President Joe Biden is facing pressure from some progressive members of his own party to "undertake a shift in U.S. policy" towards what they called Israel's "new extreme right-wing" government and to investigate whether U.S. made weapons had been used in rights abuses, according to a draft of a letter obtained by Newsweek.
The letter, written by Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman, urges "immediate action" against the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose cabinet members "are pushing repressive, anti-democratic policies and escalating violence towards the Palestinian population."
So far, it has been signed by nine other congressional progressives, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, Summer Lee, Andre Carson and Betty McCollum, as well as Senator Bernie Sanders, who is mustering support for the effort in his chamber. A spokesperson from Bowman's office confirmed the details of the letter to Newsweek.
The undated letter comes as Netanyahu is facing protests at home over his plans to overhaul Israel's judiciary, which would grant more power to the nation's parliament and remove some of the courts' oversight of the governing body. It would give the party in power, which currently is Netanyahu's Likud, greater authority.
"This move would threaten the rights of all citizens of Israel, enable more corruption by Prime Ministers, and open the path towards further annexation of Palestinian lands," the letter says of Netanyahu's proposal.
The Israeli prime minister's office declined to comment.
The letter signers, most of whom are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called on the Biden administration to ensure that taxpayer funds are not supporting "projects in illegal settlements" and that all future U.S. assistance to Israel will not be used "in support of gross violations of human rights."
The Democrats are also asking the president to determine whether there have been any violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibit American weapons from being used for human rights abuses.
"We urge immediate action to prevent the further loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives," the letter reads. "Only by protecting democracy, human rights, and self-determination for all Palestinians and Israelis can we achieve a lasting peace."
Twenty-three organizations, including Americans for Peace Now and Jewish Voice for Peace Action, have endorsed the effort.
Asking other members of Congress to support the letter to Biden, Bowman told his colleagues: "The longer we wait to take action, the further the reality of a two-state solution – and the closer the reality of an entrenched extremist government and worsening violence in the region."
The Biden administration has said that Israelis and Palestinians deserve "equal measures of freedom," but Biden has also warned Netanyahu against the proposed judicial changes in the wake of the recent unrest in Israel.
On Sunday, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said the administration was "deeply concerned" by the developments in Israel, including Netanyahu's abrupt dismissal of his defense minister for his opposition to the judiciary overhaul.
"Democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, and fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support," the spokesperson said. "We continue to strongly urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible that is based on broad popular support."
In response, Netanyahu fired back at Biden, saying that while he's known the American president for over 40 years and while he "appreciate[s] his long-standing commitment to Israel," his nation is a "sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends."
Update 03/30/23, 4:40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information
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