In a move that surprises absolutely no one who has been paying attention to how Washington works, Republican senators blocked a Democratic effort to force the Trump administration to report on violence and human rights violations in the West Bank. The resolution, which would have required the State Department to report on violence against US citizens by Israel in the West Bank - or else face a cutoff of aid to Israel - failed by a 47-51 vote. Because nothing says "special relationship" like refusing to even talk about the unpleasant bits.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the lone Democrat to vote against the measure, presumably because he's been practicing his "I'm not like the other Democrats" routine. Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted yes, proving that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, especially when it comes to skepticism of foreign aid.

The resolution was led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), alongside Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), with several other Democratic senators signing on when it was introduced near the end of August. Van Hollen, in a Senate floor speech that was probably more passionate than anything you'll hear at a cocktail party, laid out the stakes: "In just over four years, nine American citizens have been killed on the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers or members of the Israeli security forces and there has been zero accountability. It's long past time that we shine a light on these killings and all of the human rights abuses taking place in the West Bank to get answers." Nine Americans. Zero accountability. Sounds like a perfect candidate for a strongly worded letter.

Kaine, who has floated similar resolutions to investigate human rights abuses in El Salvador and other countries that have received third-country deportations, said on the floor that he's heard U.S. military officials describe violence committed in the West Bank by both Israelis and Israeli security forces or reservists. "The circumstances in the West Bank are pretty dire," Kaine said. "If you just go based upon Israeli media or Israeli human rights organizations, there have been significant public instances of attacks on Palestinian communities on the West Bank, for which there has been no accountability." So dire, in fact, that even Israeli media and human rights groups are documenting it - which is saying something, since they're not exactly known for being anti-Israel.

International criticism of "settler violence" - that's the polite term for violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the West Bank - has mounted in recent months amid a surge of attacks. Kaine reiterated that the U.S. relationship with Israel is one of friendship, but said that reporting about violence and human rights violations should be part of that friendship. Because what are friends for, if not to ignore your worst behavior and keep writing checks?

Sanders, for his part, introduced a similar resolution related to violence in Gaza back in January 2024, which received a whopping 11 votes. He spoke on the Senate floor Tuesday and called for accountability for perpetrators of violence in Gaza as well as the West Bank. "Enough is enough. The United States cannot continue to bankroll this violence and look the other way, whether in Gaza or in the West Bank," Sanders said. "It's time to end our complicity." A sentiment that was promptly met with 51 senators saying, "Nah, we're good."