Discussion · Senate
Chris Van Hollen Democrat
“I want the Senate to vote now and pass this resolution. Nine American citizens have been killed in the West Bank over the last four years, and others are in Israeli military prisons. This measure asks for a report on what our government is doing to protect American citizens and review human rights abuses in the West Bank.”
“Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from Vermont Senator Welch, thank Senator Sanders, who was here earlier, Senator Kaine, and all of our colleagues who have cosponsored a very important resolution demanding accountability--demanding accountability in the killings of nine American citizens on the West Bank in just the last 4 years. And as both the Biden administration and the Trump administration have said, if we don’t get accountability, then these killings will continue with impunity. So this is about saving American citizens’ lives. It is also a recognition that if we can’t get accountability for American citizens, imagine how hard it is for a Palestinian to get accountability for human rights abuses committed against them--and about the Americans being currently detained in Israeli military prisons and the hundreds of Palestinian kids being detained as we speak. So this is a resolution that simply requires a report--a report on what the U.S. Government is doing to protect its own citizens. I would hope that every Member of this body would support a resolution that does that and calls for a review of the human rights situation and conditions on the West Bank. So with that, Mr. President, I would ask that the previously scheduled vote begin immediately.”
Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from Vermont Senator Welch, thank Senator Sanders, who was here earlier, Senator Kaine, and all of our colleagues who have cosponsored a very important resolution demanding accountability--demanding accountability in the killings of nine American citizens on the West Bank in just the last 4 years. And as both the Biden administration and the Trump administration have said, if we don’t get accountability, then these killings will continue with impunity. So this is about saving American citizens’ lives. It is also a recognition that if we can’t get accountability for American citizens, imagine how hard it is for a Palestinian to get accountability for human rights abuses committed against them--and about the Americans being currently detained in Israeli military prisons and the hundreds of Palestinian kids being detained as we speak. So this is a resolution that simply requires a report--a report on what the U.S. Government is doing to protect its own citizens. I would hope that every Member of this body would support a resolution that does that and calls for a review of the human rights situation and conditions on the West Bank. So with that, Mr. President, I would ask that the previously scheduled vote begin immediately.