Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced a first-of-its-kind resolution calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
The resolution calls on Trump to “recognize a demilitarized state of Palestine, as consistent with international law and the principles of a two-state solution, alongside a secure state of Israel.”
Palestinian state recognition “is not only a practical step the United States can take to help build a future where Palestinians and Israelis can live in freedom, dignity and security, but it is the right thing to do,” Merkley stated. “America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now.”
The resolution faults Hamas and other terrorist entities for acts of “terrorism and violence” and says that they reject “the State of Israel as a national homeland for the Jewish people.”
It calls on Hamas to “end its campaign of terrorism, lay down its arms and provide for the unconditional release of all hostages, and also calls on Israel to take immediate steps to end the war in Gaza and surge humanitarian aid into the territory.”
The resolution also criticizes “actions and policies by the government of Israel,” including a Knesset vote rejecting a two-state solution and the expansion of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
“There is a historic opportunity to simultaneously pursue a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a comprehensive regional peace between Israel and all of its Arab neighbors, unlocking the potential for a more secure and prosperous Middle East,” the resolution says.
The resolution is endorsed by J Street and cosponsored by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a blistering report with Van Hollen on the humanitarian situation in Gaza after returning from a recent trip to the region.
The resolution, submitted just ahead of the Palestinian statehood summit at the United Nations on Sept. 22, is not expected to pick up much Republican support.
