Senior Democrats have accused former President Donald Trump’s administration of enabling violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, creating "a climate of impunity and unbridled violence" that threatens Palestinians and US citizens alike.

In a letter dated August 6, 2026, and seen by the Guardian, 19 Democratic senators and representatives, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, urged the current US administration to restore sanctions against extremist settlers. They also demanded independent US investigations into the deaths of nine US citizens killed in the West Bank since 2022.

The letter, addressed to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, criticized Trump’s decision on his first day back in office to rescind sanctions on more than 30 settlers and organizations linked to violence. The Democrats argued this move sent a "clear message" that settlers could use deadly force with impunity against Palestinians and Americans while seizing land.

Citing United Nations figures, the letter noted 1,835 attacks on Palestinian communities and property in 2025—the highest number since records began—and reported that the current pace of settler attacks in 2026 is even higher.

The victims named include Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; 14-year-old Amer Mohammed Rabea; 17-year-olds Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour; 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet; 78-year-old Palestinian American Omar Assad; and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

The Democrats also expressed concern over the detention of US citizens by the Israeli military, including 20-year-old Sama Safi, whose access to vital medication was allegedly interrupted after her arrest, and Mohammed Ibrahim, detained for nine months starting at age 15.

The letter emphasized that Trump’s 2025 promise not to allow Israel to annex the West Bank has been undermined by ongoing events, with settlers and the Netanyahu government expanding Israeli control over civilian populations in the region.

They called on the US government to use all diplomatic and economic tools available, including reinstating sanctions, to halt the violence and settlement expansion.

Sources