NEW FROM FMEP
From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine (New Occupied Thoughts episode)
“FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Sarah Leah Whitson and Michael Omer-Man of DAWN, an organization supporting human rights and democracy in the Middle East & North Africa. They discuss the recently-published book that Whitson and Omer-Man co-authored, From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine. Practically, the book acts as a blueprint for ameliorating the conditions in Palestine-Israel today, such that the residents of the country may decide through democratic means how to organize society in the future.”
FMEP Legislative Round-Up December 19, 2025 (Lara Friedman)
- Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings & Markup; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
Settlement & Annexation Report: December 19, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)
- Rajabi Family Evicted from Home in Silwan, Settlers Move In; More Evictions Expected; 2. Israel Advances Plans for the Atarot Settlement; 3. Preliminary Details on 19 New Settlements; 4. Settlers Cross Into Gaza, Again, With No Repercussions; 5. Governing Coalition to Push Annexation Ahead of 2026 Elections; 6. Israel Continues Holding Jordan Valley Activist With No Charges; 7. State-Backed Settler Terror this Week; 8. The History and Power of Settler Militias; 9. Bonus Reads
GAZA
Israeli troops kill six Palestinians sheltering in Gaza school, say hospital chiefs (The Guardian 12/20/25)
“The Israeli military killed six Palestinians, including a baby, who were in a school that sheltered displaced people in Gaza City on Friday, hospital officials have said. The attack brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israel to 401 since the October ceasefire took effect. Israeli troops fired over the ceasefire line which they have withdrawn to, killing the Palestinians and wounding a number more, the Palestinian civil defence said in a statement.”
Israel Is Preparing for a Permanent Presence in Gaza, Satellite Images Reveal (Forensic Architecture & Drop Site 12/20/25)
“Since the so-called ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on October 10, Israel has been consolidating its control of over 50% of Gaza and—according to new research by Forensic Architecture—physically altering the geography of the land. Through a combination of the construction of military infrastructure alongside the destruction of existing buildings, Israel appears to be laying the groundwork to establish a permanent presence in the majority of the Gaza Strip. Israel has constructed at least 13 new military outposts inside Gaza since the ceasefire—primarily located along the yellow line, in eastern Khan Younis, and near the border with Israel, according to analysis of satellite imagery by Forensic Architecture.” See also Satellite Images Show Israel Continues Gaza Demolition Efforts Despite Cease-fire (Haaretz 12/22/25); ‘Gaza Belongs to Israel’: Settler Activists Illegally Breach Enclave, Raise Israeli Flag (Haaretz 12/18/25); ‘Every border lasts until the next war’: Israel’s settlers gather to ‘raise flag’ in Gaza (Middle East Eye 12/19/25);
Gaza no longer in famine but hunger levels remain critical, UN says (The Guardian 12/19/25)
“The famine in Gaza has ended as a result of increased humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory, the UN said on Friday, though it warned that levels of hunger and the humanitarian situation remained critical. Almost one in eight people in Gaza still faced food shortages, the UN said, adding that persistent hunger had been made worse by winter flooding and the colder weather. Most people in Gaza live in tents or other substandard accommodation as Israel destroyed much of the housing and civilian infrastructure during its two-year war. Israel has partly eased restrictions on the entry of aid since an October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but delivery was still limited and inconsistent, the UN said.” See also Hunger monitor says Gaza is still seeing acute malnutrition but not famine (WaPo 12/19/25)
From cash brokers to crypto, Gazans struggle to stay financially afloat (Ahmed Ahmed//+972 Magazine 12/19/25)
“Even as the intensity of Israel’s assault has slowed since the October ceasefire, Gaza’s economy shows few signs of recovery. Some banks have reopened, but still have no cash. At the end of November, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned that Gaza was going through “the fastest and most damaging economic collapse ever recorded,” with the economy having lost 87 percent of its prewar value. In 2024, UNCTAD reported, Gaza’s GDP per capita fell to $161 and inflation rose 238 percent, pushing all 2.3 million of its residents below the poverty line.” What is ‘home’ now? A woman’s two-year search for safety in the ruins of Gaza (The Guardian 12/16/25);
Israel kills Hamas leader in Gaza, challenging fragile truce (WaPo 12/13/25)
“The commander, Raed Saad, headed operations and production for Hamas’s armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations. His death marked the most significant assassination in Gaza since the ceasefire began two months ago…Pressure is building on Israel to move the Gaza truce to its second, more complicated phase, which in theory would include the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory and the creation of an international force to maintain security. But its first phase — the release of hostages by Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to an agreed-upon portion of Gaza and the facilitation of aid into the territory — has proved difficult to implement. Each side has accused the other of not fulfilling its commitments. Israel says Hamas has been slow to return the bodies of hostages, one of which remains in Gaza. Hamas points to the continued closure of border crossings for medical evacuations and aid and daily Israeli fire on Gaza.”
