Overview

• On August 4, Rep. Ro Khanna and twelve fellow Democrats sent a letter to President Trump and Secretary Rubio urging U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state in response to Gaza’s deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
• Signatories include Reps. Chellie Pingree, Nydia Velázquez, Jim McGovern and André Carson, marking nearly triple the support that co-sponsored a 2023 resolution affirming Palestinian statehood.
• The lawmakers pointed to pledges by France, the UK and Canada to recognize Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly in September as momentum for aligning U.S. policy with allied governments.
• President Trump maintains a close alliance with Israel despite planning hunger relief in Gaza, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood and vows to retain control of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
• Advocates warn that formal U.S. recognition would subject the Palestinian Authority to international legal standards, potentially exposing PA leaders to ICC prosecutions over stipends paid to families of convicted militants.