35 Members Support Necessary Security Aid to Israel and Condemn Palestinian Child Detention by Israeli Military
On Friday, 35 members of Congress led by Representatives Jan Schakowsky, David Price, Steve Cohen, and John Yarmuth, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirming their steadfast commitment to providing necessary security assistance to Israel and urging the State Department to address the detention of Palestinian children. In the letter, the Members urged “the State Department to continue its efforts to promote the protection and proper treatment of children on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
The members explained that “there are also numerous instances of Palestinian youth suffering from mistreatment in the West Bank, with estimates of 500 to 700 Palestinian children between the ages of 12 and 17 are being held in Israeli military detention facilities each year. These children are often held indefinitely without charge or trial, denied access to a lawyer or parent, or prosecuted in a military court system that lacks certain due process safeguards compared to civilian courts.”
The Members added, “while Israeli authorities have a right and obligation to prevent acts of violence by minors and apprehend those responsible, the current practice of arresting and detaining minors goes well beyond that legitimate purpose.”
As the Members addressed these issues, they were also steadfast in their support of necessary security aid to Israel and the two-state solution:
“As we express our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian children in detention, we are also united in our continued willingness to work with you on constructive steps to counter terrorist activity and violence toward Israelis. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to providing necessary security assistance to Israel that saves the lives of innocent civilians from terrorism and rocket attacks. And we remain convinced that two states for two peoples—a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable Palestinian state—living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition is the only sustainable solution to provide a dignified, just, and stable future for Israelis and Palestinians.”
The full text of the letter is available here.
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