How Israel’s ‘yellow line’ is dividing Gaza with deadly consequences (The Guardian 12/17/25)
“Israel military chief, Eyal Zamir, announced on Monday that the ‘yellow line’, drawn up by the October ceasefire plan, was a ‘new border’ for Israel. This line has become a lethal boundary, preventing Palestinians entering an area representing 58% of their territory. The Guardian’s chief Middle East correspondent, Emma Graham-Harrison, describes life on the ground for those forced on an ever-smaller part of their land.” See also Israel says its military killed Hamas commander Raed Saed in Gaza City strike (The Guardian 12/13/25); Israel’s expanding ‘Yellow Line’ swallows Gaza districts and uproots families (Middle East Eye 12/13/25); Average Palestinian in Gaza Displaced Six Times During War, Israeli Human Rights Group Finds (Haaretz 12/19/25);
Families washed out of tents as flood waters course through Gaza (The Guardian 12/12/25)
“Gaza has been hit by heavy rains and low temperatures, deepening the misery of most of its 2.2 million population who are living in tents after two years of Israeli bombardment. Thousands of homeless people have been washed out of their makeshift shelters and forced to seek emergency refuge.” See also In Gaza, another winter of despair (WaPo 12/22/25);
Garbage Is Poisoning Gaza (Abdel Qader Sabbah and Sharif Abdel Kouddous//Drop Site 12/16/25)
“With Israel controlling all of Gaza’s major landfill areas, 900,000 tons of solid waste have been dumped across the enclave, exacerbating a public health crisis…Over the past two years, Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been systematically destroyed by the Israeli military, including waste management services. Massive piles of garbage have accumulated across the enclave. Once busy markets and tree-shaded streets have turned into endless mountains of trash, severely exacerbating Gaza’s environmental and public health crisis.”
