Ro Khanna leads congressional push to recognize Palestine statehood
Washington DC - Representative Ro Khanna is leading a Democratic push in Congress for the US to recognize Palestinian statehood.
According to Axios, more than a dozen House Democrats have signed a letter led by Khanna calling on the Trump administration to follow in the footsteps of France, Canada, and other nations in recognizing a Palestinian state.
The California Democrat also plans to introduce a resolution to that effect, the outlet reported.
"This tragic moment has highlighted for the world the long overdue need to recognize Palestinian self-determination," reads a draft of the letter.
In addition to Khanna, the signatories reportedly include:
- Al Green of Texas
- André Carson of Indiana
- Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey
- Chellie Pingree of Maine
- Greg Casar of Texas
- Jared Huffman of California
- Jim McGovern of Massachusetts
- Lloyd Doggett of Texas
- Mark Pocan of Wisconsin
- Maxwell Frost of Florida
- Nydia Velazquez of New York
- Pramila Jayapal of Washington
- Veronica Escobar of Texas
Khanna's effort comes amid acute fears of famine and mass starvation in Gaza under Israel's brutal blockade and ongoing assault on the Palestinian territory. The US continues to arm Israel in spite of its atrocities.
According to The Guardian, the letter states that the Palestinian state "will need to fully recognize Israel and adopt a framework to guarantee Israel’s security, including the disarmament of and relinquishing of power by Hamas in order to be broadly embraced by the community of nations."
"Our party hungers for moral leadership," Khanna posted on X on Monday. "Let us oppose military aid used to kill civilians to Israel during a mass starvation & recognize a Palestinian state. Let us stand up for the rights of immigrants. Let us not abandon trans kids. It is time to stand for human dignity."
Cover photo: IMAGO / Newscom World