Photo by
Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL on 1 May, 2023
‘Stop Empowering Hamas’: Israelis Appeal to Trump to Halt Aid, Revoke Biden-Era Sanctions
Jerusalem, 20 January, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Hours before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Israelis Reut Ben Chaim and Shlomo Sarid, sanctioned under President Joe Biden’s administration, sent an urgent letter to Trump. In it, they addressed their efforts to block aid trucks destined for Hamas and appealed to halt such aid while lifting the sanctions imposed on them.
“This letter didn’t just emerge overnight. Over the past year, we’ve witnessed how aid meant for Gaza’s citizens is intercepted by Hamas. It fills their warehouses, feeds their fighters, and finances their war machine. This isn’t humanitarian aid—it’s a lifeline for Hamas,” Ben Chaim told The Press Service of Israel.
Following the October 7 massacre, Ben Chaim and Sarid founded Tzav 9 to combat aid deliveries they claim are exploited by Hamas.
In July 2024, Ben Chaim and Sarid were sanctioned by Biden’s executive order over attacks on the convoys. Tzav 9 was sanctioned separately.
The executive order placed Ben Chaim and Sarid on the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s specially designated nationals and blocked persons list. The sanctions freeze assets in the US owned by that individual, and prohibits US citizens from providing them with funds, goods or services.
“We couldn’t sit at home while Hamas rapes, murders, and tortures innocent hostages,” Ben Chaim said. “Hamas shoots its own people, stealing the aid meant for Gaza’s citizens. There’s documented evidence of civilians being killed for approaching aid trucks. Hamas resells supplies at exorbitant prices, using the profits to fund its war and recruit desperate citizens. This isn’t aid for civilians—it’s support for a terror organization.”
The letter also criticized the Biden adminstration’s focus on humanitarian aid at Israel’s expense.
“The United States never delivered food or equipment to Al-Qaeda after 9/11 or supported ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Why is Hamas any different?” the letter asked.
“The war drags on painfully for both sides because we’re essentially feeding our enemy. We’re supplying it with fuel, water, food, and motivation—all while they hold our hostages. If the hostages were a condition for aid from the beginning, things would be different today.”
Addressing the Biden administration’s sanctions imposed on them after left-wing organizations lodged complaints in the U.S., Ben Chaim and Sarid wrote, “To our astonishment, these groups falsely claimed our protest was violent. These allegations were never brought before Israeli authorities because they are baseless. We operated peacefully and legally.”
Regarding the impact of the sanctions, the two wrote, “We’ve paid an impossible price for standing up to Hamas. We protested peacefully and legally, and now we’re treated like criminals.”
The letter concluded with a direct plea to Trump: “On a national level, do not enable the continuation of ‘humanitarian aid’ that empowers Hamas and holds our brothers and sisters hostage. Help us destroy this evil and darkness once and for all, bringing light and redemption to the world.”
On a personal note, they urged: “We ask that you cancel all sanctions imposed on Israeli citizens by Joe Biden since October 7, 2023. We thank you in advance for your support and pray for your success in this vital role.”
Ben Chaim expressed hope for decisive action to TPS-IL: “We don’t need the president’s words. We need actions. Hamas must be defeated. A weak Hamas means safety for everyone. That’s the outcome we’re fighting for.”
