1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region//Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up July 18, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters & Reports; 3. Hearings & Briefings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

 A conversation with Stefanie Fox, Executive Director of JVP (Occupied Thoughts podcast episode)

MEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Executive Director Stefanie Fox about the evolution of JVP as a Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the US, strategies for growing the movement, and navigating uncomfortable coalition partners, including on the political far-right. They also discuss how JVP thinks thinks about accountability to Palestinian partners, how it approaches electoral work and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS), and how to counter the ubiquitous claim that US bases its support for Israel on a commitment to protecting Jewish people rather than on U.S. geopolitical and corporate interests.

“Late Stage Zionism” & What it Might Suggest for the Future of Israel and Palestine (Occupied Thoughts podcast episode)

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Palestinian political analyst Iyad El-Baghdadi about Israel’s regional military campaigns, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and how it’s current aggressive posture reflects the attitudes of Israel’s founders. Looking forward, the two discuss how the bigger picture provides a framework to suggest what might come next.

GAZA

Aid for Gaza’s starving children is right at the gates. Let it in (Juliette Touma//+972 Magazine 7/15/25)

“More than 50 children died of malnutrition during Israel’s total blockade between March and May, according to the WHO, and malnutrition rates are still rising rapidly. Since January 24, UNRWA has screened over 242,000 children at its clinics and medical points, covering more than half of Gaza’s under-5 population. One in 10 children screened is malnourished…In Gaza, therapeutic food and medicine are in desperately short supply. Israeli authorities have imposed a tight siege, blocking the entry of food, medical supplies, nutritional aid, and even hygiene items like soap. Although the blockade is sometimes eased, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the primary humanitarian organization in Gaza, has not been allowed to bring in aid for over four months…Why should babies die of malnutrition in the 21st century, especially when it’s entirely preventable?” See also Stampede at Gaza aid distribution site kills at least 21, Health Ministry says (WaPo 7/16/25); Israeli airstrike kills at least 10, including six children, at Gaza water station, say health officials (The Guardian 7/13/25); At Least 70 Killed by IDF in Gaza, Including 28 Waiting for Aid, Amid Worsening Hunger, Officials Say (Haaretz 7/12/25);

GHF Guards Gassed Starving and Fenced in Palestinians, Causing a Deadly Stampede (Sharif Abdel Kouddous//Drop Site 7/17/25)

“At around 6 a.m., word spread that the site had opened and the crowd ran towards the distribution hub, according to multiple eyewitnesses, located some two to three kilometers (nearly two miles) away. When they arrived, a nightmarish scene unfolded. The site was closed, though sacks of food could be seen through a narrow and fenced in entrance. Starving and desperate, the crowd squeezed into the area. People were pushed up against the fencing, chest to back, hardly able to breathe. Some fell on the ground and were unable to get up. Then, according to eyewitnesses, GHF guards stationed nearby threw stun grenades and used pepper spray on the crowd, causing mayhem…At least 21 people were killed in the incident, according to the Gaza health ministry, and 15 of them died from suffocation due to the gas and the stampede at the site—what the ministry now calls “death traps”—while six others were shot on the road leading to it.” See also UN says 875 Palestinians have been killed near Gaza aid sites (Reuters 7/15/25); IDF blames ‘error’ for Gaza strike that killed children collecting water (WaPo 7/13/25);

Israel strikes the Gaza church the pope used to call nightly, killing 3 (WaPo 7/17/25)

“An Israeli strike Thursday hit the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, killing three people, injuring 10 and causing extensive damage to the religious complex, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, an ecclesiastical office for Catholics in the region…The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that the strike was the result of a “stray ammunition.” The Israel Defense Forces said an initial inquiry “suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News that a tank had fired on the church directly, “the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this.”’ See also After angry call from Trump, PM says Israel deeply regrets mistaken shelling of Gaza church (TOI 7/18/25); Jerusalem’s highest-ranking Christian officials enter Gaza to visit church hit by IDF (TOI 6/18/25); Netanyahu Discusses Gaza Catholic Church Strike With Pope as Medics Say 25 Palestinians Killed in Friday Attacks (Haaretz 7/18/25)

Scoop: Israel seeks U.S. help on deals to move Palestinians out of Gaza (Axios 7/18/25)

“The director of Israel’s Mossad spy agency visited Washington this week seeking U.S. help in convincing countries to take hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, two sources with knowledge of issue tell Axios. The spy chief, David Barnea, told White House envoy Steve Witkoff that Israel has been speaking in particular with Ethiopia, Indonesia and Libya.” See also Ceasefire talks give cautious hope. But the reality in Gaza couldn’t be more brutal (Ahmed Ahmed//+972 Magazine 7/11/25)

No Cancer Care, No Dialysis, No Power: Gaza’s Health System Is on the Brink of Collapse (Nir Hasson, Jack Khoury & Rawan Suleiman//Haaretz 7/10/25)

“ Of the 36 hospitals that were functioning before the war, 22 have been rendered inoperable and abandoned – either due to bombings or orders from the IDF. Beyond the direct harm to medical personnel, Gaza now has roughly half the number of hospital beds it did before the war, fewer than 50% of its operating rooms, just a third of its CT scanners, and none of the seven MRI machines that once existed in the Strip…In the 16 Gazan hospitals that are still operational – or partially functional – the situation is apocalyptic: doctors are struggling to keep thousands of wounded and ill patients alive inside partially destroyed buildings, without adequate equipment or medication, without clean water, and amid a collapsing electrical grid.” See also Israel Blocks Medical Equipment From Entering Gaza Strip, Citing Potential Hamas Use (Haaretz 7/14/25);

‘Humanitarian city’ would be concentration camp for Palestinians, says former Israeli PM (The Guardian 7/13/25)

“The “humanitarian city” Israel’s defence minister has proposed building on the ruins of Rafah would be a concentration camp, and forcing Palestinians inside would be ethnic cleansing, Israel’s former prime minister Ehud Olmert has told the Guardian. Israel was already committing war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, Olmert said, and construction of the camp would mark an escalation…Olmert said that after months of violent rhetoric, including calls from ministers to “cleanse” Gaza and projects to build Israeli settlements there, government claims that the “humanitarian city” aimed to protect Palestinians were not credible. “When they build a camp where they [plan to] ‘clean’ more than half of Gaza, then the inevitable understanding of the strategy of this [is that] it is not to save [Palestinians]. It is to deport them, to push them and to throw them away. There is no other understanding that I have, at least.”’ See also Concentration Camp, Illegal Orders and War Crimes: Israel’s Madmen Have a Grim New Plan (Dahlia Scheindlin//Haaretz 7/15/25)

Autel denies selling drones to Israel. So why are they roaming Gaza’s skies? (Yuval Abraham//+972 Magazine 7/17/25)

“Last week, +972 Magazine and Local Call published an investigation into the Israeli army’s weaponization of cheap commercial drones to bomb civilians in Gaza. Despite their intended use for photography, these drones have been modified by the army to carry grenades, and can be manually operated by ground troops with joysticks. Soldiers testified that they use the drones to drop grenades with the intent to kill Palestinians — including children — in parts of Gaza that Israel seeks to depopulate, so that others will “learn through blood” to flee the area. Many of these drones, we revealed, were manufactured by the Chinese company Autel Robotics. In response to our investigation, Autel said it was “deeply disturbed and gravely concerned” by our findings, but claimed it “has never sold drones to any users in the Israeli region, including but not limited to the Israeli military or Ministry of Defense.”…However, conversations with four Israeli importers of Autel drones, email correspondence included in a legal petition that has been made public, and information from the company’s own website undermine the credibility of Autel’s assertion that it was unaware of sales to the Israeli army and the use of its drones for military purposes.”

