Today, Dean Phillips continued his push for a collaborative and productive relationship with Israel by calling for cooperation between Israel and the United States in the investigation into the death of U.S. citizen Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed on May 11, 2022, while working as a journalist in Jenin.  Phillips noted that important questions remain about her death and said, “Any time an American citizen is killed overseas the U.S. government should make every effort to understand what happened and ensure appropriate accountability.”  Phillips went on to say, “I hope that Israel will remain open to partnering with U.S. law enforcement representatives to fully understand what led to this tragedy and take appropriate action to prevent something like this from ever happening again.” 

Phillips also called for greater transparency and deliberation in the Israeli government’s efforts to create a military training installation in Masafer Yatta, in the West Bank.  Noting the recent expulsions of families living in the area, Phillips said, “Israel must be able to secure and build the training facilities its military requires.  However, when those efforts involve expelling civilians from their homes, there should be a clear and inclusive process for determining whether or how to do so.”