Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, speaks on Iran negotiations as Elaine Luria, a Virginia Democrat, and Donald Norcross, a New Jersey Democrat, look on at a news conference on Capitol Hill, April 6, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A bipartisan slate of 25 Congress members, including a number who are close to the pro-Israel community, called on the Biden administration to pressure the Palestinian Authority to release the bullet that killed a Palestinian reporter for an independent investigation.

“We urge you to ask the Palestinian Authority to provide access to the forensic evidence in [Shireen] Abu Akleh’s death for an independent investigation so that all parties can reach a definitive conclusion about the events leading to her death, and hold all parties accountable,” said the letter sent Friday and spearheaded by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Jewish New Jersey Democrat.

The signatories, 14 Democrats and 11 Republicans, include lawmakers known for their close ties to the center-right pro-Israel community, among them Democrats Gottheimer and Donald Norcross of New Jersey; Virginia Democrat Elaine Luria; and Democrat Juan Vargas and Republican Young Kim, both from California.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Israel wants to jointly investigate the May 11 killing of Abu Akleh, a venerated Al Jazeera journalist, with the Palestinian Authority, and have the United States acting as an observer. The Palestinian Authority rejects any Israeli role in the investigation and has called on the International Criminal Court to launch a case against Israel.

Abu Akleh was an American citizen. Israel contends that it has narrowed the likely source of the gunfire to two sources: Israeli soldiers or Palestinian militants. It says it needs to test the bullet against the Israelis’ rifle to render a more definitive conclusion.

Last month, 57 Democrats sent a letter to Blinken and to the FBI pressing for a U.S. investigation. The letter appeared to place more credence in versions of events that blamed Israeli soldiers for the shooting. Two major media outlets, CNN and the Associated Press, said Israeli soldiers were the likely culprits.

The Gottheimer letter said an investigation was “critical” to resolving an issue that impinged on press freedoms.

“Ms. Abu Akleh was one of eighteen journalists who have lost their lives this year in the course of their work,” it said. “A free press is vital to an accountable, democratic government. No journalist should face threats or violence for doing their job.”

This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount