Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) In the West Bank, Israeli military law is applied to Palestinians while Israeli civilian law is applied to Israeli settlers, resulting in different legal protections, including for minors. (2) Each year, Israeli authorities detain and prosecute hundreds of Palestinian minors within a military court system that does not consistently provide timely access to legal counsel, parental presence during interrogation, or other basic due process guarantees as required under international human rights and humanitarian law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel ratified in 1991. (3) Reports by Israeli, Palestinian, and international human rights organizations have documented the use of nighttime arrests, coercive or prolonged interrogations, and prolonged administrative detention of Palestinian minors without charge or trial, practices inconsistent with international standards for the treatment of children in detention. (4) Israel’s ongoing imposition of a restrictive planning and permitting regime in Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem results in the routine demolition or confiscation of Palestinian homes and structures. (5) These demolitions in Area C and East Jerusalem contribute to the displacement of Palestinian families, heighten tensions on the ground, and impede efforts to create conditions conducive to long-term stability and peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. (6) The expansion of Israeli settlements and any steps toward unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank contravene international law. (7) Israel receives significant United States security assistance, including Foreign Military Financing and funds designated for offshore procurement, which constitutes an exception to standard United States arms transfer and assistance practices, under which a portion of United States assistance may be used to procure defense articles produced in Israel. (8) Congress has an interest in ensuring that all United States-origin defense articles and funds are used in a manner consistent with United States laws, regulations, and policy objectives.