Senate Blocks Van Hollen West Bank Rights Resolution, 51-47
Sen. Chris Van Hollen sought to pull S. Res. 852, the "Israel Human Rights Practices" resolution, out of the Foreign Relations Committee. The motion to discharge it failed. Sen. John Fetterman voted against it, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul voted for it. Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Dan Sullivan did not vote.
The measure would direct the State Department to give Congress information on the human rights situation in the West Bank. That includes the circumstances surrounding the deaths and detention of American citizens.
Ahead of the vote, Van Hollen urged fellow senators to move the measure forward.
"I rise today to call up Resolution 852, a resolution to require the State Department to provide Congress with information on the growing violence and human rights abuses taking place in the West Bank, including against American citizens," he said.
Van Hollen said nine US citizens have been killed in the West Bank over four years by "violent Israeli settlers” or members of the Israeli security forces.
"The United States government has repeatedly said that our number one priority overseas is to protect American citizens. And yet, as violent Israeli settlers continue to terrorize civilians in the West Bank, American citizens have been killed time and again, in many cases with the complicity of the government of Israel, the Netanyahu government," he said.
The senator also questioned whether Washington has done enough to hold anyone accountable for Americans killed or detained in the West Bank.
“How many more Americans must die in the West Bank before this administration takes serious, credible steps to secure accountability?” he said.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
