In a historic vote this week, more senators than ever before supported legislation seeking to hold the Israeli government accountable for violence and human rights violations against Palestinians.
In a 47-51 vote Tuesday, nearly all Democrats and Republican Rand Paul (KY) voted to require the State Department to investigate the killings of U.S. citizens and broader human rights abuses in the West Bank.
While the resolution was narrowly rejected, the vote marks another hopeful milestone toward accountability. In 2024, a similar resolution received just 11 votes.
If passed, the resolution would have been the first step in a process under the Foreign Assistance Act to restrict weapons transfers over the Israeli government’s failure to comply with human rights obligations.
Since 2022, nine U.S. citizens have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces in the West Bank. Their families have waited years for answers – yet not one of these killings has resulted in meaningful accountability or justice.
This week’s vote also comes amid a broader, unprecedented surge in West Bank violence as the Israeli government allows extremist settlers to attack Palestinian communities with impunity.
“It is our responsibility to ensure recipients of US taxpayer dollars act in line with our laws and our values – this resolution was an opportunity to shed light on a reality that flies in the face of that principle,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (MD), who led the resolution.
FCNL led a coalition letter supporting the resolution with more than 30 national faith and advocacy organizations. The letter was covered in a syndicated TV news story featuring FCNL’s Hassan El-Tayyab that was aired by local news channels around the country.
FCNL will continue to build on the growing support in Congress to end U.S. complicity in attacks against civilians – in the West Bank, Gaza, and beyond.
This week, we joined more than 50 faith and human rights groups urging Congress to block a major new transfer of U.S. bombs to Israel planned by the Trump administration. “Failing to do so would amount to a blank check for further catastrophic harm and human rights violations,” as our letter warns.
Elsewhere
Advocacy Teams Build Power in Their Communities
Last year, FCNL Advocacy Teams were looking for ways to strengthen impact, so they began organizing faith leaders in their communities join them in advocating for peace.
Through that initiative, the Advocacy Teams “discovered something powerful:” A team of just a few people “can build a much larger coalition,” bringing a range of community voices together and making it harder for their member of Congress to overlook them.
Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding School Survivors
On Wednesday, we joined Native communities and allies in observing the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools to honor survivors and reaffirm our commitment to truth, justice, and healing.
“September 30 is a day to remember the children who were taken from their families and the survivors who carried that pain home,” said James LaBelle, Sr. (Inupiaq), a boarding school survivor and 2nd Vice-President of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.
“We remember so they are not forgotten, and we share our stories so future generations can heal. Our stories matter, and our children, families, and communities deserve to know the truth.”
Concerns Over Renewed Violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region
Four years after a peace deal ended one of the deadliest wars in the 21st century, we’re alarmed by reports that renewed violence has broken out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
In past years, the U.S. had supported major peacebuilding programs in the region and played an important diplomatic role in securing the 2022 peace deal.
But as violence breaks out again, the Trump administration’s dismantling of foreign assistance threatens to hinder the United States’ ability to launch an effective humanitarian and diplomatic response.
