Key facts
- 42 Senate Democrats urged Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to curb West Bank violence.
- The senators cited a "surge" in settler violence and mass arrests of Palestinians.
- They called for investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens killed by settlers or security forces since 2022.
- The letter also urged Israel to halt approval of new settlements and remove existing outposts.
- The senators requested clear instructions to Israeli police and military to prevent and intervene in violent confrontations.
U.S. Senate Democrats have urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rein in a "surge" of violence by West Bank settlers and mass arrests of Palestinians. A letter signed by 42 of the 47-member Democratic caucus noted increasing levels of "fatal violence by settlers" and appealed to Netanyahu to step up investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens they said have been killed by settlers or security forces in the West Bank since 2022.
The letter, drafted by Senators Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer, and Cory Booker, stated that the "significant surge" of violence in recent weeks has resulted in "a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques." It marks a growing friction between Democrats in Congress and the Israeli government over its handling of the West Bank, with many in the party also calling for curbs on U.S. military aid to Israel over its conduct in Gaza.
The senators urged Netanyahu to issue clear instructions to Israeli police and military to prevent and intervene in violent West Bank confrontations "regardless of the perpetrators." Rights groups have repeatedly documented how Israeli forces are slow to respond to settler violence or stand by during attacks. Israeli officials have stated that authorities have repeatedly condemned violence against Palestinians.
The letter also called on the Israeli government to stop approving additional settlements and construction of "illegal outposts in the West Bank" and to take steps to remove existing outposts. Democrats have become increasingly critical of Netanyahu and his government amid the war in Gaza. President Donald Trump has commented little on the situation, though his ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has denounced militant settlers as "Israeli terrorists."