REGION//GLOBAL

Why did Israel attack Syria — and what does it have to do with the Druze (WaPo 7/18/25)

“Israel launched a wave of strikes on Syria this week, hitting the presidential palace and Defense Ministry in Damascus. Israel said the attacks were meant to protect Syria’s Druze minority. The Israeli intervention stemmed from a sectarian conflict on Syria’s southern border — where Druze and Bedouin groups have clashed. The Israeli attacks Tuesday and Wednesday killed at least three people in Syria and injured dozens, including women and children, before the Syrian government and a Druze leader announced a ceasefire, which remains tenuous. Here’s what to know about the Druze in Syria and the Israeli strikes.” See also As Bedouins mobilize, clashes with Druze resume in Syria’s Suwayda: What to know (Al Monitor 7/18/25); Israel strikes Syria’s defence ministry in third day of attacks (The Guardian 7/16/25); Israeli airstrikes target Syrian government troops amid sectarian unrest (WaPo 7/15/25); Israeli jets hit Syrian forces seeking to quell sectarian clashes in the south (WaPo 7/14/25);

“Humiliation and Helplessness”: Sectarian Violence Continues Unabated in Syria as Israel Strikes Damascus (Murtaza Hussain//Drop Site 7/17/25)

“The Israeli government has claimed that its attacks on Damascus were intended as a defense of the Syrian Druze community. In recent days, deadly clashes between Druze militias, Bedouin tribes, and armed groups associated with the Syrian government have taken place in the southern governorate of Sweida. In a statement giving the reason for its assault on the capital, the Israeli military said that, “the military headquarters in Damascus is the location from which Syrian regime commanders direct combat operations and deploy regime forces to the As-Suwayda area,” adding that the Israeli military “remains prepared for various scenarios.” The Syrian government led by interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a speech late Wednesday night characterizing the violence as part of an Israeli effort to divide the country along sectarian lines. “The Israeli entity—which has always sought to destabilize us and sow discord among us since the fall of the former regime—is once again trying to turn our sacred land into an endless arena of chaos,” Sharaa said in a speech. “Through this, it aims to fracture our people’s unity and weaken our ability to continue the path of reconstruction and national revival.”…The clashes in Sweida that preceded the Israeli assault on Damascus began after the government dispatched troops earlier this week to quell fighting between Druze and Bedouin militias in the region that was triggered by the reported abduction of a Druze merchant by Bedouin groups and retaliatory attacks by Druze militias that have maintained an autonomous presence in the region. Pro-government militias are then alleged to have engaged in attacks on Druze groups in the region, which had previously rejected government authority being imposed on Sweida.” See also Syria: Over 370 killed in Suwayda as fragile truce holds, Sharaa promises Druze local control (Al Monitor 7/17/25); Israeli Druze breach Syria border, call for ‘day of rage’ over Suwayda clashes (Al Monitor 7/16/25);  ‘I haven’t been here in 40 years’: Emotional reunions as Druze cross Israel-Syria fence (Oren Ziv//+972 Magazine 7/18/25)

In EU first, Slovenia to ban Ben Gvir and Smotrich over ‘genocidal statements’ (TOI 7/17/25)

“Slovenia announced on Thursday that it will ban two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, in what authorities said was a first in the European Union. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will be declared “persona non grata,” the Slovenian government said in a statement, accusing them of inciting “extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians” with “their genocidal statements.”In June, Australia, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and Norway imposed similar sanctions on Smotrich and Ben Gvir, key coalition partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.” See also The rest of the world struggles to restrain Israel (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 7/17/25); EU accused of ‘cruel and unlawful betrayal’ of Palestinians over failure to confront Israel (The Guardian 7/16/25)

In Colombia, The Hague Group Charges Israel With Genocide (Jose Olivares//Drop News 7/15/25)

“On Tuesday, ministers and officials from over 30 countries gathered in Bogotá, Colombia to convene The Hague Group, an international organization co-chaired by the governments of Colombia and South Africa. The two-day conference will discuss steps forward for the international community to stop Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians…The countries represented at the emergency conference this week include Algeria, Bolivia, China, Brazil, Iraq, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Spain, Turkey, and Venezuela…Notably, Qatar and Egypt, which are overseeing negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli government, are in attendance…The conference marks an inflection point for how some states will address the ongoing slaughter of Palestinians by Israeli military forces. Some governments and officials are divided in their approach to pressure Israel, with some officials more hesitant than others on whether to call for the severance of diplomatic relations and whether to place sanctions on Israel…Annelle Sheline, a former foreign affairs officer at the State Department who resigned in March 2024 over the slaughter in Gaza, is attending the week’s proceedings. In response to the attempt by the US State Department to bully participating countries at the emergency meeting of the Hague Group, she told Drop Site, “These are sovereign states who have every right to uphold their obligations as UN members, including under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.” She added, “This is not the weaponization of international law. This is the application of international law.”’

RIVER TO THE SEA

Family of US citizen beaten to death by Israeli settlers calls on Trump administration to prosecute killers (The Guardian 7/15/25)

“Relatives of Sayfollah Musallet, a US citizen from Florida beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, are calling for the Trump administration to arrest and prosecute those responsible for his killing. The 20-year-old from Tampa was visiting his family in an area near Ramallah, and died last week trying to protect their farm from invaders, they said at an emotional press conference in Florida on Monday afternoon…Musallet was beaten with clubs and bats, and died in the same attack that killed a 23-year-old Palestinian man. Razek Hussein al-Shalabi was shot and left to bleed to death, the Palestinian health ministry said. Hasem Musallet said the settlers prevented ambulances from reaching the injured men, and that a brother watched Sayfollah take his last breath.” See also Israeli settlers beat U.S. citizen to death in West Bank (NPR 7/12/25); ‘Why are you not preventing settler terrorism’: Palestinians call out IDF following beating death of American man (CNN 7/16/25); Huckabee calls on Israel to ‘aggressively’ probe ‘terrorist murder’ of US-Palestinian in West Bank (TOI 7/15/25); Huckabee calls on Israel to ‘aggressively investigate’ killing of American citizen in West Bank (JI 7/15/25); Huckabee Calls Death of Palestinian-American in West Bank ‘Terrorism’ (NYT 7/15/25);

The suffocation of Sinjil (Shatha Yaish//+972 Magazine 7/14/25)

“Encaging the West Bank town with barbed wire, Israel has cut off residents’ land and left others exposed to settler attacks, including a recent lynching.” See also Palestinian child shot dead in West Bank by Israeli forces amid land grabs (Al Jazeera 7/18/25); West Bank Palestinians say settlers stole and killed dozens of sheep (Haaretz 7/18/25)

U.S. ambassador makes an unprecedented visit to Netanyahu’s trial (Axios 7/16/25)

“Huckabee’s attendance at the court hearing is a significantly unusual and unprecedented move by a U.S. ambassador to Israel. The move was a way for Huckabee and the Trump administration to express support for Israel’s prime minister and to signal what seems to be distrust in the nation’s judicial system. In the weeks since the war between Israel and Iran ended, Trump has been pressing publicly to halt Netanyahu’s corruption trial, dangling an implicit threat to suspend military assistance if the “witch hunt” continues against the prime minister…At the court, Huckabee said he didn’t come to the hearing to express an opinion on the legal proceeding itself, but to send the message that President Trump was in a similar situation in the U.S. and that he thinks the trial distracts Netanyahu from his role as prime minister.” See also Ultra-Orthodox party quits Israeli coalition, weakening Netanyahu (WaPo 7/16/25)

Israel Renews Plans for Controversial Construction That Would Effectively Cut West Bank in Two (Hagar Shezaf//Haaretz 7/14/25)

“In a first since 2021, Israel’s government is renewing plans for construction in the E1 area, which will sever the northern West Bank from the southern West Bank…Objections to the plan were filed by organizations including Peace Now, Ir Amim and the Association of Environmental Justice in Israel, which joined Palestinians who live in the area and oppose the plans…They added that the plans have potential repercussions on a future peace agreement, since it will create a contiguous line of Jewish settlements, from the central West Bank leading up to Jerusalem.”

