WASHINGTON — In a flex of party unity and in seeming rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, rallied Senate Democrats Wednesday in support of an amendment to the hotly debated national security supplemental package that would assert the United States’ continued support of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

What You Need To Know

  • The amendment would be inserted in a section of the U.S. code relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for emergency treatment via the Veterans Community Care program

  • The proposed amendment closely follows Netanyahu’s reiteration, both in direct conversation with Pres. Joe Biden and in a message posted to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), that his government does not support an independent Palestinian state
  • Forty-eight Democratic senators joined Schatz in co-sponsoring the amendment

  • Schatz told media outlets on Wednesday that he’s hopes to gain Republican support for the amendment but that he does not intend to insist that it get a floor vote as a condition of supporting the broader bill

“The U.S. government has long supported a two-state solution as a path to a just and lasting peace in the region, and our amendment reaffirms our continued commitment to that vision,” Schatz said in a statement released Wednesday. “The horrors of the war on and since October 7th have underscored the fundamental reality that in order for both Israelis and Palestinians to live in safety and with dignity, they need to have distinct, inalienable, and mutually-recognized states that coexist side-by-side in peace.”

The amendment would be inserted in a section of the U.S. code relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for emergency treatment via the Veterans Community Care program and would read: “It is the policy of the United States (1) to support a negotiated comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace, security, dignity, and mutual recognition; and (2) that such a solution must ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a secure, democratic, and Jewish state, and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own.”

The proposed amendment closely follows Netanyahu’s reiteration, both in direct conversation with Pres. Joe Biden and in a message posted to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), that his government does not support an independent Palestinian state.

Forty-eight Democratic senators joined Schatz in co-sponsoring the amendment.

Schatz told media outlets on Wednesday that he hopes to gain Republican support for the amendment but that he does not intend to insist that it get a floor vote as a condition of supporting the broader bill.

Among those supporting the amendment was Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“Peace in the region requires a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestinian state co-existing side-by-side with security, prosperity, and dignity,” Schumer said in a statement released on Wednesday. “The United States must continue to be a leader on the world stage to forge a path forward for a two-state solution as we strive for stability in the Middle East.”

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.