EXCLUSIVE: Centrist Ruben Gallego Circulating Letter Pushing Trump to Investigate Israeli Settler ViolenceThe effort comes after Gallego and other Democrats have faced criticism for their responses to Israel’s US-backed genocide in Gaza.
Prem Thakker
Aug 15, 2025
Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego is leading an effort to push the Trump administration to investigate and punish those involved in settler violence against Palestinians and US citizens in the occupied West Bank.
The letter, led by a centrist Democrat, underscores how much of the party, especially the more moderate wing, is being pushed to evolve their stances as anger among Americans over Israeli settler violence and Israel's genocide in Gaza grows.
A source familiar with the effort says Gallego is collecting Senate signatures for the letter to be sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The letter, obtained by Zeteo, says that the Israeli settler attacks and settlers’ obstruction of humanitarian aid headed to Gaza “directly undermine the United States’ foreign policy interests, contribute to regional instability, and potentially constitute gross violations of human rights.” The letter cites the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old from Florida who was allegedly beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Sinjil, and the death of Khamis Ayyad, a 40-year-old who lived in Chicago, who died after an Israeli settler arson attack in the village of Silwad.
The letter urges the Trump administration to conduct a full review of individuals accused of obstructing aid to Gaza and those who have engaged in violent attacks on Palestinians and aid workers in the West Bank; to sanction those culpable; and to coordinate with Israeli authorities to “ensure accountability and prevent further disruption of humanitarian operations.”
The letter looks to Executive Order 13818 – signed by President Donald Trump in 2017 – which gives the US authority to sanction foreign individuals involved in “serious human rights abuses” and “corruption.” Former President Joe Biden had invoked the authority to sanction dozens of Israeli settlers and entities it said were involved in West Bank violence. Trump rolled back these sanctions immediately upon taking office. (One of those targets, Yinon Levi, allegedly went on to kill Awdah Hathleen, a crew member of the Oscar-winning film ‘No Other Land.’)
‘Always Evolving’
Gallego’s leadership of the letter marks another shift in moderate Democrats’ approach to Israel and Palestine. Just last week, while in Iowa, Gallego attracted criticism for an exchange he had with voters. At a public event, Gallego had said, “The people of Gaza are in this situation because Donald Trump is President.”
Members in the crowd pointed out that Biden was president during Israel’s war on....
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