My journalist friend was arrested by Israel. He won’t be the last (Meron Rapoport//+972 Magazine 7/18/25)

“Early last week, Israeli authorities arrested one of the most senior journalists in Palestine: Nasser Laham, editor-in-chief of the Ma’an News Agency. He was held for nine days on suspicion of “assisting a terror organization through media,” then quietly released without charge…According to [Laham’s attorney, Osama] Saadi, the allegations rested primarily on Nasser’s affiliation with the Lebanese channel Al Mayadeen and on classified evidence never shared with the defense. In the end, he was released without conditions, and Saadi predicts that no charges will be filed…Indeed, Nasser’s arrest seems to have served another purpose. A journalist known in nearly every Palestinian household and across much of the Arab world, his detention aimed to send a clear message to all Palestinians: no one is immune. Not those living in caves or tin shacks in Masafer Yatta or the Jordan Valley, and not those who travel the world interviewing prime ministers. Even after his release, the message lingers. Nasser wasn’t the only journalist arrested by the Israeli authorities last week; Israel Frey, a Jewish-Israeli independent journalist and left-wing activist, was also detained by police for a tweet…It’s hard not to see the connection between Nasser’s arrest and that of Israel Frey, both of which fall on the same spectrum of silencing and intimidation.”

Home Raids and Violence: In Hebron, ‘Voluntary’ Transfer of Palestinians Is Underway (Gideon Levy & Alex Levac//Haaretz 7/11/25)

“Hebron’s main marketplace has been almost completely deserted for years. Anyone who wants to understand why, need only gaze upward: Hanging from the metal grilles Palestinians installed above the stalls to protect them from the settlers, are bags of garbage and excrement that the latter throw at visitors.
The homes of the settlers in Hebron’s Jewish Quarter loom above the dead market and abut it. On the other side of the checkpoint, in that quarter, not one Palestinian store or stall remains. Further along, the still-open part of the market was also half dead this week…The Palestinians have no money, in a city that once was the economic hub of the West Bank until the war in the Gaza Strip erupted. Want to know why? Look at its main entry gate. It was padlocked this week. A city of a quarter of a million inhabitants is shuttered. Can anyone find anything comparable to this on the planet? Israeli soldiers supervise the main entrance into Hebron. Sometimes they open the gate there, sometimes they don’t…there’s no reason other than the Israel Defense Forces’ need to abuse the inhabitants, which they are doing even more violently since October 7, in order to drive them to despair – and perhaps even down the road. Permanently. Indeed, perhaps a small number will choose to leave, finally, and thus fulfill the dream of some of their Jewish neighbors. For its part, the IDF is cooperating eagerly with these satanic plans, working hand in hand with the settlers on the path to the much-desired population transfer. Under the cover of the war in the Strip, here too abuse has gone into high gear, and is almost unrestrained.”

U.S. SCENE

Project 2025’s Other Project (NYT 7/16/25)

“Inside the plan from the Heritage Foundation to rapidly dismantle the pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S.”

Columbia adopts controversial antisemitism definition as it negotiates with Trump administration (The Forward 7/16/25)

“Under the new commitments, Columbia is adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which proponents say makes identifying and responding to antisemitism easier but has drawn criticism over its categorization of some forms of Israel criticism as antisemitic. It will also work with a number of groups — including the Anti-Defamation League, Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, and a faculty-led pro-Israel group created after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — to offer programs about antisemitism.”

In sign of shift, far-right US network airs segment on unchecked settler violence (TOI 7/18/25)

“The far-right One America News Network aired a segment Wednesday on last week’s killing of Palestinian-American Saif Musallet by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, showing a sign of a change in right-wing public opinion in the US surrounding Israel’s actions against Palestinians. The network’s decision to focus on a phenomenon that was once largely ignored in conservative circles highlighted the shift among a camp of MAGA Republicans that has gradually become more critical of Israel. The anchor for the segment was former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who was US President Donald Trump’s original pick for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew his nomination amid mounting scandals.”

Biden’s Team Lied About Gaza. It’s Time to Hold Them Accountable. (Matt Duss//Foreign Policy 7/18/25)

“They lied. Repeatedly. They claimed that they didn’t see evidence of systemic abuses. They resorted to strange formulations such as “too many Palestinians have been killed,” as if there was some acceptable number that had been exceeded. They said that Israel wasn’t “doing enough” to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid, pretending that a policy problem was a logistics problem…In the past few months, I’ve met with many former Biden administration officials, people who worked in the White House, the State Department, and the Pentagon. Most of them don’t deny this. They acknowledge that Israel was deliberately harming civilians and that the administration knew this at every level. They insist that they were pushing back internally against the policy. My response to all of them has been the same: Speak up now and tell the truth about it…Part of preventing the alleged Gaza genocide from happening again—and that must be the overriding goal—is creating space for people to tell us what they know in order to speak to the historical record about what went wrong, and to do so sooner rather than later.”

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

The Gavel and the Gun (Darryl Li//Jewish Currents Summer 2025)

“Palestinian history shows that armed struggle campaigns often catalyze gains in international lawmaking.”

I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. (Omer Bartov//NYT 7/15/25)

“My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people…This is not just my conclusion. A growing number of experts in genocide studies and international law have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza can only be defined as genocide…The continued denial of this designation by states, international organizations and legal and scholarly experts will cause unmitigated damage not just to the people of Gaza and Israel but also to the system of international law established in the wake of the horrors of the Holocaust, designed to prevent such atrocities from happening ever again. It is a threat to the very foundations of the moral order on which we all depend.”

The UN and the ICC Are Under Attack From Trump and Netanyahu (Alonso Gurmendi//Zeteo 7/17/25)

“International accountability mechanisms are under attack. A week ago, the US sanctioned UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, a key actor in the fight for accountability in Gaza. A few days later, on July 15, the three members of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Navi Pillay, Chris Sidoti, and Miloon Kothari, suddenly and suspiciously resigned from their positions – the first ever joint resignation of a UN Commission of Inquiry – leading some to suspect they sought to avoid potential US sanctions. That same day, Middle East Eye detailed how, back in May, Nicholas Kaufman, an Israeli lawyer with apparent ties to the Netanyahu government, allegedly secretly threatened International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan, who had been recently sanctioned by the US, not to request further arrest warrants against Israel or he and the court would be “destroyed.” About a month after the alleged threat was made, four ICC judges were sanctioned, too. The targeting of these three institutions is no coincidence.”

Yes, Israel’s plan for Rafah would be a crime – but international law has never protected Gaza (Raja Shehadeh//The Guardian 7/12/25)

“I have tried hard to understand the incomprehensible suffering endured by Palestinians in Gaza and how it is that most Israelis do not acknowledge their humanity. How are they able to show no remorse for what their army is carrying out in their name? I believe the seed of our dehumanisation was planted during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Palestinians were violently deprived of land, property and belongings in what we would come to call the Nakba (Arabic for “the catastrophe”), on the grounds that the land was God-given to the Jewish people. From that time, Israelis have been able to use Arab homes, lands and orchards without any feeling of guilt. The 7 October attacks were the starting point of the war, but Israel has been systematically degrading and dispossessing the Palestinian people for decades…This has not been for lack of attempts by Palestinians over the years to invoke the law – whether through Israeli courts, international tribunals or third-party enforcement mechanisms. One simple reason for their failure has been that international law lacks effective means of enforcement. More complex reasons rest with the interests of the powerful. My hope lies in Palestinian resilience.”

1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region//Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

How to think about Gazans’ mental health during this genocide (New podcast episode)

FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei, psychiatrist and Director General of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), Gaza’s leading mental health organization. They discuss the how GCMHP has continued to serve Gazans, train mental health providers, and offer critical services and knowledge even in these genocidal conditions. They discuss what it means to “cope” with the horrors and deprivations of genocide, as well as the hope for a ceasefire and what outsiders can do to support the survivors in Gaza.

How Western journalists are complicit in Israel’s effort to silence Palestinian journalists (New podcast episode)

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Palestinian American journalist and writer Jennifer Zacharia about the treatment of Palestinian journalists and reporting by Israel and Western media, building on Zacharia’s recent Boston Review piece,”Can Anyone Hear Me? Palestinians are only allowed to exist if we don’t cause discomfort for those who seek to erase us.” They discuss the lack of accountability for Israel killing Zacharia’s cousin, Shireen Abu Akleh, in 2022; how Western media elides truth and suppresses information in reporting on Palestine; and the choices of words, including descriptors for sexual violence, that Western media uses to describe some victims.

FMEP Legislative Round-Up July 11, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings & Briefings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements; See also FMEP Legislative Round-Up July 3, 2025

Settlement & Annexation Report: July 3, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)

Violence, Anarchy in Northern West Bank as Outpost Settlers Reign Terror on Palestinians & Israeli Forces; 2. Israel Orders Mass Forced Displacement of 12 Villages in Masafer Yatta; 3. Israel Keeps Foot on Gas with West Bank Settlement Expansion; 4. Israeli Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Settlers on Key, Precedent-Setting Eviction Case in Batan al-Hawa, East Jerusalem; 5. Israel Initiates Efforts to Displace Palestinians from Additional Areas in East Jerusalem; 6. Netanyahu Urged to Push Annexation As Part of Gaza Talks in Washington; 7. (More) West Bank Settlement & Annexation News; 8. U.S. Politics; 9. New Reports

GAZA

Israeli plan for forced transfer of Gaza’s population ‘a blueprint for crimes against humanity’ (The Guardian 7/7/25)

“Israel’s defence minister has laid out plans to force all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp on the ruins of Rafah, in a scheme that legal experts and academics described as a blueprint for crimes against humanity. Israel Katz said he has ordered Israel’s military to prepare for establishing a camp, which he called a “humanitarian city”, on the ruins of the city of Rafah, Haaretz newspaper reported. Palestinians would go through “security screening” before entering, and once inside would not be allowed to leave, Katz said at a briefing for Israeli journalists. Israeli forces would control the perimeter of the site and initially “move” 600,000 Palestinians into the area – mostly people currently displaced in the al-Mawasi area. Eventually the entire population of Gaza would be housed there, and Israel aims to implement “the emigration plan, which will happen”, Haaretz quoted him saying. Since Donald Trump suggested at the start of the year that large numbers of Palestinians should leave Gaza to “clean out” the strip, Israeli politicians including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have enthusiastically promoted forced deportation, often presenting it as a US project.” See also Defense Minister Says Israel Plans to Concentrate All Gaza’s Population in ‘Humanitarian’ Zone Built on Rafah’s Ruins (Haaretz 7/7/25); Israel’s Isn’t Creating a ‘Humanitarian City’ in Gaza. It’s Creating Transfer Camps (Haaretz Editorial 7/9/25); Our Duty to Explain Israel’s Operation to “Concentrate and Move Population” in Gaza is a Manifest War Crime (Eyal Benvenisti and Chaim Gans//Just Security 7/8/25); Israeli plans for Gaza draw criticism of ‘concentration camps’ (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 7/11/25)

Nearly 800 killed at Gaza food hubs and aid convoy routes since end of May, UN says (The Guardian 7/11/25)

“At least 798 people have been killed while seeking food at distribution points operated by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and other humanitarian convoys since the end of May, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday. The GHF, proposed by Israel as an alternative to the UN aid system in Gaza, has been almost universally condemned by rights groups for its violation of principles of humanitarian impartiality and what they have said could be complicity in war crimes.” See also Sixteen Gazans, Including 10 Children, Killed by IDF While Waiting for Aid, Medics Say (Haaretz 7/10/25); Israeli strikes kill at least 38 in Gaza as ceasefire talks reach critical point (Guardian 7/6/25); US contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza (AP 7/2/25); Gaza aid contractor tells BBC he saw colleagues fire on hungry Palestinians (BBC 7/8/25); US consultancy firm involved in GHF aid scheme modelled plans to ‘relocate’ Palestinians (Middle East Eye 7/5/25); IDF strike kills Gazan children awaiting food supplements, health officials say (WaPo 7/10/25); Foreseeable flaws in Gaza aid project led to shooting of Palestinians (WaPo 7/7/25);

‘Like a video game’: Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing drones (Yuval Abraham//+972 Magazine 7/10/25)

“The Israeli military has weaponized a fleet of Chinese-manufactured commercial drones to attack Palestinians in parts of Gaza that it seeks to depopulate, an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call can reveal. According to interviews with seven soldiers and officers who served in the Strip, these drones are operated manually by troops on the ground, and are frequently used to bomb Palestinian civilians — including children — in an effort to force them to leave their homes or prevent them from returning to evacuated areas. Soldiers most commonly use EVO drones, produced by the Chinese company Autel, which are primarily intended for photography and cost around NIS 10,000 (approximately $3,000) on Amazon. However, with a military-issued attachment known internally as an “iron ball,” a hand grenade can be affixed to the drone and dropped with the push of a button to detonate on the ground. Today, the majority of Israeli military companies in Gaza use these drones…In the reports, all Palestinians killed were listed as “terrorists.” However, S. testified that aside from one person found with a knife and a single encounter with armed fighters, the scores of others killed — an average of one per day in his battalion’s combat zone — were unarmed. According to him, the drone strikes were carried out with the intent to kill, despite the majority of victims being located at such a distance from the soldiers that they could not have posed any threat…Soldiers testified that these drone strikes are often carried out against anyone entering an area the army has determined is off-limits to Palestinians — a designation that is never demarcated on the ground. Two sources used variations of the phrase “learning through blood” to describe the army’s expectation that Palestinians will come to understand these arbitrary boundaries after civilians are killed upon entering the area.” See also Tens of thousands flee Gaza City after Israel warns of major offensive (Guardian 6/29/25); Israeli strikes kill more than 60 people in Gaza, health officials say (Guardian 6/28/25);

Netanyahu flies home without a Gaza peace deal but still keeps Trump onside (The Guardian 7/11/25)

“Benjamin Netanyahu arrived back in Israel on Friday without a ceasefire in the Gaza war despite heady predictions from US and Israeli officials that this week could provide a breakthrough in negotiations. But he did not come home completely empty-handed. The Israeli PM’s visit was his third since Donald Trump’s inauguration, with several high-profile meetings at the White House, a nomination for Trump to receive the Nobel peace prize, and suggestions from Trump and the special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, that peace could be achieved in a week. But as Netanyahu’s trip ended, no clear results had been achieved. Witkoff postponed a trip to Doha on Tuesday as it became clear that the negotiations had not reached a point where they could produce a ceasefire agreement.” See also Israel steps up deadly bombardment of Gaza before ceasefire talks (Guardian 7/3/25); Netanyahu Leaves Washington Without a Gaza Cease-fire, Just Like He Wanted (Amir Tibon//Haaretz 7/10/25); Trump says he thinks Gaza cease-fire deal could be reached this week or next week (Haaretz 7/9/25); Trump says Israel has agreed to terms for 60-day Gaza ceasefire (Axios 7/1/25); Hamas gives positive response to Gaza ceasefire proposal with reservations (Axios 7/4/25); Trump and Netanyahu meet to discuss Gaza deal push (Axios 7/8/25); Netanyahu Confirms 20 Israeli Hostages Still Alive in Gaza, Hopes for Deal ‘In a Few Days’ (Haaretz 7/11/25);

The War on Gaza’s Children (Isaac Chotiner interviews UNICEF’s global spokesperson James Elder//New Yorker 7/7/25)

“One is the wounds I saw on children. There were burns on little girls and boys, fourth-degree burns I didn’t know existed. And shrapnel riddled through a body. Shrapnel is designed to go through cement, and what it does to a child’s body is horrific…Once you have famine, people are dying en masse. But there is starvation where a child’s body is degrading and the immune system is starting to collapse, and that’s happening—so children’s bodies aren’t waiting for that technical definition. We are now so far below the emergency threshold for water. It is in critical shortage now, and it is controlled entirely by Israel…The most lethal crisis isn’t just hunger or thirst—it’s the brutal collision of both.” See also Gaza family documents their desperate search for food in a barren landscape (PBS News Hour 7/9/25); ‘They’re skin and bones’: doctors in Gaza warn babies at risk of death from lack of formula (Guardian 7/5/25); Aid Groups: Infants Are Dying in Gaza Because Israel Impedes Import of Baby Formula (Haaretz 7/11/25);

How Netanyahu Prolonged the War in Gaza to Stay in Power (NYT 7/11/25)

