Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, despite his public gestures of concern for Palestinians, has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pro-Israel policies that have devastating consequences for Palestinian civilians. With $579,554 in campaign contributions from AIPAC, Whitehouse’s financial ties to the pro-Israel lobby are undeniable, and his voting record reflects this influence. His support for sending $41 billion in military aid to Israel—at a time when the Israeli government is executing a brutal genocide campaign in Gaza—shows a clear disregard for the lives of Palestinians. According to The Lancet, it’s projected that 180,000 Gazans will die as a result of this genocide, and Whitehouse’s legislative actions, particularly his vote to cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), only exacerbate the suffering.
In a February 2024 statement, Whitehouse attempted to express concern for Gaza, stating, “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and the civilian suffering is at an unacceptable and staggering level.” These words ring hollow given his active support for legislation that enables Israel to continue its military onslaught, including airstrikes on hospitals, schools, and densely populated civilian areas. Rather than taking decisive action to halt Israel’s atrocities, Whitehouse has joined meaningless gestures like signing a letter to President Biden urging Israel to allow aid into Gaza—efforts that have failed to make any real impact as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid.
When asked in an interview whether Israel’s actions justified the mass civilian deaths in Gaza, Whitehouse responded, “I don’t think so. I don’t see how it can.” Yet this sentiment is starkly at odds with his legislative record. His votes to cut aid to UNRWA, an organization crucial for delivering food, water, and medical supplies to Gaza, alongside his endorsement of Israel’s military aid package, paint the picture of a politician more interested in preserving his financial ties to AIPAC than in protecting human life. Whitehouse’s rhetoric about peace in the Middle East seems little more than a distraction from his role in supporting policies that contribute to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
Related Links
Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential, The Lancet, July 2024
Gaza infrastructure damages estimated at $18.5bn in UN-World Bank report, Al Jazeera News, April 2024
Increase Flow of Humanitarian Aid, Sheldon Whitehouse Gov., February 2024
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on the Israel and Ukraine, The Public’s Radio, February 2024
