Democratic members of the US Senate have called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take action over rising violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and the mass arrest of Palestinians.
The call was made in a letter sent to Netanyahu on Wednesday. According to the letter, seen by Reuters, 42 of the Senate’s 47-member Democratic caucus signed it. The letter highlights what it describes as a rise in “lethal violence” by settlers in the West Bank.
The senators also called on Netanyahu to more vigorously investigate the deaths of nine US citizens killed by settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 2022.
The letter states that violence has “increased significantly” in recent weeks, prompting Israeli security forces to carry out extensive operations and arrest large numbers of Palestinians, while settlers are also alleged to have attacked mosques.
The letter marks the latest example of growing distance between congressional Democrats and the Israeli government over its handling of the West Bank situation. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has also led many party leaders to call for reducing US military assistance to Israel.
The letter was drafted by Senator Adam Schiff of California, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. Schumer has long been regarded as one of Israel’s most important supporters in the US Congress.
Officials said last week that an Israeli man guarding a group of Jewish settlers entered Palestinian territory and opened fire on civilians, killing a 17-year-old teenager and a 70-year-old man.
The senators called on Netanyahu to give clear instructions to Israeli police and the military to prevent violence and intervene when necessary, regardless of the identity or affiliation of those involved.
Human rights organizations have long alleged that Israeli forces are slow to act against settler violence in Palestinian areas, and are sometimes present at the scene during attacks while remaining silent. Israeli officials, however, have maintained that the country’s president and prime minister, along with relevant authorities, have condemned violence against Palestinians.
The letter also calls for a halt to approvals for new Jewish settlements and “illegal settlement outposts” in the West Bank, and for steps to remove those already built.
Amid Israel’s war in Gaza, congressional Democrats and many of the party’s candidates in this year’s midterm elections have grown increasingly vocal in criticizing Netanyahu and his government.
According to Gaza health officials, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the conflict that began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and took more than 250 people hostage.
Amid weakening US-mediated peace efforts in Gaza and rising settler violence in the West Bank, many Democratic leaders have called for significantly reducing or fully halting the several billion dollars in annual US military assistance to Israel.
US President Donald Trump has so far made few comments on the West Bank situation. However, his ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has referred to extremist settlers as “Israeli terrorists.” Speaking to Reuters this month, he said the United States could impose sanctions on those involved in the attack and blockade of the Palestinian village of Kusra.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report