“Why, after nearly two years, has the war yet to reach a definitive conclusion? Why did Israel frequently turn away chances for de-escalation, instead expanding its military ambitions to Lebanon, to Syria and now to Iran? Why has the war dragged on, even as the leadership of Hamas was decapitated and more Israelis called for a cease-fire?…To understand the role that Netanyahu’s own calculations played in prolonging the war, we spoke with more than 110 officials in Israel, the United States and the Arab world. These officials — both supporters and critics — have all met, observed or worked with the prime minister since the start of the war and sometimes long before it began. We also reviewed scores of documents, including records of government meetings, communications among officials, negotiation records, war plans, intelligence assessments, secret Hamas protocols and court documents. For obvious reasons, one of the most sensitive accusations about Netanyahu’s conduct of the war is that he prolonged it for his own personal political benefit. Whether or not they thought he had, everyone we spoke to agreed on one thing: The war’s extension and expansion has been good for Netanyahu…The general expectation was the war would subside early in 2024, Netanyahu’s coalition would collapse and Netanyahu would soon be held accountable for the disaster. Instead, Netanyahu harnessed the war to improve his political fortunes, at first simply to survive and then to triumph on his own terms.” See also Takeaways From the Times Investigation Into Benjamin Netanyahu (NYT 7/11/25); Netanyahu said to have shelved April 2024 Gaza truce after Smotrich threat to government (TOI 7/11/25); 5 Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza, Military Says (NYT 7/8/25);

Gaza’s Al-Baqa Cafe was a sanctuary amid the genocide. Now it lies in ruins (Ruwaida Amer//+972 Magazine 7/3/25)

“For over two decades, Al-Baqa Cafe was a cherished seaside refuge in western Gaza City, a place for family and friends to meet or those seeking a quiet space to rest or do some work…Al-Baqa was one of the few businesses in Gaza that managed to stay open despite the war. It provided internet access to students continuing their studies, journalists filing reports, and freelancers trying to work amid frequent power blackouts and repeated displacement…That all came to an end around noon on Monday, June 30, when the Israeli army dropped a 500-pound bomb on the cafe without any warning. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the airstrike killed at least 33 people including the cafe’s owner, Saher Al-Baqa.” See also Israel Slaughters Dozens in Attack on Popular Gaza Cafe as Trump Claims a Ceasefire Deal is Moving Forward (Abdel Qader Sabbah, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Jeremy Scahill//Drop Site 6/30/25)

‘Medicine Can Be Imported, Doctors Cannot’: IDF Killing of Hundreds of Gaza Medical Workers Deepens Health System Crisis (Nir Hasson & Jack Khoury//Haaretz 7/8/25)

“At least 1,580 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Amid mounting international criticism, the IDF has rejected claims of deliberately targeting the health system, but has yet to offer alternative explanations for its multiple strikes on hospitals, ambulances and medical personnel.” See also Israel’s Targeted Killing of Beloved Dr. Marwan al-Sultan and His Family (Abdel Qader Sabbah and Kavitha Chekuru//Drop Site 7/7/25); ‘No other explanation’: children of Gaza doctor killed in airstrike believe he was deliberately targeted (Guardian 7/4/25); A British Surgeon on What She Saw in Gaza’s Hospitals (NYT 7/9/25);

Israel Is Sowing Chaos to Secure Displacement in Gaza (Rob Geist Pinfold//Foreign Policy 7/8/25)

“Ostensibly, both Israel’s support for criminal gangs and its incompetent aid rollout look like two separate parts of a broader problem: Without a “day after” plan, Israel’s policies remain shortsighted and ineffective. If, however, Netanyahu’s goal is to increase chaos and suffering in the strip to the point where its residents choose to emigrate “voluntarily,” he has already succeeded…In short, Israel has not mitigated Gaza’s anarchy; it has exacerbated it…Whatever cease-fire agreements are discussed or signed in the coming weeks or months, Netanyahu’s policies have already laid the groundwork for the Gazan population’s forced displacement.”

REGION//GLOBAL

Netanyahu Releases Letter Nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize (NYT 7/8/25)

“The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Tuesday released the letter in which he nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his “pivotal role” in negotiating diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states in 2020. The letter appeared to be part of Mr. Netanyahu’s attempt to cement relations with Mr. Trump during a White House visit. “President Trump has demonstrated steadfast and exceptional dedication to promoting peace, security and stability around the world,” Mr. Netanyahu said in the letter, which was dated July 1 and addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prize. Speaking at a White House dinner on Monday, Mr. Netanyahu presented Mr. Trump with a copy of the letter and praised his host for “forging peace, as we speak, in one country in the region after another.”’ See also Trump-Netanyahu bromance returns with Nobel Peace Prize nomination (Jewish Insider 7/7/25);

US issues sanctions against Francesca Albanese, UN official investigating abuses in Gaza (The Guardian 7/10/25)

“The Trump administration announced on Wednesday it was issuing sanctions against an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories. The state department’s decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, is the latest effort by the US to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza and comes after a recent US pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post failed. Albanese, a human rights lawyer, has been vocal in calling for an end to what she describes as the “genocide” that Israel is waging against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel and the US, which provides military support, have both strongly denied that accusation.” See also Rights defenders denounce US sanctions on UN expert on Palestinians (Reuters 7/10/25); Global firms ‘profiting from genocide’ in Gaza, says UN rapporteur (The Guardian 7/3/25); UN Gaza investigator Francesca Albanese says US sanctions against her a sign of ‘guilt’ (The Guardian 7/10/25)

The UK can excuse genocide, but draws the line at festival chants (Em Hilton//+972 Magazine 7/1/25)

“Britain’s political and media class are currently seething with performative rage over a slogan chanted at a music festival last weekend. After rap duo Bob Vylan led the Glastonbury crowd in a chorus of “Death, death to the IDF,” the incident was almost universally decried as a carnival of antisemitism — from national newspapers to the UK culture minister, the chief rabbi and Jewish organizations, the director of Glastonbury, and even the BBC, which was broadcasting the festival live. These knee-jerk responses to a musician’s chants reflect an alarming escalation in the repression of Palestine solidarity in the UK, coming in the wake of several other high profile attempts to criminalize public figures who spoke out for Palestine. But the incident also represents a microcosm of the growing chasm between those in power, who continue to actively support or enable Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, and the broader public, who are increasingly horrified by that violence.”

After Iran-Israel clash, there’s more reason to fear a nuclear bomb (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 6/30/25)

“It’s not clear how much of Iran’s nuclear program is destroyed or inoperable. But the “total obliteration” declared by President Donald Trump after U.S. warplanes joined an Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic does not seem accurate. An initial U.S. intelligence report assessed that airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities have set Tehran’s program back by months, but not wholly eliminated it. On Sunday, my colleagues also reported on intercepted communications between senior Iranian officials who seemed to believe the attacks were less devastating than feared. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, told CBS’s “Face the Nation” over the weekend that Iran probably still had the ability to resume uranium enrichment activities. The question of what the U.S. intervention achieved has become politicized in Washington.” See also Iranian president says Israel tried to assassinate him (Guardian 7/7/25); Israeli strike hit four areas in notorious Tehran prison. Civilians among the dead. (WaPo 7/6/25); A text, a Telegram link, then an offer of money: how Iran sought to recruit spies in Israel (The Guardian 7/6/25); Israel’s Deadly Assault on Iran Prison Incites Fury, Even Among Dissidents (NYT 7/6/25)

At least 2 killed and 15 missing after Houthis sink second ship this week (WaPo 7/9/25)

“Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the first deadly Red Sea attack in over a year, and said they are holding members of the crew after at least 15 crew members were reported missing. At least two crew members were killed in the attack, a Liberian U.N. delegation said on Tuesday…The attack on the Eternity C happened hours after the Houthi rebels claimed a different attack on a different Liberian-flagged ship, the Magic Seas. The 19-member crew evacuated the ship and there were no reported casualties.”

