US lawmaker’s bill would ban funds to Israeli military

By Michael Hernandez </p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – Veteran congresswoman Betty McCollum introduced legislation Wednesday that would prohibit U.S. funding to any foreign military that detains children, including Israel.</p> <p>The bill would additionally authorize the creation of an annual $19 million fund to support non-governmental organizations that monitor rights abuses pertaining to the Israeli military's detention of children. </p> <p>&quot;Israel’s system of military juvenile detention is state-sponsored child abuse designed to intimidate and terrorize Palestinian children and their families,&quot; McCollum said in a statement announcing the bill's introduction. </p> <p>McCollum said Israel's military detention of children &quot;must be condemned,&quot; adding that &quot;it is equally outrageous that U.S. tax dollars in the form of military aid to Israel are permitted to sustain what is clearly a gross human rights violation against children.&quot;</p> <p>Roughly 10,000 children have been detained by Israeli security forces since 2000 and subjected to military court proceedings, according to McCollum's bill.</p> <p>&quot;Israeli security forces detain children under the age of 12 for interrogation for extended periods of time even though prosecution of children under 12 is prohibited by Israeli military law,&quot; it says. </p> <p>It further goes on to note that Human Rights Watch reported in 2018 that Israel's military &quot;detained Palestinian children &quot;often using unnecessary force, questioned them without a family member present, and made them sign confessions in Hebrew, which most did not understand.&quot;</p> <p>McCollum's bill faces an uphill battle in Congress where it is likely to face near-uniform opposition from Republicans and is unlikely to garner sufficient Democratic support to clear the House if Speaker Nancy Pelosi chooses to send it to the floor.</p> <p>Still, the Democratic lawmaker was adamant that &quot;Congress must not turn a blind eye to the unjust and ongoing mistreatment of Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation.&quot;

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