US Congress 'Concerned' About Christians, Still Funds West Bank Grab
Al Jazeera's piece details how Israeli settler expansion is systematically squeezing out the ancient Christian community near Bethlehem. This 'concern' about religious minorities, however, rarely translates into action from US lawmakers, particularly those who consistently greenlight billions in military aid to Israel. For instance, Senator Lindsey Graham—who has received over $100,000 from
pro-Israel PACs since 2018 (OpenSecrets.org)—voted for the latest $14.5 billion aid package in February 2024, despite widespread reports of escalating settler violence against Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim. One might wonder at what point the 'threat' to Palestinian Christians becomes severe enough for Washington to connect its aid dollars to the bulldozing of churches and appropriation
of land. After all, the US State Department’s own 2023 Human Rights Report detailed significant Israeli government (and settler) discrimination and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. But why let inconvenient facts get in the way of bipartisan support from politicians like Senator Graham, whose rhetoric often champions religious freedom abroad, just not, it seems, when it impacts those
receiving US-funded settlements?