WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined seven of his Senate colleagues in calling on the President to recognize a Palestinian State. The resolution — the first of its kind in the United States Senate — calls for U.S. recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian State alongside a secure Israel, in accordance with international law and the principles of a two-state solution. It underscores how urgent U.S. action would preserve the best chance for peace, helping give both Palestinians and Israelis a future grounded in freedom, security, and prosperity, Welch said in a release.
“This is a long-held position of the United States, of both Republican and Democratic administrations, which must not be abandoned. The choice before us is clear: either we embrace the two-state solution or continue to support today’s relentless military occupation. This horrible death and destruction in Gaza must stop. That is why the time for two states can be delayed no longer,” Welch said.
“Calling for this does not create a state, but rather reinforces the commitment of the two-state solution,” he said. “I am deeply committed to a safe, secure, democratic Israel. But this outcome is only possible if there is also an independent, demilitarized, and sovereign Palestinian state. … This Resolution reinforces the fact that Israel’s neighbors want peace. Saudi Arabia has led the entirety of the Arab League in reaffirming that it seeks full normalization and peace with Israel—if and when Israel is willing to recognize that Palestinians deserve what all people deserve: the right to self-determination, sovereignty, freedom, and dignity.”ates and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
The Senators’ resolution comes as world leaders meet at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where a number of U.S. allies are preparing to recognize a Palestinian State, joining more than 140 of the 193 UN member states who already do so — a reflection of the global consensus that Palestinian statehood must be part of any lasting peace, Welch said.
