The House of Representatives has voted to effectively conceal the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza.
Lawmakers voted 269-144 on an amendment to prohibit the State Department from citing statistics from the Gaza Health Ministry. The measure is part of the annual State Department appropriations bill and was led by Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Fla., and Josh Gottheimer, N.J., along with Republican Reps. Joe Wilson, S.C.; Mike Lawler, N.Y.; and Carol Miller, W.V. A total of 62 Democrats joined 207 Republicans in supporting the amendment.
Democratic leadership gave “no recommendation” to its members on how to vote on the amendment, highlighting the lack of a clear stance on the issue. The bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Mohammed Khader, policy manager at the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, criticized the amendment as part of a trend of anti-Palestinian sentiment in Congress. He described it as genocide denial, akin to historical atrocities in Rwanda and Armenia.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian member of Congress, condemned the move as genocide denial and attempted to introduce a list of Palestinians killed in Gaza into the congressional record. She highlighted the staggering death toll and injuries in Gaza over the past eight months.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza is the sole official entity tracking the death toll, with figures cited by various governments. However, due to the decimated medical infrastructure and other challenges, these numbers are likely an undercount.
Critics of the amendment have expressed disappointment in Democratic leadership for not taking a stronger stance against anti-Palestinian sentiment and genocide denial within the party. The amendment reflects ongoing efforts to undermine Palestinian rights and pro-Palestinian speech.
In recent months, lawmakers like Moskowitz and Gottheimer have aligned with Republicans on resolutions condemning pro-Palestinian phrases as antisemitic and targeting university presidents for alleged tolerance of antisemitism. Gottheimer has made controversial statements linking Muslims in America to Hamas attacks and has advocated for increased FBI involvement in investigating campus protests.
These lawmakers have also expressed support for dismissing accusations of genocide against Israel, despite growing international concerns. The International Court of Justice recently concluded that Israel may be committing genocide.
The decision to conceal the Gaza death toll has sparked outrage among advocates for Palestinian rights and raised concerns about the erasure of Palestinian suffering. As the bill progresses through Congress, the debate over accountability and transparency in reporting casualties from conflicts like the one in Gaza continues.
The post “62 Democrats Join 207 Republicans in Vote to Conceal Gaza Death Toll” sheds light on a contentious issue within Congress and underscores the importance of accurate reporting and recognition of human rights violations in conflict zones like Gaza.