Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Massie Amendment

Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Massie Amendment

"Today, I voted in favor of the Massie Amendment to the FY 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, which would impose a one-year moratorium on funding to Israel. This vote represents a continuation of my commitment to the pursuit of peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. It is my belief that a shift in tactics is now necessary because of my growing frustration with the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its conduct throughout the region.

Successive U.S. Administrations have tried to rein in the Netanyahu government only to find those interventions obstructed, including negotiating and implementing critically needed ceasefires that would stop the bloodshed.

I remain singularly committed to peace, and it is my belief that the only way peace can be achieved is with a two-state solution where a sovereign Palestinian state exists alongside Israel. I wish the amendment had been more narrowly drafted so that it did not result in cuts to aid that has nothing to do with military actions or territorial expansions. I am especially pained that it would indiscriminately harm funding that fosters cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. I hope that my vote for the Massie Amendment sends a clear signal that, while Israel, like all states, has a right to defend its borders and people, their actions must remain within the bounds enshrined in international law. U.S. aid should help create the conditions for a secure, prosperous, and peaceful future for Israelis, Palestinians, and the broader Middle East. My vote is especially well-timed to send this message, as it coincides with the looming expiration of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding outlining U.S. aid to Israel.

I continue to see Israel as a vital American ally in the Middle East and the Israeli people as deserving of support to meet the security challenges they face from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other malignant actors in the region. In order to secure a lasting peace, the government of Israel must first reassess their current military posture; fully engage as a good-faith partner for peace, including in Lebanon and Gaza; address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region; take immediate steps to end illegal settlements in the West Bank and combat rising settler violence against Palestinian civilians."