REGION//GLOBAL
US said to pitch ‘Project Sunrise’ — $112B plan to rebuild Gaza as luxury destination (TOI 12/20/25)
“A US proposal to rebuild war-torn Gaza into a high-tech, luxurious coastal destination over the next two decades has been pitched to possible donor countries, according to a report on Friday. The project, which would cost $112 billion over the first 10 years, was developed by a team led by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff over the past 45 days, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.” See also ‘They’re trying to get rich off it’: US contractors vie to rebuild Gaza, with ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ team in the lead (The Guardian 12/14/25);
Hamas: We Did Not Surrender and Will Not Abandon Our Struggle for Liberation (Jeremy Scahill and Jawa Ahmad//Drop Site 12/19/25)
“As the White House struggles to convince even a single nation to deploy forces in Gaza on a mission to disarm the Palestinian resistance, Hamas negotiators say there has been no formal communication from the U.S. on how it intends to proceed on any of the terms laid out in Trump’s sweeping plan. There have been no substantive discussions on how Gaza will be governed, who will be in charge of its internal security, when or how Israeli forces will withdraw, and what role Palestinians will play in determining their own destiny…Several Palestinian negotiators who maintain contact with regional mediators from Qatar and Egypt told Drop Site that what is happening behind the scenes is largely a negotiation between the U.S. and Israel, as well as consultations with regional mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. The Palestinian side, Hamas officials said, is periodically briefed on the evolution of the U.S.-Israeli positions gleaned by the mediators, but it is not engaged in any process resembling a negotiation.” See also Israeli PM Netanyahu announces $35 billion gas deal with Egypt as US pushes for summit (CNN 12/18/25);
UK jails send Palestine Action hunger strikers to hospital (Middle East Eye 12/22/25)
“Two pro-Palestine activists held in British prisons have been transferred to hospital after weeks without food, prompting mounting concern from their families and members of parliament over prison conditions and medical care…According to the prisoner-led group Prisoners for Palestine, six detainees have now required hospital treatment since the hunger strike began on 2 November, the anniversary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration that led to the creation of Israel and the dispossession of Palestinians in 1948. Ahmed and Gib are among six detainees awaiting trial over break-ins at the UK subsidiary of Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems in Bristol and a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, protesting the UK’s continued complicity in the genocide in Gaza. They are being held on suspicion of involvement in a June break-in at Brize Norton airbase, where military aircraft were sprayed with paint. The UK government has claimed that the pair carried out criminal damage, aggravated burglary and violent disorder.”
UK makes first arrests for ‘Globalize the intifada’ chants, in shift spurred by Bondi attack (Times of Israel 12/19/25)
“UK police made their first arrests Wednesday since announcing officers will detain people who publicly chant pro-Palestinian calls to “globalize the intifada,” in a change prompted by Australia’s Bondi Beach massacre…It came hours after the Met and police in England’s northwest city of Manchester announced they would “be more assertive” in policing such protests to counter alleged antisemitism and incitement to violence through slogans.” See also ‘Protests had nothing to do with the attacks’: activists condemn premier’s plan to restrict rallies after Bondi shooting (Guardian 12/18/25);
Rising tensions with Israel have Lebanon fearing return to all-out war (WaPo 12/15/25)
“Thirteen months after a ceasefire was supposed to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon is bracing for another Israeli military escalation that could imperil its fragile recovery and fling the country back into war. Lebanese officials in recent days said messages from intermediaries, including the United States, have warned of a potential large-scale Israeli military operation in the country, though the timing is unclear…Since the truce was signed in November 2024, Israel has carried out near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon, demolished homes and other infrastructure during frequent raids, and continued to occupy five strategic areas in the south of the country — actions that Lebanese and U.N. officials have said represent repeated violations of the ceasefire.” See also U.S. strikes dozens of sites in Syria in retaliation for troops’ deaths (WaPo 12/20/25); U.S. Sanctions Two Additional ICC Judges, Citing Court’s ‘Politicized Actions Targeting Israel’ (Haaretz 12/18/25); Trump administration imposes sanctions on two more ICC judges (Reuters 12/18/25); Maersk resumes Red Sea passage after two-year halt amid easing Houthi threat (Al Monitor 12/19/25);
Killing the ‘brain trust’: How Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear scientists (WaPo 12/17/25)
“At about 3:21 a.m. on June 13, in the opening minutes of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, Israeli weapons began slamming into apartment blocks and homes in the Iranian capital. Operation Narnia, the campaign against Iran’s top nuclear scientists, was underway…The massive, multipronged Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear program convulsed the Middle East, sparked promises of Iranian revenge, and, for now, have tanked the possibility of a diplomatic agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear work and place it under tight international controls…The Washington Post, together with PBS “Frontline,” has uncovered new details about the attacks, the planning behind them and their impact in Iran. This report is based on interviews with multiple current and former Israeli, Iranian, Arab and U.S. officials, some of whom spoke to reporters for the first time and on the condition of anonymity to describe secret operations and assessments. Iran’s nuclear work probably has been set back years, officials from Israel, the United States and the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency said. But that is far from President Donald Trump’s claim that the program was “completely and totally obliterated.”’
