A group of Democratic senators on Thursday introduced legislation calling on President Trump to recognize a demilitarized Palestinian state, the first such measure to be proposed in the U.S. Senate.
The nonbinding resolution, led by Senator Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, has little chance of advancing in the Republican-led Senate given the lack of support within the G.O.P. Even if it could, it would be unlikely to persuade Mr. Trump, who has suggested he no longer believes a two-state solution is viable.
But proponents argue that it sends an important signal as several U.S. allies prepare to recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly next week, adding to the majority of U.N. members that already do so. And they say it keeps political pressure on the administration to intervene in the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We need to interrupt what’s happening,” Mr. Merkley said in an interview. “We need to have an immediate cease-fire, the hostages returned and an inundation of aid. But we also need a vision for where we go so that 30 years from now, there is a peaceful and prosperous Middle East where we’re not caught in the grip of this conflict.”
He warned that Israel’s current policy and conduct of its military campaign in Gaza will result in a “bad vision” for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The measure calls on Hamas to lay down its arms and release hostages while also urging Israel to end the war in Gaza and surge humanitarian aid into the territory. It asserts that settlement expansion, annexation and rejection of Palestinian statehood are incompatible with peace.
Joining the resolution are other Democrats who have been outspoken about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Peter Welch of Vermont, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont.
In an essay published on his congressional website on Wednesday, Mr. Sanders declared that “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”
A companion measure in the House is being led by Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, who circulated a letter last month urging Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to recognize a Palestinian state.
Mr. Merkley, who traveled to Israel with Mr. Van Hollen last month, said he is no longer convinced that Israel supports a two-state solution.
“I grew up with the framework of the best path to peace is to always stand with Israel, because they will feel the confidence to reach an agreement, but Israel is no longer interested,” he said. “They’re interested in taking the West Bank. They’re interested in taking Gaza.”
No Republicans have joined the effort, making passage unlikely. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and the war that has followed, Republicans have increasingly cast doubt on the notion of a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Last year, Mr. Trump suggested that such a solution was no longer viable, stating that “two states is going to be very, very tough.” In July, the State Department announced that it would not participate in a U.N. meeting to discuss a two-state solution, calling it an “unproductive and ill-timed” gathering and a “slap in the face to the victims of Oct. 7 and a reward for terrorism.”
Mr. Van Hollen, a frequent critic of Mr. Netanyahu and vocal advocate of more aid and support in Gaza, said Israel’s latest military action amounted to a “campaign of ethnic cleansing.”
“The best viable way forward that provides both security and dignity and self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians alike is a two-state solution,” Mr. Van Hollen said in an interview.
The push for recognition of a Palestinian state by some Democratic senators comes as Mr. Rubio has moved to block Palestinian officials from attending the General Assembly in New York. Last month, he said that he would not issue visas to Palestinian officials traveling for the annual meeting of world leaders and called for the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to stop pushing countries to recognize a “conjectural Palestinian state.”
Earlier this week at a news conference alongside Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Rubio cast doubt on the possibility that a negotiated end to the war would be possible.
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