US House passes pro-Israel resolution with little opposition
The US House of Representatives passed a resolution on Tuesday, 25 April, honoring Israel’s 75th anniversary, praising the US-Israel relationship, and calling for an expansion of the Abraham Accords, despite growing criticism in the region and in the United States.
The resolution “encourag[es] the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region.”
Regardless of the number of ‘No’ votes, more than doubling since the 2021 vote, H.Res.311 passed with 401 to 19 votes in favor.
The resolution was opposed by 18 so-called progressive Democrats, some of which previously voted “present” in past resolutions.
However, the tone has changed significantly from past resolutions that have been voted on every five years to commemorate Israel’s independence day and no longer included terms such as “peace with the Palestinians” and any mention of a two-state solution, according to Haaretz.
Republican Representatives Ann Wagner and Michael McCaul, together with Democrats Kathy Manning and Brad Schneider, co-sponsored the bill, indicating steadfast bipartisan support for Israel.
The bipartisan, pro-Israel political action committee, also known as AIPAC, lobbied in favor of the bill and hailed its passing.
Meanwhile, on 29 March, the Biden administration sharply criticized Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the controversial judicial reforms, which were met with massive protests across Israel. However, there was relative silence when it came to Israel’s human rights violations against Palestinians and the growing expansion of illegal settlements.
“Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned … they cannot continue down this road. And I’ve sort of made that clear,” Biden told reporters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the allegations, saying that his country would not make decisions “based on pressure from abroad.”
https://thecradle.co/article-view/24062/us-house-passes-pro-israel-resolution-with-little-opposition
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