Meet the U.S. Donors Funding ELNET, the AIPAC of Europe (Akela Lacy//The Intercept 12/15/25)
“U.S. donors are funneling millions to a group its leaders describe as the AIPAC of Europe. The European Leadership Network, or ELNET, takes elected officials on networking trips to Israel, hosts events with members of European parliaments, and lobbies on foreign policy issues — much like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee operates in the U.S. Its co-founder, Raanan Eliaz, is a former AIPAC consultant and alumnus of the Israeli prime minister’s office. The group credits itself for key pro-Israel foreign policy decisions, including getting Germany to approve a $3.5 billion deal to purchase Israeli drones and rockets, the largest in Israel’s history. Since the October 7 attacks in Israel — and amid two years of genocide in Gaza — ELNET has broken fundraising records. Funding ELNET’s work are more than 100 U.S. foundations, nonprofits, trusts, and charitable giving organizations that have poured at least $11 million into the group’s U.S. arm since 2022, an analysis by The Intercept found. This is the first major analysis of how U.S. donors are fueling the pro-Israel machine in Europe, exporting the same tactics that have for years helped AIPAC crush concern for Palestinians in the halls of power and advance unchecked support for Israel.” See also Eurovision winner Nemo to return trophy in protest at Israel taking part in 2026 (The Guardian 12/11/25);
RIVER TO THE SEA
Land Grab: Israel’s Escalating Campaign for Control of the West Bank (NYT 12/20/25)
“And since the Oct. 7., 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militants from Gaza, Israel’s far-right government has embraced a playbook of expanding settlements across the West Bank, transforming the region, piece by piece, from a patchwork of connected Palestinian villages into a collection of Israeli neighborhoods. The unrelenting violent campaign by these settlers, that critics say is largely tolerated by the Israeli military, consists of brutal harassment, beatings, even killings, as well as high-impact roadblocks and village closures. These are coupled with a drastic increase in land seizures by the state and the demolition of villages to force Palestinians to abandon their land. Many of the settlers are young extremists whose views go beyond even the far-right ideology of the government. They are not generally operating on direct orders from Israel’s military leadership. But they know the military frequently looks the other way and facilitates their actions. In many cases, it is the military that forces Palestinians to evacuate or orders the destruction of their homes once settlers drive them to flee…Across the West Bank, there is desperation among Palestinian villagers and farmers as they watch the takeover of their lands at a pace never seen before. And there is fear that the changes are already becoming irreversible…There is little due process and villagers live at the mercy of vigilante settlers and members of military platoons who exert almost total power over them. Settlers, who are subject to Israeli civil and criminal law rather than the military’s jurisdiction, are rarely detained or arrested for extremist or violent actions, while the military routinely rounds up Palestinians with little explanation or justification.” See also The Interview: Raja Shehadeh Believes Israelis and Palestinians Can Still Find Peace (NYT 12/20/25); Israeli settlers attack Palestinians with impunity, halting West Bank olive harvest (PBS News Hour 12/12/25); Palestinian teen reportedly shot dead by settler; footage appears to show he was killed while fleeing (TOI 12/16/25);
Israel approves 19 new Jewish settlements in occupied West Bank (The Guardian 12/19/25)
“Israel has approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge in the territory that poses a further threat to the possibility of a Palestinian state. It brings the total number of new settlements over the past few years to 69, a new record, according to the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who has pushed a settlement expansion agenda in the West Bank.” See also The volunteers putting their bodies between Israel settlers and a Palestinian village (The Guardian 12/20/25);
‘Altering Demography’: Israel Bars Displaced Palestinians From Returning to West Bank Homes (Haaretz 12/17/25)
