Ruben Gallego leads 30 Senate Democrats in urging Israel to rescind settlement construction permits in the West Bank.
Ruben Gallego led 29 Senate Democratic colleagues in a joint statement on Friday urging the Israeli government to reverse its decision to allow settlement construction in the E1 area. The lawmakers argued that development in the E1 area would sever East Jerusalem from major Palestinian population centers, making a viable contiguous Palestinian state under a two-state solution much harder to achieve. To address these concerns, the lawmakers called on Israel to rescind the E1 construction permits, halt settlement expansion, and take action to halt settler violence. They also called on the administration to take steps to halt such activity, including targeted sanctions on individuals and entities. The group noted that without a change in course, Israel risks weakening its international standing and security. The statement follows a joint condemnation from several international nations, including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Norway, regarding the Israeli government's decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement.