Palestinian Americans meet US lawmakers as Trump seeks $2.8bn for Israel
More than 300 Palestinian American constituents traveled to Washington, DC, to meet staff and members of Congress, urging a shift in US policy toward Israel as the Trump administration moves ahead with a reported $2.8 billion arms transfer. Organisers said meetings covered calls to condition weapons transfers, address settler violence in the occupied West Bank, and curb the use of immigration law against Palestinian advocates in the United States.
Why It Matters
The visits took place amid reports the administration approved a large munitions package to Israel that included MK-84 bombs, intensifying debate in Washington over conditioning US military aid. Advocates and some lawmakers are pointing to changing public opinion and recent congressional votes as evidence of a possible political turning point on US policy toward Israel and Palestine.
Key Facts
- organiser: Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
- participants: More than 300 constituents
- lawmakers-contacted: Offices of more than 100 US lawmakers
- states-represented: 26 states
- reported-weapons-package: $2.8bn approved by Trump administration
Palestinian Americans convened a day of advocacy at the US Capitol to press lawmakers on a suite of policy demands as the Trump administration reportedly approved a $2.8 billion military package to Israel. The Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) said more than 300 constituents from 26 states held meetings with the offices of over 100 members of the House and Senate to discuss measures related to Israel’s campaign in Gaza, rising settler violence in the West Bank, and the administration’s use of immigration law against pro-Palestine advocates. Organisers and participants framed their lobbying around recent developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict and reported components of the weapons transfer. US media accounts cited by advocates say the package included MK-84 2,000-pound bombs and 20,000 of those munitions alongside 20,000 BLU-117s. Several Democratic lawmakers have said they will try to block the transfer, and the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, used procedural leverage last week to slow congressional clearance. Speakers at the event stressed changing political dynamics in the US. AJP Action’s executive director Osama Abu Irshaid pointed to public-opinion polling showing increased support for conditioning some weapons transfers to Israel and a broader surge in backing for Palestinian rights. Advocates also cited recent congressional activity: last year 26 Senate Democrats voted to block some arms transfers, an April effort drew 40 Democratic votes in the Senate, and the Block the Bombs Act in the House had reached 81 co-sponsors by August. Participants also raised concerns about civilian harm in Gaza and violence in the West Bank. The source material reported nearly 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with about 1,400 deaths occurring after a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025. Advocates noted at least nine US citizens have been killed in West Bank violence in recent years and urged congressional probes, including a resolution from 22 Democratic senators calling on the State Department to investigate violence by Israeli forces and settlers. Delegates additionally sought reforms to immigration law provisions the Trump administration has cited when moving to deport individuals it deems to have "adverse foreign policy consequences."
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