“Palestinian Authority officials said Israel is preventing the return of thousands of displaced families to refugee camps in the West Bank in an attempt to “eliminate” the refugee issue, disputing Israeli claims that the nearly year-long displacement stems from security concerns…The Israeli army began a wide-ranging operation in the West Bank last January with the declared goal of ensuring freedom of action across wide areas of the northern West Bank, destroying terror infrastructure and “ticking time bombs.” Over the course of the operation, dubbed Iron Wall, tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the Tulkarm, Nur al-Shams and Jenin refugee camps. In the meantime, the army has been razing many buildings in the camps, a process that continues even a year after the displacement.” See also New Israeli barrier will slice through precious West Bank farmland (The Guardian 12/13/25);
Palestinian prisoners speak out about how they were raped in Israeli jails (Middle East Eye 12/18/25)
“In exclusive interviews, two Palestinians detained in separate Israeli prisons recount harrowing details of violent sexual assault” See also Israel’s Ben Gvir proposes prison ‘encircled by crocodiles’ for Palestinians (Middle East Eye 12/21/25);
In the name of ‘urban renewal,’ Israel is trampling Lod’s 2,000-year-old heritage (Tawfiq Da’adli//+972 Magazine 12/22/25)
“The municipality is encouraging real estate sharks to tear up the city’s history in order to build towers that will likely drive out Palestinian residents.”
U.S. SCENE
‘An Electoral Liability’ | Majority of Young Republicans Oppose Aid to Israel, Poll Finds (Haaretz 12/18/25)
“According to new polling from the IMEU Policy Project, conducted by YouGov, young Republicans (defined as 44-years-old and younger) are rapidly shifting away from decades-old status quos surrounding the U.S.-Israel relationship, which could have significant ramifications in next year’s midterm elections and the 2028 presidential primaries…The survey of 1,287 Republicans found that young voters view military assistance to Israel as an electoral weakness, both in Republican primaries and in general elections between Republicans and Democrats. The data illustrates how America’s generational divide over Israel has quickly become a signature element of conflicts within the GOP. A majority of Republican voters under age 45 say they would prefer to support a candidate who supports reducing U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel in the 2028 Republican presidential primary (51 percent), while only 27 percent prefer a candidate who would maintain or increase weapons. Sixty-three percent of young Republicans – and 59 percent across age groups – agree that the U.S. should independently investigate credible accusations of the Israeli military killing American civilians, while half of young Republicans believe that “legitimate criticism of Israel that should be protected under free speech is too often accused of being antisemitic.”…The polling is the latest example of young Republicans rapidly evolving in their views of Israel. According to a March 2025 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 50 percent of Republicans under the age of 50 hold unfavorable views of Israel. This marks a 15-point increase from 2022, when Pew last posed the question.” See also MAGA Infighting Over Israel on Full Display at Turning Point USA Event (Haaretz 12/22/25); At AmericaFest, Shapiro, Carlson clash over the future of the conservative movement (JI 12/19/25); Trump warns that Israel, ‘Jewish lobby’ have lost influence in D.C. (Jewish Insider 12/17/25);
Trump’s New Travel Ban Targets Palestinians (Alex Kane//Jewish Currents 12/22/25)
“Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that bans people from Syria, South Sudan, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Palestinians with Palestinian Authority-issued passports, from entering the United States…To learn more about this iteration of Trump’s travel ban, the implications for Palestinians, and what the new restrictions say about Trump’s broader immigration agenda, Jewish Currents spoke to Samah Sisay, a staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which filed multiple challenges to travel bans Trump issued during his first term.” See also State Dept., GOP lawmakers meet with members of Germany’s far-right AfD party (Jewish Insider 12/15/25);
Trump administration prepares sweeping crackdown on leftist networks (WaPo 12/18/25)
“The Trump administration is embarking on an expansive effort to root out what it sees as rampant left-wing domestic terrorism, raising concerns among some security experts and lawmakers that broad categories of Americans’ political speech could come under surveillance.” See also White House Refuses to Rule Out Summary Executions of People on Its Secret Domestic Terrorist List (The Intercept 12/12/25); Longtime Paid FBI Informant Was Instrumental in Terror Case Against “Turtle Island Liberation Front” (The Intercept 12/16/25);
The Genocides The New York Times Forgot (Zachary Jablow//Jewish Currents 12/19/25)
“The paper’s Gaza coverage continues its pattern of downplaying US-backed atrocities in Bangladesh, East Timor, and Guatemala.”
