Democratic lawmaker Rashida Tlaib has introduced a resolution in the United States Congress to recognise Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza as a genocide.While the proposal released on Friday has little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, it underscores the growing criticism of Israel in US politics.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listIf the resolution did pass, it would officially recognise that “Israel has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza” and call for an end to the transfer of weapons suspected of being used to commit atrocities to the US ally.The bill also backs “facilitating investigations and domestic proceedings and taking action, including imposing targeted, lawful sanctions, with respect to the State of Israel”.The resolution has been co-sponsored by 20 other Democratic members of Congress, including some prominent legislators.Key progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, potential presidential candidate Ro Khanna, and Gen Z Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who is seen as a rising star in the party, are backing the measure.The resolution comes as the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that granted Israel $3.8bn in US military aid annually is set to expire next year – likely renewing the debate over the assistance as Israeli officials seek a new package.Over the past two years, the US government provided additional assistance to Israel to help fund the war on Gaza – totalling more than $21bn.Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, including at least 20,000 children, and turned most of the territory into rubble.Throughout the war, Israel imposed a blockade on aid to Gaza, …
