Newsletters
A group of Democratic House members is mounting a push to recognize Palestinian statehood, with Representative Ro Khanna signaling efforts will intensify before the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
Khanna took to the social media platform X to share a Jewish Insider report about 11 Democratic House members sending a letter to the U.S. administration calling for recognition of a Palestinian state. The California congressman claimed the story was leaked with "sabotage" intentions, but said such tactics would not succeed.
"Palestinian statehood recognition is an idea whose time has come," Khanna wrote. "The response from my colleagues has been overwhelming."
The congressman indicated Democrats would work to build support for Palestinian recognition initiatives ahead of the September U.N. gathering, marking a notable shift in Congressional discourse on the issue during a period of heightened Middle East tensions.
In a related development, four Democratic House members sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging immediate action to end the war in Gaza.
Representatives Gregory Meeks, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes and Jamie Raskin signed the correspondence, which described the Gaza conflict as having evolved into "a profound humanitarian crisis, geographical instability and a dire risk for all parties."
"We invite you to put the full weight of American diplomacy toward bringing an urgent, definitive and permanent end to this conflict," the lawmakers wrote to Trump.
The letter emphasized the mounting humanitarian catastrophe as fighting continues, urging the president to "bring all relevant parties back to the negotiating table without further delay, including Israel, Palestinian leaders, and regional stakeholders."
The dual Democratic initiatives reflect growing pressure within the party to take more assertive positions on Palestinian issues, even as the new Trump administration shapes its Middle East policy approach.
2 min read
