US Senate Rejects Resolution to Prepare Report on Israeli Violations in the West Bank

47 senators supported the resolution, while 51 rejected it. All Republicans voted against it except Rand Paul from Kentucky, while all Democrats voted in favor except John Fetterman from Pennsylvania.

The resolution would have required the State Department to submit a report to Congress on the killing of Americans by settlers or Israeli forces in the West Bank, and to assess the human rights situation.

Acts of violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have escalated sharply this year.

Although the resolution would not have cut aid to Israel, the largest recipient of US foreign aid overall since World War II, the administration's failure to submit the report could have led to restrictions on aid.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the main sponsor of this measure, said that considering the human rights situation in the West Bank was "long overdue," including the killing of nine Americans since 2022.

He said in a statement, "It is our responsibility to ensure that recipients of American taxpayers' money act in accordance with our laws and values," referring to Israel.

Republicans accused Democrats of seeking political gain at a time when Israel is under threat, seven months after US and Israeli forces launched airstrikes that sparked the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana said in a speech, "I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution so that we can stand with our ally Israel as it fends off the scourge of Iran-backed terrorism."

* Elections Looming

The vote came weeks before the US midterm elections on November 3, which polls suggest could result in Republicans losing their majority in Congress, signaling a potential shift in US policy towards Israel in the new Congress.

Polls indicate that the war with Iran is unpopular among Americans, who are frustrated by the rising energy prices caused by the conflict.

Netanyahu, who has long sided with US Republicans, faces elections in Israel on October 27, with polls suggesting his right-wing coalition may lose.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The United Nations and most countries maintain that the settlements there are illegal under international law governing military occupation. Israel rejects this, considering the land to be "disputed, not occupied."

Some Democrats - and a few Republicans - have called for restrictions on military aid to Israel due to its conduct of the war in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and turned large areas of the enclave into ruins.