The Hague Group: Mobilizing International Law for Palestine (Munir Nuseibah//Al Shabaka 7/8/25)

“The Israeli regime’s ongoing genocide in Gaza has exposed the failure of global legal frameworks to protect civilians, marking an unprecedented breakdown in the protective function of international law. While the Genocide Convention obligates states to prevent and punish genocide, and the Geneva Conventions establish protections for civilians under occupation, these mechanisms have proven powerless without the political will to enforce them. This became glaringly obvious in January 2024, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza—orders the Israeli government openly defied as it pressed ahead with its military campaign. Nonetheless, several Global South states have come together to form the Hague Group—an initiative designed to challenge the wall of impunity surrounding the Israeli regime through coordinated legal and diplomatic action. Comprising eight countries—South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia, Colombia, Bolivia, Senegal, Honduras, and Cuba—the Hague Group is committed to advancing international law enforcement and upholding global obligations in defense of Palestinian rights. This policy memo examines how the Hague Group showcases the potential of coordinated state action to hold states accountable for violating international law, despite structural limitations in enforcement.” See also Spain and Ireland to join more than 20 states to declare ‘concrete measures’ against Israel (Middle East Eye 7/10/25)

Israel Launches New Ground Incursion in Lebanon, Raising Fears for Truce (NYT 6/9/25)

“The Israeli military said the “targeted operations” had located and destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure, but it did not say when this happened. The Israeli military released footage showing what it said was soldiers conducting nighttime operations inside Lebanese territory. For months, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes against what it describes as Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, intensifying them in recent weeks. The attacks have added to growing fears that the tenuous Israeli-Hezbollah cease-fire, which has been in place since November, may not hold.” See also In first attack after truce, Houthis claim to have sunk ship in Red Sea: What to know (Al Monitor 7/7/25); Israel strikes Lebanon in one of biggest attacks since November ceasefire (WaPo 6/27/25); U.S. further eases sanctions on Syria by lifting terrorist designation (WaPo 7/7/25);

RIVER TO THE SEA

Israeli Settlers Kill American Citizen in Occupied West Bank, Family Says (Zeteo 7/11/25)

“Israeli settlers brutalized an American, beating him unconscious and blocking an ambulance from reaching him, according to the victim’s family. The young Palestinian-American was pronounced dead by the time he arrived at a hospital. Sayfollah Musallet, who was in his 20s, was visiting his family in the Palestinian town of Al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya. Two of his cousins, Fatmah Muhammad and another, granted anonymity due to safety concerns, say he had arrived in June. Born in Florida, Musallat grew up in the town of Port Charlotte. The Israeli military is reportedly investigating the killing. The State Department and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.”

With West Bank annexation in the air, settlers revel in their impunity (Oren Ziv & Shatha Yaish//+972 Magazine 7/9/25)

“Over the span of two days, one of the last remaining Palestinian communities between Ramallah and Jericho was uprooted from its land.On the evening of July 2, dozens of Israeli settlers descended on the West Bank shepherding village of Al-Muarrajat. They broke into homes, stole around 60 sheep, and erected a small outpost inside the village. By the next morning, settlers were seen sitting alongside Israeli soldiers at the newly built outpost, now moved just meters from the village school…“Residents [of Al-Muarrajat] were forced to leave at gunpoint,” said 28-year-old Aaliyah Malihat, a local activist, as her family gathered their possessions. “People have nowhere to go. They’re scattering to nearby villages.”…The assault on Al-Muarrajat comes just days after a string of deadly settler attacks in the town of Kufr Malik, northeast of Ramallah. On June 23, Israeli forces shot and killed a 13-year-old boy; two days later, settlers rampaged through the town, setting property on fire and killing three more young Palestinians who were among a group of villagers trying to defend their homes…Mere hours after the funeral, settlers launched another attack, this time targeting the nearby town of Turmus Ayya…As settler violence in the West Bank grows increasingly vicious and widespread, Israeli authorities only appear to respond decisively when the victims are soldiers.” See also Palestinian Health Ministry: 23-year-old Beaten to Death by Israeli Settlers in West Bank (Haaretz 7/11/25); ‘It comes with the territory’: How Israel’s archaeologists legitimize annexation (Dikla Taylor-Sheinman//+972 Magazine 7/1/25); Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and IDF military vehicles in West Bank (PBS 6/30/25);

Palestinians fear razing of villages in West Bank, as settlers circle their homes (The Guardian 7/7/25)

“Ali Awad is tired. The 27-year-old resident of Tuba, one of the dozen or so villages that make up Masafer Yatta in the arid south Hebron hills of the occupied West Bank, had been up all night watching as a masked Israeli settler on horseback circled his family home…The men in Masafer Yatta rarely sleep these days. They take turns standing watch at night, fearful that nearby Israeli settlers will attack under the cover of darkness…Recently, an Israeli administrative body issued a decision which legal experts and activists have said could remove the last remaining legal barriers for the demolition of homes in Masafer Yatta. The decision could lead to the forcible transfer of 1,200 people, something the UN warned could be a war crime…As the residents navigate Israel’s labyrinthine bureaucracy to stave off demolition orders, settlers have acted as the extrajudicial vanguard of displacement, making daily life nearly intolerable for Palestinians. Almost every single resident has a story about being harassed or attacked by nearby settlers, whose presence has been slowly growing, with new outposts popping up on the area’s hilltops…“Just mentally we are preparing for more demolitions. There’s nothing more on the ground we can do, besides putting our words in the media so they can reach farther than we can scream,” Awad said.” See also IDF Starts Demolishing 100 Palestinian Homes in West Bank as High Court Blocks Four (Haaretz 7/8/25);

‘For Every Woman Who Still Can’t Speak’ | Report on Hamas’ Use of ‘Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War’ Compiles Evidence for Future Legal Action (Haaretz 7/8/25)

“An Israeli initiative made up of legal scholars and gender experts released a report on Tuesday, aiming to bring awareness to acts of sexual violence against Israelis during the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and in captivity in Gaza, and hoping to bring justice for the victims. The report by the Dinah Project was written by its founders: legal scholar Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, attorney and former chief military prosecutor Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas and former judge and Deputy Attorney General Nava Ben-Or. In the report, they compiled testimonies from first-hand survivors, 17 people who saw or heard attacks, therapists who worked with survivors, a victim of attempted rape at the Nova festival, dozens of first responders and 15 former hostages who returned from Hamas captivity – including two men. They added that the report is meant to support future legal proceedings and investigations, whether in Israeli courts, international tribunals or other inquiries…The report also recommends further development of international criminal legal tools meant to address acts of sexual violence committed as part of “ideologically motivated campaigns of destruction.”’

Haaretz Exposé: Malnutrition, Illness and Death – The Routine for Palestinian Prisoners at Israel’s Megiddo Prison (Hagar Shezaf//Haaretz 7/6/25)

“Sixteen-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim was held at Megiddo prison for eight months until the parole board said his condition had deteriorated to ‘life-threatening underweight.’ He talks about recurring scabies infections, intestinal disease, beatings and neglect – and a Haaretz probe reveals that this is the experience of many others, some of whom didn’t survive.”

New Documents Reveal: U.S. Pouring Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Military Aid Into Building IDF Airbases and Facilities in Israel (Haaretz 7/7/25)

“The United States is building infrastructure to accommodate the Israel Air Force’s new refueling aircraft and helicopters, as well as a new headquarters for the Israeli army’s Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, and numerous other projects costing billions of shekels, according to official documents from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published online. All these projects are funded by U.S. military aid to Israel.”

U.S. SCENE

Democrats Need to Understand That Opinions on Israel Are Changing Fast (Peter Beinart//NYT 7/6/25)

“In 2013, according to Gallup, Democrats sympathized with Israel over the Palestinians by a margin of 36 percentage points. Those numbers have now flipped, after more than a decade of nearly uninterrupted right-wing rule by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the rise to power of crude bigots like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, and Israel’s mass slaughter and starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip: This February, Gallup found that Democrats sympathize with Palestinians over Israel by a margin of 38 percentage points. According to a February survey by The Economist and YouGov, 46 percent of Democrats want the United States to reduce military aid to the Jewish state. Only 6 percent want to increase it, and 24 percent want it to remain at the level it is. These opinions aren’t restricted to young progressives. Older Democrats’ views have swung even more sharply than young ones’ against Israel in recent years. Between 2022 and 2025, according to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Democrats age 50 and over with an unfavorable view of the Jewish state jumped a remarkable 23 percentage points. This shift has largely erased the party’s generation gap on the subject. Only one in three Democrats now views Israel favorably, according to Gallup. That makes Israel significantly less popular than Cuba, and only slightly more popular than China.”

