House Resolution (HR) 3103: Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act
BILL NUMBER; NAME; AND SESSION: H.R. 3103– [Short title] “Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act,” 118th Congress (2023-2025).
SITUATION BACKGROUND: "During 2022 and the first six months of this year Israeli security forces have killed more than 320 Palestinians, of which at least 56 were children. In many cases, US weapons supplied to Israel are directly implicated. Even aside from Israel’s record of defying international law with a seemingly permanent occupation – now moving relentlessly to outright annexation -- and denying Palestinians basic human rights, Israel is a wealthy country with a per capita GDP higher than most European countries. Israel is now also a major exporter of weaponry, often developed with US cooperation or funding. Even if we grant Israel the right of “self-defense,” is there any logical reason for US taxpayers to subsidize Israelis’ standard of living? A new report details and examines the systemic denial of basic due process rights in the arrest, detention, interrogation and prosecution of Palestinian children in Israeli military courts. In the overwhelming majority of cases Israeli authorities physically abuse Palestinian children arrested from the occupied West Bank and systematically deprive them of their liberty without any legal basis. This constitutes arbitrary detention in violation of international law." Source: Massachusetts Peace Action email
MAIN SPONSOR; DATE INTRODUCED; BILL WEBPAGES: Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); May 5, 2023; Full text of the bill here.
QUICK SUMMARY: (from press release 5/3/2023): McCollum’s legislation “prohibits Israel’s government from using U.S. taxpayer dollars in the Occupied West Bank for the military detention, abuse, or ill treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention; the seizure and destruction of Palestinian property and homes in violation of international humanitarian law; or any assistance or support for unilateral annexation of Palestinian lands in violation of international humanitarian law.”
STATISTICS: As set out in the bill’s findings, between April 15, 2021 and March 30 of this year Israel demolished or seized 1,840 Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank, resulting in the displacement of 2,170 people, the majority of them children. Fifty-eight Palestinian schools, attended by 6,500 children, are currently under Israeli demolition orders.
SIGNIFICANCE/NOTEWORTHY: The same bill introduced in the 117th Congress had 78 organizations as supporting signatories. The current bill, introduced in May already has 104 signatories, including Amnesty International USA, SURJ (Showing up for Racial Justice), multiple Palestinian American and Arab American groups, the Movement for Black Lives, multiple Palestine-Israel church networks, J Street, and T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. The full list is at https://mccollum.house.gov/DefendingPalestinianRights. UUJME has communicated its support of the bill but our name is not yet on the list.
Rep. McCollum writes, “Not $1 of U.S. aid should be used to commit human rights violations, demolish families’ homes, or permanently annex Palestinian lands. The United States provides billions in assistance for Israel's government each year--and those dollars should go toward Israel's security, not toward actions that violate international law and cause harm. Peace can only be achieved when everyone’s human rights are respected, and Congress has a responsibility to not ignore the well-documented mistreatment of Palestinian children and families living under Israeli military occupation.”
UU PRINCIPLES: 1st: The inherent worth and dignity of every person; 2nd: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; 5th: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; 6th: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; 8th (proposed, excerpt): Accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. See also UUJME Vision, Mission, and Values at uujme.org/about/.
UU ACTIONS: In May 2021, The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) called on the U.S. government to withhold military aid to Israel until it complies with international law and stops violating the human rights of Palestinians. UUA President Susan Frederick Gray was one of 26 religious leaders signing a letter in support of the similar bill in the previous (116th) congress (HR 2407) on 11/8/2019, www.afsc.org/ document/faith-leaders-support-hr-2407. A 2002 UUA General Assembly Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) called on the Israeli government “to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention and other international laws.”
MY CONGRESSPERSON’S CURRENT STAND ON THIS BILL: As of July 2023, there are 28 co-sponsors. See the current Cosponsors - H.R.3103 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress, then contact your congressperson, ask them to sign on to the bill, or thank them for doing so.
KEY WEBSITES, ALLIES, AND RESOURCES: No Way to Treat a Child (scroll and click on “United States—Do Something”), nwttac.dci-palestine.org