StopAntisemitism Takes Credit for Getting Hundreds Fired. A Music Teacher Is Suing. (The Intercept 12/20/25)
“Lewis is one of at least 400 people StopAntisemitism has taken credit for getting ousted from their jobs in its online crusade, which has drawn widespread attention for targeting more prominent figures — including right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson, progressive actor-turned-activist Cynthia Nixon, and the popular children’s educator Rachel Accurso, known by her stage name Ms. Rachel. Lewis, without her own platform or mass audience, is one of only two recent StopAntisemitism targets pursuing active federal lawsuits against the blacklist organization…She sued StopAntisemitism for defamation in an Oregon state court over the summer, and the case was elevated to federal court last month. Her suit faces long odds, legal experts told The Intercept, but serves as a rare chance to register public dissent in the courts against the group’s targeting.”
PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS
Kings of famine (Mada Masr 12/11/25)
“The Palestinian National Economy Ministry’s report — obtained by Mada Masr and published here for the first time — reveals the features of the monopolistic system that has dominated the entry and transport of aid and commercial goods into the strip, a system that Israel established in the first few months of the war it launched on Gaza in October 2023. Several parties have participated in this lucrative scheme, which has generated billions of dollars through the storage, transportation, provision of security for and sale of goods at unprecedented rates — all at the expense of millions in Gaza suffering from hunger amid a genocide of unimaginable proportions. Behind this monopoly scheme stands a network of businessmen who profit from the “widespread starvation and destitution” that Palestinians in Gaza suffer. From his side, [Egyptian businessman Ibrahim al-] Argany controls what is known as “the Egyptian line,” while others control the “Israeli line.” Both sides have reaped staggering profits under this complicated system that has undergone several changes in the past two years but remains under complete Israeli control.”
How to Keep Resolution 2803 From Becoming a U.S.–Run Occupation (Carol Daniel-Kasbari//Quincy Institute 12/10/25)
“President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza — adopted by the U.N. Security Council as Resolution 2803 — risks becoming yet another U.S.–run occupation. Coming on the heels of U.N. findings that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, the plan would place Washington at the center of a post-genocide mission. This brief lays out how the U.S. can avoid a quagmire by aligning implementation with genocide-prevention obligations, Palestinian self-determination, and a credible exit strategy.”
After the Bondi massacre, we don’t have the luxury to grieve silently (Em Hilton//+972 Magazine 12/15/25)
“Sunday’s attack on Jewish Australians celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach was the country’s deadliest mass shooting in almost 30 years, and the worst that its Jewish community has ever experienced…Immediately, the perverse dance we have grown so accustomed to in recent years began playing out all over again. Before the blood of the victims had even dried, right-wing politicians and public figures — in Australia and around the world — were declaring the attack a consequence of growing anti-Zionist sentiment and pro-Palestine activism, without any proof or indication of the attackers’ motivations (the authorities have since linked the two men to ISIS)…Israel’s genocide in Gaza has generated deep-seated rage around the world. The international community’s failure to stop it has allowed that rage to fester while fueling conspiratorial ideas about Jewish power — all of which has combined to make Jews less safe…In response to the Bondi attack, it is tempting, as many on the Jewish left have done for years, to promote the idea of safety through solidarity, according to which the strengthening of bonds between different marginalized communities is the key to each other’s protection. But as a colleague said to me recently, the pursuit of safety may be a delusion…Perhaps, if safety is currently unattainable, we should instead be aiming for a commitment to look after each other and face the risks ahead with clear eyes, and to resist the systems and politics that seek to erase our humanity.”