Young Republicans are fueling the GOP’s generational divide on Israel (WaPo 6/30/25)

“Stalwart support for Israel has been a cornerstone of GOP politics in recent decades…But views on the right are shifting. In March, the Pew Research Center found that Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were more negative toward Israel than in 2022. Most of the shift came from Republicans under age 50. In 2022, 63 percent of Republicans under 50 had a positive view of Israel, and now they are roughly split, with 48 percent positive and 50 percent negative…By comparison, the left’s generational divide on Israel is narrowing. The portion of older Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents who view Israel negatively increased by 23 percentage points since 2022.”

A New Playbook for Democratic Critics of Israel (Peter Beinart//Jewish Currents 6/30/25)

“Mamdani’s victory in the Democratic primary last week contains a crucial message for Democrats who want to challenge unconditional US support for Israel but fear that doing so constitutes political suicide: It is possible to win without abandoning your values. It just requires strategic ingenuity. Indeed, Mamdani has written a new playbook for how to avoid the rhetorical traps set by Israel’s defenders. He did not allow pundits to exceptionalize Israel, but instead returned relentlessly to universal principles of justice and equality. Drawing on his deep knowledge of the subject, he has offered an example of how to speak in terms that at least some Jewish voters—and Democratic voters more generally—can hear.” See also Kirsten Gillibrand apologizes to Zohran Mamdani over ‘global jihad’ remark (JTA 7/2/25)

Deportation filing confirms that Trump officials used Canary Mission list to target students (Asaf Elia-Shalev//JTA 7/10/25)

“Newly unsealed court records and trial testimony show that top Trump administration officials relied heavily on Canary Mission, a controversial website that targets pro-Palestinian activists, as part of a secretive effort to deport foreign students and academics from American universities. The revelations emerged during an ongoing federal lawsuit in Boston brought by the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association, challenging what they call “ideological deportations” that they say violate First Amendment rights. The case is one of the most closely watched challenges to President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts. A Department of Homeland Security “tiger team” formed in 2019 built dossiers on thousands of noncitizen academics and students by pulling names from a public list of 5,000 individuals compiled by Canary Mission, according to Politico’s reporting on the trial. The site, which publishes profiles of pro-Palestinian activists, often under the accusation of antisemitism, became a primary resource for the team, according to sworn testimony from DHS official Peter Hatch. Hatch, the assistant director for intelligence at Homeland Security Investigations, testified that more than 75% of the deportation referrals prepared by his unit were based on names first identified through Canary Mission, adding that the information was independently verified before being compiled into official reports, according to Politico.” See also To study in the U.S. under Trump, international students scrub their accounts (WaPo 7/9/25); Leaked Chats Show Pro-Israel Extremist Group Betar Organizing Street Confrontations (Murtaza Hussain and Talia Jane//Drop Site 6/29/25)

Largest teachers union in the country narrowly votes to sever ties with the ADL (JTA 7/9/25)

“The National Education Association, the United States’ largest teachers union, has passed a non-binding measure barring the union from using, endorsing or publicizing any materials from the Anti-Defamation League…The measure calls for the union to stop using ADL materials about the Holocaust and antisemitism as well as ADL statistics or programs. Its practical impact, if ultimately approved, is not clear, because unions typically do not decide on programming and curriculum in schools. But the success of the measure nonetheless offered evidence that the #DroptheADLFromSchools movement, which argues that the organization promotes pro-Israel bias in its materials for schools, had achieved a breakthrough success.” See also Elon Musk’s ‘Grok’ AI Bot Goes Full Nazi (Prem Thakker//Zeteo 7/8/25)

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil files $20m claim against Trump administration (Middle East Eye 7/11/25)

“Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has filed a claim against the Trump administration for $20m in damages after spending months in an immigration detention centre and missing the birth of his first child, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the State Department are all named on the claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit.”

Friends of the IDF in crisis after internal report alleges financial abuse and toxic culture (Asaf Elia-Shalev//JTA 7/8/25)

“An American charity that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars by promising to meet the emergency needs of Israeli soldiers after the war in Gaza broke out is now facing internal turmoil over allegations of financial mismanagement, cronyism, and a toxic workplace culture…The group saw an unprecedented windfall after launching an emergency fundraising campaign in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The total raised for 2023 was about $280 million, according to FIDF’s audited financial statements. That amount is almost triple the $100 million FIDF anticipated raising at the start of that year, according to an internal budget document obtained by JTA. Already one of the top fundraising organizations among American Jewish institutions, FIDF likely collected more money in support of Israel after Oct. 7 than any other individual charity.”

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

The tears of Gaza’s men are an act of rebellion (A.J.//+972 Magazine 6/30/25)

“In Gaza today, a different masculinity is emerging — one that embraces vulnerability, caregiving, and tenderness. Men are cooking meals in crowded shelters, comforting children, crying openly while clutching the lifeless bodies of their grandchildren, and telling stories of grief. We are beginning to name our traumas out loud. And this transformation isn’t apolitical; it’s an act of defiance. Despite our pain, men still carry the burden of taking risks, running through airstrikes to get water or food, because it’s too dangerous for women or children to do so. But now, being a man isn’t only about being tough; it’s about being present. Being the guy who cries and still risks his life for basic necessities — who carries both the water and the grief. That’s the new manhood we’re building here. One that’s not just about survival, but about staying human. Men who weep in public, who change diapers in tents, who share grief with strangers — these men are forging a new kind of masculinity, one that rejects domination and embraces care. Rebuilding our shattered identities will take generations. But reclaiming what it means to be a man — gentle, broken, healing, and still standing — is a beginning. Palestinian men deserve to be seen not as militants or shadows, but as whole people with fragile hearts and impossible burdens.”

The Sympathy Trap (Jackie Wang//Jewish Currents 6/17/25)

“In Perfect Victims, Mohammed El-Kurd argues that attempts to “humanize” Palestinians reinforce the Zionist politics they purport to contest.”

The destruction of Palestine is breaking the world (Moustafa Bayoumi//The Guardian 7/6/25)

“Israel’s war in Gaza is chipping away at so much of what we – in the United States but also internationally – had agreed upon as acceptable, from the rules governing our freedom of speech to the very laws of armed conflict. It seems no exaggeration to say that the foundation of the international order of the last 77 years is threatened by this change in the obligations governing our legal and political responsibilities to each other. This collapse began with the liberal world’s lack of resolve to rein in Israel’s war in Gaza. It escalated when no one lifted a finger to stop hospitals being bombed. It expanded when mass starvation became a weapon of war. And it is peaking at a time when total war is no longer viewed as a human abhorrence but is instead the deliberate policy of the state of Israel. The implications of this collapse are profound for international, regional and even domestic politics. Political dissent is repressed, political language is policed, and traditionally liberal societies are increasingly militarized against their own citizens. Many of us disregard how much has shifted in the last 20 months. But we are ignoring the collapse of the international system that has defined our lives for generations at our own collective peril.”

Netanyahu’s War (David Shulman//NYRB July 2025)

“Engineering a second Nakba and annexing the occupied territories are integral parts of Netanyahu’s war against the State of Israel’s democratic institutions, its social solidarity, and above all the rule of law.”

