Over 100 members of the US Congress signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, according to a report published by Peace Now.
“As longstanding supporters of the US-Israel relationship and of human rights and democracy around the world, we write to express our urgent opposition to your government’s orders to demolish buildings, including private homes and the community center, in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair," the letter, issued in November, stated.
Nearly a quarter of the members of the House of Representatives signed the letter, including many from the Jewish caucus.
Congress members called the demolition orders to the village cruel, saying it would make vulnerable families homeless, including elderly people and children, just as winter arrives.
“This action, in service of making room for more settlers, settlements, and land only for Israelis, would be cruel, unjustified, and in naked violation of international law,” the letter continued.
Concerns of settler extremism growing in the US
The letter further emphasized that the demolition orders not only threatened the residents of Umm al-Kheir but also contributed to the erosion of support for Israel across the US political spectrum, particularly at a time of growing concern about settler extremism in Israel.
It also highlighted recent specific incidents in the area, particularly mentioning Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary No Other Land, who was killed during clashes with settlers in July.
"We are gravely concerned that any further actions by settlers, vigilantes, or the government to destroy the village of Umm al-Khair will traumatize this peaceful community and jeopardize the prospect of long-term peace," the letter continued.
Peace Now echoed the sentiment, claiming that the residents of Umm al-Khair have "fallen victim to the settlers' greed for dispossession and takeover, and to a government controlled by extremists who seek to expel them from their homes and expand the settlements at their expense."