SRES 847: A resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim identity, in the State of Illinois.

Congress: 118 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Palestine

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Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for SRES 847.

Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. (D-Illinois)

Summary

This resolution recognizes the loss of Wadee Alfayoumi and that the United States has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination. It also recognizes that freedom of speech and peaceful protest are constitutionally protected.

Editorial Explainer

This resolution honors Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American killed in Illinois in a hate crime targeting his Palestinian and Muslim identity. It affirms that the U.S. has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination, and reaffirms constitutional protections for free speech and peaceful protest.

Why it matters

The resolution explicitly recognizes anti-Palestinian discrimination as a hate crime category worthy of federal acknowledgment—a rare congressional statement in a chamber where Israel-related resolutions typically focus on antisemitism alone. The inclusion of free speech protections signals concern that hate crime frameworks not be used to suppress legitimate political speech about Palestine.

Cosponsors (9)