US House advances bill to protect Saudi dissidents and suspend arms sales
Legislation would allow investigation into whether Saudi diplomatic offices in US are involved in harassing or spying on dissidents
Protesters gather in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia on 2 October 2019 in Washington, DC, to remember Jamal Khashoggi one year after his killing (AFP) By Published date: 22 April 2021 15:06 UTC | Last update: 4 sec ago
The US House has voted in favour of a bill set to limit arms sales to Saudi Arabia and hold the kingdom accountable for the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The bill, entitled the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021, passed in a bipartisan 350-71 vote on Wednesday, moving the legislation forward.
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Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., speaks during the House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on the administration foreign policy priorities on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in Washington. (Ting Shen/Pool via AP)
WASHINGTON (JTA) The top Democratic and Republican lawmakers from the House Foreign Affairs Committee have joined a bill that supports the expansion of normalization agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
It’s a sign of increasing bipartisan support for the initiative launched by former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the New York Democrat who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and his Republican counterpart, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, are among the co-sponsors of the measure introduced Wednesday. A companion bill in the Senate also has bipartisan backing.
Hundreds of US lawmakers urge maintaining Israel aid without conditions middleeasteye.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from middleeasteye.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(Amir Cohen/Reuters)
A bipartisan group of more than 300 lawmakers is pouring cold water on a campaign by progressive lawmakers to restrict U.S. military aid to Israel, as the country faces continued threats from Iran and Hezbollah.
“Congress is committed to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge and its ability to defend itself, by itself, against persistent threats,” write the members of Congress to the top lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee in a letter spearheaded by Representatives Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ted Deutch, who chairs a subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and terrorism. It goes on to call U.S. aid to Israel “a vital and cost-effective expenditure” that is in America’s national security interests. “For decades, Presidents of both parties have understood the strategic importance of providing Israel with security assistance,” they write.
Lawmakers Demand Full Funding for Israeli Security Aid
Bipartisan coalition urges Appropriations Committee to approve aid with no strings attached Getty Images Adam Kredo • April 22, 2021 5:00 am
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A bipartisan coalition of more than 300 lawmakers is pressing their colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to guarantee that Israel receives $3.8 billion in U.S. security assistance to help it combat pressing threats from Iran and its terrorist proxy groups in the region a call that comes as top Democratic lawmakers such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) advocate conditioning aid on the Jewish state relinquishing land to the Palestinians.
As negotiations over the sprawling 2022 federal budget begin, the lawmakers want to ensure that aid to Israel is not reduced. They also urge Appropriations Committee members to approve the aid without conditions that are favored by many left-leaning Democrats, including withholding aid if Israel does not agree to strict rest