Israel’s milestone 75th anniversary is a cause for celebration for J Street and millions of Americans who care deeply about the country, its people, and its future as a democracy and a homeland for the Jewish people.
We regret that the Congressional resolution passed to mark the occasion, H.Res. 311, omitted a number of key commitments and aspirations at the heart of the US-Israel relationship – commitments that were contained in previous resolutions commemorating landmark anniversaries for Israel. Specifically, the resolution made no mention of US support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and indeed omitted any mention whatsoever of the US commitment to a peaceful and lasting resolution to the conflict.
That differs dramatically from long-standing bipartisan precedents, including the 2018 House resolution marking Israel’s 70th anniversary, which explicitly supported the goal of a “democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a demilitarized, democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security.”
In discussing the Abraham Accords, the resolution seems to intentionally differ from the Biden Administration’s policy to “bring the Palestinians into” the accords and ensure that the agreements help foster, and not obstruct, progress towards Israel-Palestinian peace. The resolution also notably makes no mention of the current crisis facing Israeli democracy or the inspiring, months-long protests by hundreds of thousands of Israelis in defense of their democratic institutions.
It is unfortunate that, on the occasion of Israel’s 75th anniversary, a broadly-supported Congressional resolution would deviate significantly from longstanding US policy while ignoring some of the most important challenges facing our ally today. We urge the Senate to introduce a resolution that takes a different approach, consistent with the bipartisan commitment to a two-state solution that ensures a peaceful future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
We also hope that Members of the House will individually issue statements making clear their ongoing commitment to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and that they will also sign on to a new letter, led by Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jamie Raskin, that expressly commends Israeli protesters for their ongoing efforts to defend Israel’s democratic foundations.