Oppose S.554 – End U.S. Partnerships with Apartheid Israel

I am writing to demand that you oppose S.554, the so-called “United States-Israel Partnership Act of 2025.” This bill seeks to deepen U.S. ties with a government that has made clear its commitment to apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of the Palestinian people. Israel has used U.S. weapons and diplomatic cover to massacre over 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza. It has bombed hospitals, refugee camps, aid convoys, and killed UN staff. Its leaders have used genocidal language openly and repeatedly. The International Court of Justice has stated that Israel is plausibly committing genocide. Why is Congress still working to reward this? This bill also threatens the safety of communities here in the U.S. The “Deadly Exchange” programs, which train U.S. police and ICE agents in Israeli counterinsurgency tactics, have fueled the militarization of U.S. law enforcement. These exchanges teach racial profiling, surveillance, and violent repression—tactics used to brutalize Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and Muslim communities and any who voice dissent. S.554 explicitly calls for expanding these joint trainings, which only escalate state violence in both countries. We should not be in partnership with a government that proudly defies international law and boasts about collective punishment. We should not align ourselves with a regime that kills children, journalists, and aid workers with impunity. And we certainly should not be funding, normalizing, or formalizing such partnerships into law. If there are any tariffs to be imposed, they should be placed on Israeli goods. If there are any “exchanges” to be arranged, they should be with nations who respect human rights—not those actively engaged in ethnic cleansing. This bill is shameful. Any senator who supports it is aligning themselves with genocide, apartheid, and the ongoing repression of people both abroad and at home. I urge you in the strongest terms: Vote NO on S.554. End all partnerships with apartheid Israel. Sanction them instead.