The Senate passed a resolution Tuesday night declaring that Israel is not a “racist or apartheid state,” a rebuke of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), whose inflammatory comments sparked fierce backlash ahead of a state visit by Israel’s president.
House Republicans introduced the measure last week to put Democrats on the record after Jayapal, the top progressive in the lower chamber, called Israel racist for its treatment of Palestinians. Democrats overwhelmingly support Israel — party leadership swiftly came out against her comments — but a small crop of lawmakers, mostly members of the “Squad,” are deeply critical.
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Nine Democrats voted against the resolution, while one voted present. Jayapal has since apologized for her remarks and voted for the measure.
The Senate did not record a vote on the resolution; it passed around 11 p.m., long after senators had departed for the day. But before the chamber adjourned for the night, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), with Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) presiding, brought up the measure to be approved by unanimous consent.
Schumer is not without critics of Israel in his own ranks. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, surprised no one when he boycotted Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s joint address to Congress last week. He was joined by several House progressives, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), whose past comments on the Jewish state, which were widely denounced as antisemitic, prompted the House to pass a resolution condemning bigotry in 2019.
Democrats, upset that Israel continues to expand its settlements in the West Bank, have walked a fine line between supporting Israel and voicing opposition to actions they believe are undermining a two-state solution. That frustration is directed squarely at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose pursuit of judicial reforms in his own country has worsened tensions. The Israeli Knesset passed those reforms, which weaken the power of the Supreme Court, on Monday.
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“Look, the bottom line is I strongly and fully support a strong Israel-America relationship,” Schumer, dressed in blue and white for the Herzog address, told reporters last week. “But I’ve expressed my disagreements directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
The Senate finished the night by approving two other resolutions, one designating July as National Blueberry Month and another honoring the 30th anniversary of the Pentagon’s State Partnership Program.
