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Opponent Testimony — Rana Abuhashim, YUSRA Organizing, on House Bill 188 (October 28, 2025)

Summary

Opponent testimony for House Bill 188 dated October 28, 2025 from Rana Abuhashim of YUSRA Organizing, addressed to the House Development Committee. The testimony states that HB 188 would create an Ohio–Israel Trade and Innovation Partnership and embed a pro-Israel commission within state government. It states that every seat on the proposed commission is reserved for individuals with ties to pro-Israel organizations or trade networks and describes the bill's connection to JobsOhio. It cites reports from the United Nations Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch, points to HB 291 as a bipartisan alternative, and urges the committee to reject HB 188.

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“Opponent Testimony — Rana Abuhashim, YUSRA Organizing, on House Bill 188 (October 28, 2025).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-10-29-development-testimony-testimony-12176-875abb8947/, SHA-256 43ccf9663063cda256822109340c14221779102d069d8d93bf78d5f7c043fde8.

Full text

                            Opponent Testimony for House Bill 188
                                     October 28, 2025

                            Rana Abuhashim, YUSRA Organizing

Chair Hoops, Vice Chair Lorenz, Ranking Member Upchurch, and members of the House
Development Committee,

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony in opposition to House Bill 188.

My name is Rana Abuhashim, and I am testifying on behalf of YUSRA Organizing, a
grassroots, Muslim-led coalition of young Ohioans committed to advancing justice, equity, and
human rights for all communities.

HB 188 would create an Ohio–Israel Trade and Innovation Partnership, embedding a pro-Israel
commission within our state government to promote trade, investment, and policy collaboration
with Israel. This proposal is not simply an economic initiative, it is a political alignment with a
government currently under international investigation for war crimes, apartheid, and genocide.

Israel has systematically targeted civilian infrastructure in Gaza. The United Nations Human
Rights Office reported that by mid-2024, 22 of Gaza’s 38 hospitals were destroyed or rendered
nonfunctional. A Harvard FXB Center analysis found that over half of Gaza’s schools, hospitals,
and water facilities were damaged or destroyed in the first six weeks of Israel’s assault. Human
Rights Watch documented Israeli strikes on more than 500 schools — many used as shelters for
displaced families. The UN Commission of Inquiry reported that Israel has destroyed over 90%
of Gaza’s educational institutions and more than half of its religious and cultural sites.

Israel has also unjustly detained American citizens, including humanitarian workers. An Ohio
veteran and teacher was detained for five days and subjected to mistreatment before being
released and returning home. That reality underscores the dangers of legitimizing a government
that routinely targets civilians and mistreats even U.S. citizens.

Establishing a state trade commission to reward and deepen partnerships with a government
responsible for such atrocities would be morally indefensible. It risks making Ohio complicit in
crimes against humanity and aligning our public institutions with injustice rather than
accountability.

The structure of HB 188 also raises serious ethical and democratic concerns. Every seat on this
proposed commission is reserved for individuals with ties to pro-Israel organizations or trade
networks, while Palestinian, Arab-American, Muslim, and neutral Ohio voices are explicitly
excluded. This one-sided representation ensures that only one political perspective shapes Ohio’s
international partnerships.
Equally concerning is the bill’s connection to JobsOhio, a quasi-private entity shielded from
public transparency. The use of such a mechanism makes it nearly impossible for taxpayers to
know where or how state resources are being used or who benefits.

This bill also reflects deeply misplaced priorities. At a time when thousands of Ohio families
have lost SNAP benefits, funding to food banks has been cut, and schools, libraries, and
healthcare systems remain underfunded, our legislature should be focused on meeting the needs
of our people, not on building political and economic alliances with a government engaged in
mass civilian harm and murder.

If lawmakers wish to expand trade and innovation, there already exists a bipartisan alternative,
HB 291, that promotes fair, transparent, and inclusive global partnerships without legitimizing
human-rights violations. That is the kind of forward-looking leadership Ohio deserves.

HB 188 does not serve Ohio’s people, economy, or moral integrity. We urge this committee to
reject HB 188 and to invest instead in the communities, workers, and families who make Ohio
strong.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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