Van Hollen Presses Administration to Release New Report on Shooting Death of Shireen Abu Akleh

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pressing for the release of a new report compiled by the U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the shooting death of the American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

“I write today to follow up on my earlier requests that the Department of State make available immediately for Congressional review the 'Summation Report on the Death of Shireen Abu Akleh,' which was recently submitted by the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” the Senator begins. 

“My office has been in contact with individuals at the State Department several times over the last 12 days regarding this matter. Most recently, we were informed that, before congressional release of the USSC Report is authorized, the Administration plans to make unspecified changes to its contents. While the Administration has characterized its proposed changes as ‘technical,’ any actions to alter the USSC's Summation Report in any way would violate the integrity of this process,” he stresses. 

The Senator goes on to note the Administration’s stated commitment to protecting American journalists abroad and writes in closing, “As we approach the one year anniversary of Ms. Abu Akleh's death, no one has been held accountable and no independent, official investigation has been completed. At the same time, the Security Coordinator has had the opportunity to review an array of in-depth analyses and assessments in order to complete the Summation Report. I ask that you immediately authorize the release of the full and unedited USSC Report under appropriate classification to me and other interested Members of Congress.”

Senator Van Hollen has repeatedly called for an independent and transparent investigation into the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. He has led two letters pressing for answers, which can be found here and here. The Senator has also authored amendments requiring the State Department and Administration to provide further information on her death, including one that was adopted on a bipartisan basis by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last September.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.   

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I write today to follow up on my earlier requests that the Department of State make available immediately for Congressional review the 'Summation Report on the Death of Shireen Abu Akleh,' which was recently submitted by the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. 

My office has been in contact with individuals at the State Department several times over the last 12 days regarding this matter. Most recently, we were informed that, before congressional release of the USSC Report is authorized, the Administration plans to make unspecified changes to its contents. While the Administration has characterized its proposed changes as “technical,” any actions to alter the USSC's Summation Report in any way would violate the integrity of this process. 

At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this past weekend, President Biden spoke passionately and firmly about his determination to bring home American journalists who are being wrongly detained abroad — a goal we all share. In addition to these unjust detentions, there are also journalists who, during the last year, have died in the line of duty as they reported from conflict zones. One of those is American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by gunfire on May 11, 2022 while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank. A widely respected and professional journalist, Ms. Abu Akleh was posthumously awarded the National Press Club’s President’s Award honoring her contributions to journalism.

As we approach the one year anniversary of Ms. Abu Akleh's death, no one has been held accountable and no independent, official investigation has been completed. At the same time, the Security Coordinator has had the opportunity to review an array of in-depth analyses and assessments in order to complete the Summation Report. I ask that you immediately authorize the release of the full and unedited USSC Report under appropriate classification to me and other interested Members of Congress.