Crying Is Not Surrender (Abdullah Hany Daher//Jewish Currents 12/22/25)
“War revises emotion. Sorrow is stifled. Sadness is stunted. In Gaza, children are informed that their parents are martyrs, not victims. Women are applauded for remaining quiet during funerals, for sitting silently amid the veiled bodies of their children. Fathers stand at burial sites, shaking hands and accepting condolences. Their eyes are vacant, fixed on the spaces where the no-longer-living used to be…How many parents have buried their children without crying in public? How many people keep their screams inside, afraid of being perceived as weak or ungrateful or a distraction from the cause? People become monuments to suffering—unmoving, unspoken, unfinished…You stand in front of loss and feel nothing—then, guilt for feeling nothing. Later this becomes a wound.”
Why The Voice of Hind Rajab Will Break Your Heart (Ahmed Moor//The Nation 12/18/25)
“Hind Rajab, a beautiful 5-year-old girl from northern Gaza, was first terrorized and then murdered alongside six members of her family by Israeli soldiers on January 29, 2024. I can say so with certainty because I’ve listened to the voice recording she left behind—the last vestige of the little girl’s ever having existed…the Tunisian writer and director Kaouther Ben Hania made a film, The Voice of Hind Rajab, the subject of this review. The movie is a work of art—and of humanity. A spare examination of the hours, the eternity, spent by Hind’s would-be rescuers as they speak with the girl and try in vain, hopefully and then hopelessly, to save her life…Already, Hind’s story has attained symbolic proportions. But here, in this film, she is a child, a human being. A person whose life carried meaning, who deserved a warm bed and a childhood. I am so sorry for her, and for the more than 20,000 children—and the more than 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza—who were murdered by the Israeli state.”
Can Standing Together bear the weight of its contradictions? (Samah Watad//+972 Magazine 12/19/25)
“Founded by members of the Israeli Communist Party, including former Knesset member Dov Khenin and the organization’s current national co-director Alon-Lee Green, Standing Together positions itself as a grassroots Jewish-Arab movement built on street-level organizing, bilingual messaging, and coordinated mass action that aspires to reconstitute the long-stagnant Israeli left. Having grown steadily during its first eight years, the movement’s visibility has skyrocketed amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has brought renewed scrutiny both locally and internationally over its role in the struggle for a just future in Israel-Palestine. Standing Together’s rapid expansion over the past two years — the movement now boasts almost 6,000 members, and its website lists nearly 80 employees — has been fueled in part by its growing appeal among young Palestinians in Israel who are disillusioned with traditional party politics. But as the movement grows, so do questions about its electoral ambitions, its stance on thorny issues like Zionism and Israel’s Jewish character, and its capacity to meaningfully engage the contradictions facing Palestinian citizens of Israel under an increasingly fascist Israeli government.” See also Is Israel’s genocide economy on the brink? (Amos Brison//12/16/25)
There’s No Such Thing as Settler Violence. It’s Israeli Violence (Jonathan Pollak//Haaretz 12/22/25)
“Settler violence doesn’t exist. The violence against Palestinians in all its forms – that which is carried out by Israel’s armed forces and bureaucrats and that which liberals like to imagine as taking place outside the law – isn’t an irregular phenomenon but the essence of Israeliness. As in the West Bank, so in Gaza, Jaffa, the Galilee and everywhere else. The West Bank isn’t the land of the settlers, and the attackers aren’t a handful of extremists. The attacks are the implementation of a long-established policy of ethnic cleansing that does not begin and does not end with “extremist settlers” or “the far-right government.” The West Bank isn’t extraterritorial. The whole land, from the sea to the river, is a land of one law. This is what Israel is.”