(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/27/22) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today applauded U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and other members of the committee, for introducing a legislative reporting requirement instructing the State Department to conduct an “independent, credible, and transparent investigation into the shooting death of Palestinian-American citizen and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.”
The proposed reporting requirement, which has not yet been adopted, alsoincludes language requiring the State Department to determine whetherthe Israeli military’s murder of Akleh was in violation of the “Leahy Law,” which could trigger a prohibition of U.S. government funds to assist the Israeli military.
So far,the Biden Administration has shamefully refused to conduct an immediate independent investigation into an Israeli military sniper’s May murder of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
The reporting requirement would provide Senate instruction to the federal government on how to spend the funds that would be approved in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023.
SEE: PAGES 75-76: EXPLANATORY STATEMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS AP- PROPRIATIONS BILL, 2023
“The Committee directs the Secretary of State to submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the act on steps taken to facilitate and support an independent, credible, and transparent investigation into the shooting death of Palestinian-American citizen and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, including whether section 620M of the FAA applies to such case. The report shall detail which independent party conducted the investigation and the findings therein.” – Pages 75-76 of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Explanatory Statement for Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2023
In a statement, CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw said:
“CAIR applauds Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy, and other committee members, for introducing reporting requirements mandating a full and transparent State Department investigation into the Israeli military’s murder of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
“We strongly encourage all Democratic and Republican members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to approve this reporting requirement that demands justice for Shireen Abu Akleh. We also encourage the House Appropriations Committee to adopt similar language.
“It is embarrassing that the Biden administration would continue to dodge congressional and public requests to investigate and hold the Israeli government accountable for murdering American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.”
In addition to being the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy is President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate and the senior-most member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. On September 15, Senator Leahy issued a statement repeating his call on the Biden Administration to investigate Akleh’s murder, concluding that if the killing was “intentional, and if no one is held accountable, then the Leahy Law must be applied.”
On September 8, CAIR condemned the State Department’s “shameful refusal” to hold the Israeli government accountable for murdering Akleh following its “welcoming” the Israeli military’s report that concluded there was a “high probability” that an Israeli soldier unintentionally killed her during a raid in the West Bank.
While the Israeli military knows the identity of Abu Akleh’s murderer, it has said that no one would be investigated or punished for her killing.
Despite repeated calls from CAIR, other civil rights groups, human rights activists, and media associations on President Biden to order the FBI to investigate the murder, the State Department insteadinitially called for the Israeli government to adopt new “policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has already rejected the State Department’s call for reform by saying no one – implying the U.S. government – “will dictate our open-fire policies to us” and Israel’s “soldiers have the full backing of the government of Israel and the people of Israel.”
Following Lapid’s rebuke,State Department spokesperson Ned Price capitulated to Lapid by backing down from his calling on the Israeli government to adopt new policies by saying: “No one knows the IDF’s processes and procedures better than the IDF. And so it is not on us or any other country or entity to say precisely what the IDF or any military or security organization around the world should do.”
Following the Israeli military’s release of their report on the murder of Abu Akleh, Senator Van Hollen also called for an independent U.S. investigation by tweeting: “The crux of the “defense” in this IDF report is that a soldier was “returning fire” from militants. But investigations @NYTimes @AP @CNN @washingtonpost & @UN found no such firing at the time. This underscores need for independent US inquiry into this American journalist’s death.”
Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-IL) has also rejected the Biden administration’s refusal to hold Israel accountable, tweeting: “The @StateDept’s response to Israel’s statement refusing to prosecute the soldiers responsible for killing Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh is woefully inadequate. I expect nothing short of a US investigation that leads to accountability. It’s the least we can do.”
CAIR initially called on the Biden administration to condemn the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh and direct the FBI to launch an investigation.
Also in May, CAIR welcomed a congressional letter signed by 57 members of the U.S. House Representatives calling on the State Department and the FBI to investigate her murder.
In June, CAIR and its Georgia chapter (CAIR-GA) welcomed a letter from Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) calling for a full investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder.
Also in June, CAIR welcomed a call by 24 members of the U.S. Senate for the Biden administration to ensure our nation’s direct involvement in the investigation of Abu Akleh’s death.
In July, CAIR condemned the State Department’s attempt to “whitewash and excuse” the Israeli government’s murder of Shireen Abu Akleh.
Also in July, CAIR called on President Biden to meet with Abu Akleh’s family and publicly call for justice for her during his trip to Jerusalem. CAIR condemned the president’s failure to do so as “a failure of moral leadership.”
SEE: CAIR Calls on President Biden to Meet with Family of Shireen Abu Akleh During Jerusalem Visit
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com