By Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) Chair Rubin Margules and National President Morton A. Klein

Van Hollen falsely accuses Israel of “undermining American interests” when Israel in fact has made the Middle East safer for the U.S. by fighting America’s enemies, providing vital intelligence, and cooperating with the U.S. military.

July 17, 2026

We always realized that Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D-MD) positions and votes were hostile to the Jewish state of Israel and the important American-Israeli alliance. However, Senator Van Hollen’s libelous New York Times May 26, 2026 op-ed (“The Hard Truth My Party Needs to Face”), and other recent attacks, displayed new lows of antisemitism, extreme anti-Israel and anti-American bigotry and libel.

Van Hollen’s May 26 op-ed calls for conditioning arms sales and support for Israel on Israel’s agreement to the creation of a Palestinian state on Israel’s lawful land; and states that if Israel doesn’t agree, then the U.S. should unilaterally recognize a (non-existent) Palestinian state and treat Gaza, the “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria) and “East Jerusalem” (eastern Jerusalem including the Old City and Judaism’s holiest sites), as part of Palestine. A Palestinian state – especially in the areas demanded by Van Hollen – would leave Israel with indefensible borders and would be a Hamas-Fatah terror state that threatens Israel’s existence.

Van Hollen’s op-ed also libelously calls Jewish communities in the lawful, historic Jewish homeland in Judea & Samaria “illegal settlements.” He falsely accuses Israel of “apartheid” – while ignoring the equal rights and lofty positions enjoyed by Israel’s Arab citizens; and that the only “apartheid” is the inability of Jews to enter the Palestinian Authority without risking being murdered. He falsely accuses “violent settlers” of “attack[ing] Palestinians with impunity” – while ignoring the documented, truthful studies demonstrating that supposed “settler violence” consists almost entirely of non-violent acts (such as Jews praying on the Temple Mount) or Jews defending themselves from non-stop violent Palestinian Arab terror attacks.

Van Hollen also falsely asserts that Israel “has pushed Palestinians into shrinking enclaves” – while ignoring that, in fact, it is the Arabs that are engaging in massive building encroaching on Jewish areas. The Palestinian Authority, pursuant to the 2009 Fayyad Plan, has built over 80,000 illegal structures in the portion of Judea and Samaria specifically designated for full Israeli control (Area C). Van Hollen also falsely accuses Israel of “starving” Gazan children – despite Israel enabling enough food into Gaza to feed every Gazan more than 3,000 calories a day. The only starvation was caused by Hamas stealing food, and the starvation Hamas inflicted on the Israeli hostages.

Van Hollen also falsely claims that “Mr. Netanyahu’s government has sabotaged the Palestinian Authority, which . . . has accepted Israel’s right to statehood” – while ignoring that the PA’s recent proposed “Palestine Constitution” calls for a Palestinian state in all of Israel. In other words, the PA does not even accept Israel’s existence. And Van Hollen falsely accuses Israel of “undermining American interests” when Israel in fact has made the Middle East safer for the U.S. by fighting America’s enemies, providing vital intelligence, and cooperating with the U.S. military.

The op-ed prompted us to examine some of Van Hollen’s other recent statements. They were similarly despicable. For instance:

• At a Congressional hearing on June 2, 2026, Van Hollen wrongly and outrageously condemned Secretary of State Rubio for, among other things, revoking the visas of violent antisemites and Hamas supporters on college campuses. Van Hollen also rudely repeatedly interrupted and tried to prevent Secretary Rubio from responding. Secretary Rubio correctly explained that a visa is not a right. It’s a privilege. And that we’re going to continue denying visas to students who come here to burn down campus libraries and buildings, riot, block other students from walking through campus, commit acts of violence, and disrupt the higher education that other students are paying good money to obtain. Van Hollen absurdly yelled, “that’s pathetic.” No. The real thing that was pathetic was Van Hollen’s antisemitism and failure to care about the rights and safety of Jewish and other American students.
• On June 3, 2026, in print, on social media, and on YouTube, Van Hollen demanded the immediate release of Palestinian students from terrorist hotbed Birzeit University, who were arrested for suspected “promoting hostile terrorist activity and additional terrorist-related activities” with a student organization associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
• On July 13 and 14, 2026, Van Hollen demanded the removal of sections of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) enabling coordination of joint research, weapons development and intelligence sharing with Israel. Van Hollen is harming U.S. interests while trying to turn America’s ally into a pariah state.
• In an address at the opening session of the hostile-to-Israel organization J Street on March 1, 2026, Van Hollen leveled classic antisemitic dual loyalty charges: He declared that AIPAC is neither pro-American nor pro-Israel. Van Hollen also falsely accused Israel of repeatedly violating international law in the Gaza war. In fact, Israel bent over backwards to avoid civilian casualties – including publishing maps, phone calls, texts, roof knocking, humanitarian corridors and more. Israel does more to protect civilians than any other nation, above and beyond what international law requires, often at the cost of Israeli soldiers’ lives.
• In a letter to Secretary Rubio on July 27, 2025, Van Hollen demanded that the U.S. cease all funding to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and instead resume supporting UN agencies (e.g., UNRWA). In fact, GHF successfully provided 187 million meals to Gazan citizens. By contrast, UN agencies such as UNRWA are permeated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, who stole the food and humanitarian supplies sent to Gaza. UNRWA employees also murdered and kidnapped Jews on October 7. UNRWA facilities also hide Hamas weapons and facilities, including Hamas’ central command centers. Yet this is what Van Hollen wants the U.S. to fund. Despicable.

There is unfortunately much more. Van Hollen’s recent extreme antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-American positions are deeply shocking.