Press Releases

Today, Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) led 70 members of Congress in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to reverse the previous administration’s abandonment of bipartisan United States policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, including support for an eventual two-state solution. 

In their letter, the members called on President Biden to take the following steps to reverse the damage done under the previous administration and realign our current posture with longstanding United States policy:

• Formally withdraw the previous administration’s “peace plan” which paved the way for possible unilateral annexation of territory and reaffirm as official United States policy the principles for resolving the conflict referenced by the House of Representatives in H. Res. 326 (116^th Congress);
• Insist through all channels that Hamas stop further rocket attacks against Israel;
• Quickly fulfill your welcome commitment to reopen a separate U.S. consulate in Jerusalem; 
• Make clear that the United States considers settlements to be inconsistent with international law by reissuing relevant State Department and U.S. customs guidance to that effect;
• Strongly oppose the forced expulsion via eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem and throughout Palestinian territory;
• Ensure that all relevant official U.S. documents and communications once again consistently refer to the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as occupied;
• Ensure that all remaining congressionally appropriated aid to the Palestinians is disbursed without undue delay, following all applicable U.S. laws and vetting standards for recipients and implementing organizations, and;
• Consistently and proactively issue firm public condemnations of specific actions that violate the rights of either party or undermine the prospects for peace.

“While there are additional steps that both parties to the conflict can and must take to preserve the possibility of one day reaching a two-state solution, we believe the first step for the United States must be to urgently restore American policy positions conducive to the prospects for peace,” the letter concluded. “We look forward to supporting you in that effort.”

In addition to Connolly, Welch, and Schakowsky, the letter was signed by the following 70 members of Congress: Jacobs, Takano, Doggett, Lowenthal, Beyer, Kuster, Price, Kaptur, McGovern, Speier, Levin (MI), Danny Davis, Perlmutter, Porter, Yarmuth, McCollum, Blumenauer, Watson Coleman, Newman, Clarke, Evans, Omar, Cohen, Tonko, Courtney, Jones, Eshoo, Garcia (IL), Foster, Pocan, Castro, Velazquez, Lynch, Carson, Khanna, Moulton, Kelly (IL), DeFazio, Raskin, Huffman, Grijalva, Pressley, Pingree, Rush, McNerney, Johnson (GA), Payne, DeGette, Carbajal, Johnson (TX), Thompson (CA), Dingell, Chu, Kildee, Cleaver, DeLauro, Trahan, Clark, Wexton, Norton, Jayapal, Casten, Doyle, Kirkpatrick, Neguse, Bass, Crow, Escobar, Brownley, Bowman.