[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 132 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            AWDAH HATHALEEN

  Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, I am horrified and outraged by the 
assassination of Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian teacher, community 
leader, father, and peace activist in the West Bank town of Umm Al-
Khair.
  Awdah was a nonviolent activist, respected advocate for his 
community, and a voice for freedom in the West Bank.
  Awdah was shot by a settler terrorist Yinon Levi, who has been 
sanctioned by the UK, Canada, and the European Union and previously 
sanctioned by the United Sates under the Biden administration for 
perpetrating violence against Palestinians. The world knows how 
dangerous and reckless he is. Yet, on the first day of President 
Trump's second term, his administration removed the sanctions on Levi 
and other violent settlers.
  We need to call these actions what they are: terrorism--part of a 
violent, systematic effort, supported by the Israeli military, to 
forcibly remove Palestinians from their land.
  Awdah worked with film directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham on 
their Oscar-winning documentary ``No Other Land,'' which heroically 
showcased the violence in the West Bank, enabled by Israeli forces.
  I call on the White House to immediately reinstate the sanctions on 
those who disrupt the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. 
I also urge Israel to hold Yinon Levi accountable for his crime. He 
should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Israeli officials 
often speak of their independent system of justice. Impunity for Mr. 
Levi's crime and the crimes of other settlers must end. We cannot be 
complacent in the face of this deadly violence and injustice.

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