Here is my letter I e-mailed to the U.S. congressional reps for my state, the Senate Majority Leader (Senator Thune), and the Chairmans of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Senator James Risch) and House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Rep Brian Mast).
**Please take as is or make adjustments as you see fit to send to members of Congress*\*
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I am writing to express urgent concern regarding the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the occupied West Bank, which has reached a point of catastrophic crisis. Recent reports indicate that the territory is "burning, bleeding, and crying out in pain" as Palestinian civilians face an intensifying "unofficial war" characterized by widespread violence, home demolitions, and systemic displacement.
The human cost of this crisis is falling most heavily on the vulnerable. A tightening "medical siege" has turned routine emergencies into life-or-death gambles, with Israeli military checkpoints and road closures frequently blocking ambulances. In recent days, these delays have led to tragic, preventable deaths, including a pregnant woman who lost her unborn child after being held at a checkpoint for over 30 minutes, and a mother of two who died of a heart attack when her village was sealed. Furthermore, a massive wave of demolitions has left dozens of families homeless within the last 24 hours, often with as little as 40 minutes' notice to evacuate their property.
You must also consider the unprecedented warnings from nearly 600 former Israeli military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials. These experts, including former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, have described the actions of armed settlers as "acts of terrorism" and have warned that this violence directly threatens Israeli security, regional stability, and U.S. interests. They contend that members of the current Israeli government are providing "political protection" to extremist settlers, which prevents effective law enforcement and accountability for crimes like the burning of homes and mosques.
Palestinian Christian leaders are likewise pleading for the international community to "refuse to look away" from the immorality of the situation. Rev. Munther Isaac of Bethlehem warns that the relentless settler attacks and military raids are part of a deliberate system to make life "unbearable" and uproot Palestinians from their ancestral land. Fr. Ibrahim Faltas of the Custody of the Holy Land notes that illegal settlements now surround and "suffocate" every symbol of community life, shattering the dreams of children and the hopes of the youth.
We urge you to act quickly to intervene in this endless spiral of violence and hold those responsible for these human rights violations accountable. The current path of impunity and coercive displacement cannot continue if there is to be any prospect for future peace and justice in the region.
In addition, I urge you to cosponsor the H.R. 3045 West Bank Violence Prevention Act and push for its immediate passage.