Twelve Democrats and Sanders signed the May 11, 2018, letter calling for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "act urgently in order to help relieve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip." The letter, which came amid a deadly Israeli response to a protest movement in the Gaza Strip, said that the Trump administration should restore funding to a United Nations humanitarian effort and encourage Israel to ease restrictions on Palestinians living in Gaza. Three days after the senators sent the letter, Israel fired on another round of protests, leaving dozens dead and hundreds more wounded.
On Tuesday, The Intercept obtained a copy of an email Saban sent to six of the senators, along with a handful of staffers for the others, expressing his "dismay" that they signed.