Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – A United States congresswoman has renewed a push to ensure that aid to Israel does not contribute to abuses of Palestinians, particularly children, as progressive legislators continue to call for conditions to be placed on the assistance.
Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum reintroduced a bill that would prohibit US aid from contributing to the detention of Palestinian children and to military activities that would facilitate “further unilateral annexation” of the occupied West Bank.
“Not $1 of US aid should be used to commit human rights violations, demolish families’ homes, or permanently annex Palestinian lands,” McCollum said in a statement.
“The United States provides billions in assistance for Israel’s government each year — and those dollars should go toward Israel’s security, not toward actions that violate international law and cause harm.”
Israel, accused of apartheid by leading human rights groups including Amnesty International, receives at least $3.8bn in US aid annually.
The bill, dubbed Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, has little chance of passing in Congress, where Israel enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support.
But Palestinian rights advocates say such measures lead to debate about US policy and highlight the push to question unconditional aid to Israel. They point to public opinion polls showing that a growing number of Americans, especially Democrats, sympathise with Palestinians and support placing restrictions on the assistance.
“Israel’s drive to perpetuate its control over the occupied West Bank results in other serious violations of international law, including the unlawful demolition of Palestinian homes and the forcible transfer of Palestinian civilians,” the bill said.
It also noted that between 500 and 700 Palestinian children, aged 12 to 17, are detained by Israel every year and prosecuted before military courts.
“In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, there are two separate and unequal legal systems, with Israeli military law imposed on Palestinians and Israeli civilian law applied to Israeli settlers,” the proposed legislation said.
United States and Israel are creator and sponsors of terrorism around the world specially MEK terrorist group in Albania.
