US Sen. Martin Heinrich (rear), Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and US Rep. Melanie Stansbury confer with President Joe Biden at the ABQ Sunport during a visit in August 2023

New Mexico’s senior U.S. Senator, Martin Heinrich, joined 18 of his fellow senators to publicly call for the U.S. to establish a framework to recognize a non-militarized Palestinian state.

Nineteen senators, all Democrats, authored a letter to President Joe Biden this week calling for a “bold, public framework” to recognize a Palestinian state as a part of a long–term peace process to end the Israel-Gaza war that will reach the 6-month mark next week.

“Given the severity of the current crisis, this moment requires determined U.S. leadership that must move beyond facilitation. As such, we request the Biden Administration promptly establish a bold, public framework outlining the steps necessary for the U.S. to recognize a nonmilitarized Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, to be governed by a revitalized and reformed Palestinian Authority,” the senators wrote. 

The group calls for the U.S. to lead a “regional peace initiative” that includes a two-state solution — but where one of those states, Palestine, would be disarmed.

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In addition to Heinrich, the letter was signed by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). 

New Mexico’s other U.S. Senator, Ben Ray Lujan (D), did not sign the letter.

Read the full letter HERE and below:

letter_to_president_biden_on_recognition_of_a_palestinian_stateDownload

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  1. Why is there no push for ceasefire in Ukraine from Heinrich and Lujan?Is what’s happening to the Ukrainian people of lesser consequence? Heinrich and Lujan have fallen in line like a couple of little ducklings, for years, in support of throwing billions of American dollars at continuing the war in Ukraine without any peep about ceasefire or an exit strategy there, but want to squawk about Palestinian!!? Hypocrites.

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  2. Why should heinrich’s proposal include a demilitarized Palestine. It should have the same opportunities as every other country in the world

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