Press Release

Welch’s remarks on the Senate Floor follow shocking new reporting from the New York Times WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) called on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to abide by the Leahy Law and investigate allegations of sexual violence and human rights abuses by American taxpayer-funded foreign military units. “Every year Egypt and Israel receive more military aid, paid for by American taxpayers, than any other country, and that’s by far. Yet neither of their governments, nor our own, have shown the slightest concern about addressing longstanding allegations of the widespread use of sexual violence against prisoners in their custody. That is unacceptable—it must change. American taxpayer funds are directly supporting foreign military units that have been credibly implicated in rape and other abhorrent acts of sexual violence…The United States has long embraced in its foreign policy the protection of human rights. It is at the heart of the Leahy Law, passed by this United States Senate. That law directs the Secretary of State to investigate credible reports of human rights abuses,” said Senator Welch on the Senate floor. “Mr. President, in light of the credible reports of gross human rights abuses, I call upon the Secretary of State to act—to investigate and to abide by the provisions of the Leahy Law. I yield back.” The Senator’s remarks on the Senate follow new reporting from Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times , published earlier this week, entitled “ The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians ” and “ The Horror of Sexual Assault in Israeli Prisons .” Senator Welch also condemned acts of sexual abuse and violence against Israeli hostages by Hamas, and against prisoners in Egypt. Watch Senator Welch’s remarks on the Senate Floor here : Read Senator Welch’s full remarks below: “Mr. President, multiple press articles and reports by human rights organizations as well as United Nations human rights investigators, have documented the widespread acts of horrific sexual violence against prisoners in the Middle East over many years. “These articles and reports describe, often in graphic, gruesome detail, a consistent pattern of sexual abuse, corroborated by multiple sources, and in some cases with shocking photographs and videos posted on social media by the perpetrators themselves. “These allegations amount to gross violations of human rights, including torture, and if committed by members of foreign military and police forces that receive training or equipment from the United States, they are sanctionable under United States law—the Leahy Law. “In Egypt, allegations of acts of systemic sexual violence against prisoners are not new. The allegations have been the subject of reports, including by U.S. and Egyptian human rights organizations and the Department of State, for many years. “Mr. President, we also know that Hamas militants who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, committed brutal acts of sexual violence, including gang rape, against Israelis during the attack, and against Israeli hostages. On May 12th, a team of Israeli researchers released a report which concluded that sexual violence by Hamas militants against women and men was “systematic, widespread and integral” to the attack. Many of us have condemned those barbaric crimes and called for justice for the Israeli victims. “I personally still have vivid memories of hearing personally of the horrors of these attacks from Israeli victims who bravely came and spoke to members of the U.S. Senate. “Mr. President, here is also extensive evidence, both before and after October 7th, of a pattern of sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners by Israeli security forces. Allegations of such abuses in Israeli prisons are not new, but they have sharply increased since October 7th. So have reports of widespread abuses and killings of Palestinian civilians by Israeli soldiers, and acts of violence—including sexual assault and murder—by Israeli settlers, which reportedly continue to this day. “I will not repeat the gruesome details of the attacks reportedly committed against Palestinian prisoners by Israeli soldiers, but I do urge my colleagues, uncomfortable as it may be, to read the articles by Nicholas Kristof in the May 11th New York Times, entitled “The Horror of Sexual Assault in Israeli Prisons” and “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians.” The heinous acts that were described to him by former prisoners and witnesses, if proven in a court of law, would warrant decades-long prison sentences. “Despite overwhelming evidence, Egyptian authorities and Hamas officials have denied that forces under their command have sexually assaulted prisoners.  Likewise, Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, while rightly condemning Hamas’s acts of sexual violence, dismiss out of hand the reports of similar acts by Israeli soldiers as fabrications. “The fact is that these are not isolated reports, nor are victims of sexual violence prone to voluntarily invite the public scrutiny and profound embarrassment that comes with describing being subjected to these types of humiliating mistreatment. “Mr. President, every year Egypt and Israel receive more military aid, paid for by American taxpayers, than any other country, and that’s by far. Yet neither of their governments, nor our own, have shown the slightest concern about addressing longstanding allegations of the widespread use of sexual violence against prisoners in their custody. That is unacceptable—it must change. American taxpayer funds are directly supporting foreign military units that have been credibly implicated in rape and other abhorrent acts of sexual violence. “Mr. President, the United States has long embraced in its foreign policy the protection of human rights. It is at the heart of the Leahy Law, passed by this United States Senate. That law directs the Secretary of State to investigate credible reports of human rights abuses. “Mr. President, in light of the credible reports of gross human rights abuses, I call upon the Secretary of State to act—to investigate and to abide by the provisions of the Leahy Law. I yield back.” ###