Murray, Colleagues, Introduce Privileged Resolution Seeking Answers on West Bank Violence

The Senators' resolution - introduced Monday night - would require a report on increasing violence in the West Bank, including deaths of American citizens

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and 19 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a 502B privileged resolution requiring the Department of State to report to Congress on increasing violence in the West Bank, including the killings of Americans in the West Bank. Nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank in recent years - and more detained - and none have received accountability or justice from either the Israeli or United States governments. The Senators' resolution would require the Department of State to provide information and assessments related to investigations of the killing of United States citizens by violent Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank, as well as an assessment of the human rights situation in the West Bank, specifically related to the detention of Palestinian children.

They were joined in introducing the resolution by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

"The increasing violence in the West Bank is horrifying and unacceptable. Nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank since 2022 and their families deserve clarity and accountability. Two constituents from Washington state have been killed by Israeli forces with no answers and no justice-that can't go unanswered. Additionally, the reports of detained Palestinian children are absolutely heartbreaking-those families deserve answers too. It is crystal clear there needs to be an assessment of the human rights situation in the West Bank at the very least. That is exactly why I'm standing shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues and introducing this resolution. What the world is seeing happen in the West Bank is unacceptable and only getting worse-this administration must hold the extremist Netanyahu government accountable for its outright endorsement of illegal settler violence," said Senator Murray.

The resolution draws upon Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows Congress to file a privileged resolution that, if passed, would require the State Department to provide information on any country receiving U.S. security assistance and that country's observance of internationally-recognized human rights. After introduction, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has ten days to consider it in committee, and if it fails to do so, the resolution can be called up for a vote on the Senate floor. If the resolution passes the Senate, the Trump Administration must submit the report within 30 days or the majority of security assistance authorized to Israel would be prohibited. If the resolution passes, and following the receipt of the State Department report, Congress may consider any necessary changes to U.S. security assistance to that country in light of the information received. If the Administration declines or fails to submit the required report, the Administration's decision would prompt the termination of certain covered security assistance programs for Israel.

Text of the resolution is available HERE.

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