The dovish Jewish American J Street lobby has recommended the US limit security assistance to Israel. The unprecedented move follows a proposal by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) that Washington suspend military aid to Jerusalem.
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McCollum heads the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. As part of the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, she had proposed the US suspend the $3.8 billion in military aid to prevent Israel from using US taxpayer funds for "the military detention, abuse, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention; to support the seizure and destruction of Palestinian property and homes in violation of international humanitarian law; or, to extend any assistance or support for Israel's unilateral annexation of Palestinian territory in violation of international humanitarian law."
Collum's move angered pro-Israel lobbies across the US.
"Sadly, it's no surprise that Representative Betty McCollum, who regularly seeks to delegitimize Israel, is introducing yet another in a series of one-sided, demagogic anti-Israel bills—this one putting civilians at risk," Democratic Majority for Israel CEO Mark Mellman said.
Mellman further noted that McCollum's bill "criticizes Israel for the number of juvenile arrests it makes in the disputed territories without acknowledging that her home state of Minnesota incarcerates 2.3 times more juveniles per capita than Israel does in the territories, while the US as a whole holds 2.7 times more juveniles per capita than Israel does in the territories.
The Palestinian Authority itself arrests three and a half times more juveniles in the territories than Israel does, and is regularly accused of torture—but this one-sided bill is silent on that point."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee also spoke out against the proposed legislation in a statement.
"We agree with @POTUS [US President Joe Biden]: Cuts or conditions on aid to Israel would be 'irresponsible,' 'outrageous' and a 'gigantic mistake.'"
The purportedly pro-Israel J Street, however, expressed support for the bill.
J Street Senior Vice President for Policy and Strategy Dylan Williams said every US dollar sent to Israel should be spent on Israel's genuine security needs and not toward the destruction of Palestinian communities, the expansion of settlements or activities that would facilitate annexation.
Nadav Tamir, executive director of J Street Israel, voiced his support for legislation he said would ensure defense aid bolstered Israel's security instead of actions aimed at deepening "the occupation and annexation."
While a House official told Israel Hayom the legislation in question had no chance of blocking aid to Israel, they said the very fact it was brought to the floor in the first place and supported by J Street was worrying.
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