman Hebert\u2019s protest is gaining national and international notice.\u00a0 <\/strong>On Tuesday alone, he was interviewed by Democracy Now<\/em>,<\/a> the New York Times, <\/em>the Guardian, Voice of America, Al Jazeera, <\/em>WMUR-New Hampshire, and the Katie Halpern show on YouTube.<\/p>\n

\u201cLarry Hebert\u2019s bold action is having an impact,\u201d <\/em><\/strong>said Mike Ferner of Veterans For Peace.\u00a0 \u201cWe anticipate that other active-duty military and veterans will be following his example.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

List of US Laws Violated by the Biden Administration When Sending Arms to Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a February 12 letter to the US State Department Inspector-General,<\/a> Veterans For Peace detailed the U.S. laws currently being violated by US officials every time weapons shipments to Israel are authorized, to include:<\/p>\n