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Gaza violence sparks debate over conditioning US military aid to Israel 

A number of progressive Democrats have called for the United States to reexamine Israel's annual aid package.
A Palestinian demonstrator stands amidst smoke from burning tires during a protest against the tension in Jerusalem and the Israeli-Gaza fighting, on May 17, 2021, in the occupied West Bank, near the settlement of Beit El next to Ramallah.

The mounting death toll from Israel's campaign of airstrikes against militants in Gaza has thrust US military assistance to the Jewish state into the spotlight, as a small but vocal group of Democrats call for conditions to be placed on the several billions of dollars the United States provides Israel with each year.

“American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations,” tweeted Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). “Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed.”

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