Opinion | What I saw in the West Bank and why I voted against further U.S. aid to Israel

During a three-day trip to the West Bank, a U.S. Congress member witnessed firsthand the conditions faced by Palestinians, informing their vote against further U.S. aid to Israel. The representative described being detained by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers for 90 minutes in Khirbet Zanuta, an experience from which they were released only due to their congressional status and U.S. Embassy intervention. The article details observations of the separation wall in Bethlehem, the protective netting in Hebron against settler attacks, and land confiscations in Beit Sahour and Turmus Ayya, often affecting Palestinian-American landowners. The representative also highlighted disparities in water allocation and recounted stories of violence, including the deaths of American children Amer Rabee and Saifullah Musallet, and the torture of Mohammed Ibrahim. The summary concludes with the representative's assertion that the situation constitutes "apartheid," with American weapons and aid supporting a system where settlers live under civil law and Palestinians under military law, leading to restricted movement and unpunished settler violence. Bob Suberi, a Jewish American, stated that "without U.S. support, what [settlers] are doing here can’t happen."