Every year, Israel detains and prosecutes between 500 and 700 Palestinian children in military courts that lack due process guarantees and have a conviction rate of 99.74 percent. From the moment of their arrest, these children are subject to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, beatings, and interrogations without a lawyer present and for 96 percent, without a parent present.

On May 1, 2019, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) reintroduced legislation in Congress that would prohibit US tax dollars from funding the Israeli military detention of Palestinian children. H.R. 2407, the Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, is the followup to H.R. 4391 in the last Congress, which boasted a total of 31 cosponsors.

H.R. 2407, the Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, amends an existing human rights law known as the “Leahy Law” to specifically prohibit US funds from being used for the “military detention, interrogation, abuse, or ill-treatment” of children.

The bill aims to end US funding for Israeli military occupation abuses and lays the groundwork for achieving justice. It authorizes the appropriation of funds to monitor human rights abuses and to provide physical, psychological, and emotional rehabilitation to Palestinian children who have been victims of Israel’s military detention system.