The House of Representatives has approved a measure to hide the death toll from Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
Lawmakers voted 269-144 on Thursday to prevent the State Department from using data from the Gaza Health Ministry. This decision is part of the annual State Department appropriations bill and was spearheaded by Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, and Republican Reps. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Mike Lawler of New York, and Carol Miller of West Virginia.
A total of 62 Democrats joined 207 Republicans in supporting the amendment.
Despite usual guidance from party leaders on voting, Democratic leadership did not provide a recommendation to its members regarding the amendment. Once the full bill passes in the House, it will move to the Senate for consideration.
Mohammed Khader, policy manager at the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, criticized the amendment as part of a broader trend of anti-Palestinian sentiment in Congress during Israel’s actions in Gaza. He likened the denial of acknowledging the Palestinian death toll to past instances of genocide denial in history.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian member of Congress, also condemned the amendment, labeling it as genocide denial and highlighting the extensive list of Palestinian casualties in Gaza.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza is the primary source for tracking the death toll, with figures cited by various governments, including the U.S. and Israel. The numbers reported are likely underestimated due to challenges in medical infrastructure and rescue efforts.
Some Democratic staffers expressed disappointment in their party’s stance on the Gaza death toll, calling it a form of racism and genocide denial.
Moskowitz and Gottheimer, along with other Democrats, have been criticized for their efforts to suppress pro-Palestinian speech and activism.
These actions have included condemning certain phrases as antisemitic, censuring colleagues, and aligning with Republican resolutions against Palestinian rights.
Please rewrite this sentence.
Source link
