US House of Representatives Approves Amendment Supporting Jewish Raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque - Sarmad

The U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment introduced by Republican Representative Claudia Tenney, calling for the enhancement of what she described as “Jewish freedom of worship” and ensuring “equal access” to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in a move that aligns with U.S. legislative efforts supporting the Israeli occupation’s stance on the holy city.

During the House session preceding the vote, Tenney stated that it is “unacceptable for Jews not to enjoy the same rights to visit and pray at their holiest religious site as followers of other religions,” characterizing this as a “fundamental principle of religious freedom.”

She added that her amendment aims to emphasize the need for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to ensure “freedom of worship and equal access” to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, urging Washington to make greater efforts on this issue.

According to U.S. media reports, Amendment No. 28 stipulates increasing and decreasing the budget of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom by $1 million, a symbolic step intended to highlight the importance of monitoring the issue of freedom of worship and access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The amendment was approved via voice vote in the House.

This amendment comes in the context of support for a previous resolution introduced by Tenney under H.Res.852, which was proposed in October 2025. The resolution calls for the House to adopt an official position recognizing Jerusalem as the “unified capital of Israel,” affirms what it describes as “full Israeli sovereignty” over the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and acknowledges the site’s significance to Jewish heritage and history.

The new financial amendment serves as a tool to advance the objectives of the earlier resolution by linking the work of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to monitoring this file and highlighting what Washington considers “religious rights” at the holy site.

During the same session, the House rejected an amendment introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, which sought to prohibit the use of any funds appropriated in the financial appropriations bill for the benefit of the Israeli occupation, including withholding approximately $3.3 billion in annual U.S. security assistance to Tel Aviv.

Representative Claudia Tenney voted against Massie’s amendment, consistent with her positions supporting enhanced U.S. backing for Israel, according to U.S. media reports, as cited by the Israeli newspaper “Jerusalem Post.”