Senate Resolution 852 is a proposed 2026 United States congressional resolution to require the US State Department to produce an unclassified report to Congress on Israel's human rights practices and violence in the West Bank, including the killings of American citizens.
The resolution was introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen and co-sponsored by several Democratic in September 2026 under section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows senators to demand human rights reports on countries receiving American military aid. As a privileged resolution, it must be brought to a floor vote within 10 days if a committee fails to consider it.
Background
According to Van Hollen, nine American citizens have been killed in the West Bank since January 1, 2022:
In 2024, a vote on a resolution was forced by Bernie Sanders seeking a State Department report on human rights violations in Gaza received votes from 11 Democrats.
Provisions
The resolution would require the State Department to submit a report to Congress within 30 days on the deaths of nine American citizens in the West Bank involving Israeli security forces or Israeli settlers since 2022, along with the Israeli detention of Palestinian children. The majority of American security assistance to Israel would be suspended if the report is not submitted.
Legislative history
On September 29, 2026, the resolution was defeated 51 to 47 in a Senate floor vote. Democrat John Fetterman joined Republicans in voting against the resolution, and Republican Rand Paul voted in favor.
Following the vote, Van Hollen said, "It is our responsibility to ensure recipients of US taxpayer dollars act in line with our laws and our values – this resolution was an opportunity to shed light on a reality that flies in the face of that principle."
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