The Knesset vs Ayman Odeh (Orly Noy//+972 Magazine 7/2/25)

“On Monday, the Knesset House Committee voted to impeach Palestinian parliamentarian Ayman Odeh, head of the predominantly Arab Hadash-Ta’al list. His crime? In January, as the two-month Gaza ceasefire came into effect, Odeh tweeted: “I am happy about the release of the [Israeli] hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners. From here, both peoples must be freed from the yoke of the occupation. We were all born free.”…No one paid attention to the Knesset’s legal adviser — who, after the obligatory lip service condemning Odeh’s “disgusting statements,” concluded that there was no legal basis for his impeachment. And it goes without saying that no one listened to Odeh’s attorney, Dr. Hassan Jabareen, who explained why the proposal was procedurally flawed, legally unsound, and morally bankrupt. From the first sentence to the last, the hearing was a farce. It ended with a vote of 14-2 in favor of the proposal, supported by all Jewish members of the committee — including those from opposition parties — and opposed only by two lone Palestinian MKs…In this sense, Odeh was chosen as a victim precisely because he speaks the language of Arab-Jewish partnership: after all, if the purest dove among Palestinian parliamentarians in Israel can be persecuted because of a single tweet (in which Odeh also expressed deep empathy for Jewish citizens), what’s the point in even electing them? The message [to Arab voters] is clear: on election day, stay home. Your vote is futile.”

The Western liberal’s moral collapse in Gaza (Amir Rotem//+972 Magazine 7/7/25)

“On October 24, 2023, two and a half weeks after Hamas’ attack on Israel, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported a grim new record: Israel’s bombardment of the Strip had killed 704 Palestinians in the previous 24 hours alone. The next day, Egyptian-Canadian writer Omar El Akkad posted a now famous sentence on X: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” That razor-sharp turn of phrase, which has since been viewed more than 10 million times, stayed with El Akkad all the way to February 2025, when it became the title of his third book. “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This,” El Akkad’s first non-fiction work after two acclaimed novels, is a collection of essays examining Western liberalism’s failures and hypocrisy, particularly in the face of Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign in the Gaza Strip.”

1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region//Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up June 20, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
   See also Cutting Through (Mitchell Plitnick Interviews Lara Friedman on 6/25/25)

Jewish Anti-Zionism and the American Left (New Occupied Thoughts episode)

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with author Benjamin Balthaser about the history of Jewish anti-Zionism, its current forms in the US – whether it emerges from a more religious Jewish tradition or a more socialist, internationalist tradition – and what it means for the emerging Democratic socialist coalition in the US.

How Iranians Have Reacted to the US & Israeli Attacks (New Occupied Thoughts episode)

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with journalist Negar Mortazavi about Iranian reactions to the recent U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. They discuss how Iranians rallied around the nation, not the regime; Iranian anger at Israel; and the level and manner of control that the Iranian regime maintains.

GAZA

‘It’s a Killing Field’: IDF Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Deliberately at Unarmed Gazans Waiting for Humanitarian Aid (Haaretz 6/27/25)

“Israeli soldiers in Gaza told Haaretz that the army has deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid distribution sites over the past month. Conversations with officers and soldiers reveal that commanders ordered troops to shoot at crowds to drive them away or disperse them, even though it was clear they posed no threat…According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, 549 people have been killed near aid centers and in areas where residents were waiting for UN food trucks since May 27. Over 4,000 have been wounded, but the exact number of those killed or injured by IDF fire remains unclear…In a statement released following publication of this exposé, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the claims, which they called “blood libels.”’ See also Israeli Soldiers Killed at Least 410 People at Food Aid Sites in Gaza This Month (The Intercept 6/27/25); IDF confirms probe into killings near Gaza aid site, denies troops ordered to shoot civilians (TOI 6/27/25);  Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza is ‘slaughter masquerading as aid’ says MSF (The Guardian 6/27/25); U.N. agency slams U.S.-backed Gaza aid effort as “a death trap,” as health officials say dozens killed (CBS News 6/24/25); 18 killed in Israeli strike targeting Gaza police distributing flour, officials say (The Guardian 6/27/25); 44 said killed near Gaza aid sites; UN condemns ‘weaponization’ of food distribution (TOI 6/24/25); Trump administration authorizes $30 million for Israeli-backed group distributing food in Gaza (AP 6/24/25); The Lethal Risk of Seeking Food in Gaza (NYT 6/26/25);

100,000 Dead: What We Know About Gaza’s True Death Toll (Nir Hasson//Haaretz 6/26/25)

“On Monday of this week, Hamas’ Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip published an updated list of those killed in the war, a 1,227-page chart, arranged from youngest to oldest. The Arabic-language document includes the deceased person’s full name, the names of the father and grandfather, date of birth and ID number…Israeli spokespersons, journalists and influencers reject with knee-jerk disgust the data of the Palestinian Health Ministry, claiming that it’s inflated and exaggerated. But more and more international experts are stating that not only is this list, with all the horror it embodies, reliable – but that it may even be very conservative in relation to reality…In the meantime, even without the anticipated future waves of excess mortality, the combination of casualties from violence and those who died from diseases and hunger led to the death of 83,740 people prior to January, taking into account the survey and the excess mortality. Since then, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 10,000 people have been killed, and that doesn’t include those in the category of excess mortality. The upshot is that even if the war hasn’t yet crossed the line of 100,000 dead, it’s very close.”

Israel’s War in Gaza Has Killed Over 17,000 Children. These Are the Stories of 28 of Them (Sheren Falah Saab//Haaretz 6/26/25) 

“According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 17,121 children were killed in Gaza from the start of the war through to June 15. Of these, 937 were infants under the age of 1. Another 4,517 were between the ages of 1 and 5, 6,325 were aged 6 to 12, and the rest – 5,342 – were minors aged between 13 and 17. This death toll is almost without precedent, particularly given the population size and the war’s duration. The IDF’s standard response is that it operates in accordance with international law and makes significant efforts to avoid civilian harm.”

Gaza Without Gazans (Max Rodenbeck//Foreign Affairs 6/25/25)

“Since breaking this winter’s brief cease-fire in March 2025, Israeli forces have begun seizing large parts of Gaza, while moving and confining the territory’s population of 2.2 million into ever-smaller areas. The government has also unleashed a crushing campaign to limit and control the flow of humanitarian aid, including a total blockade that lasted for more than ten weeks. Yet despite its renewed onslaught, Israel has failed to secure freedom for any of the remaining 50 hostages, just 20 of whom are believed to be still alive…Nor does it appear to be in a hurry to reach a cease-fire agreement to bring them home…At a rare press conference on May 22, the prime minister stated that Israel no longer aims merely to free hostages and obliterate Hamas. When the war is over, he said, Israel will be in “full security control of Gaza.” He also enthusiastically endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal, announced in February, to relocate Gazans to other countries and redevelop the war-ravaged territory into a new Riviera—which he called “brilliant” and “revolutionary.” In other words, the Israeli government appears to be seeking precisely the outcomes that Netanyahu ruled out in January 2024: not only long-term military occupation of Gaza but also the large-scale displacement—or even expulsion—of its civilian population…But with the right combination of international pressure—especially from the United States, which has so far been more of an enabler of this Israeli government’s excess than a restraint—this outcome might still be prevented. There may not be much time left. As Israeli military reporters have noted, the process is already underway; it is approaching at speed.” See also Pope Leo decries ‘special interests’ and MidEast wars, calls Gaza ‘inhumane’ (Al Monitor 6/26/25); Five members of biggest British Jewish body suspended after Israel criticisms (The Guardian 6/24/25); 7 Israeli soldiers killed when armored vehicle hit by explosive in southern Gaza (TOI 6/25/25);

REGION//GLOBAL

Trump declares victory as Iran, Israel acknowledge shaky ceasefire (Axios 6/24/25)

“The Trump-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel has, for now, brought an abrupt and extraordinary end to one of the Middle East’s most explosive confrontations in decades…The 12-day war sent shockwaves through a region already reeling from nearly two years of historic volatility and violence, beginning with Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. President Trump’s military intervention to destroy Iranian nuclear sites brought the U.S. to the precipice of a major conflict that four of his predecessors had sought to avoid…Israel accused Iran of breaking the ceasefire overnight Tuesday, and launched jet fighters for a retaliatory attack with plans to bomb Tehran. A visibly frustrated Trump — speaking to reporters as he departed the White House en route to the NATO summit in Europe — said he was unhappy with both Iran and Israel, before he pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off most of the planned airstrike.” See also Trump successfully pressures Israel to scale back retaliation strike in Iran (Axios 6/24/25); Fragile Israel-Iran truce appears to hold after Trump’s fury at initial violations (The Guardian 6/24/25)

Trump wages all-out fight for control of Iran strike narrative (Axios 6/25/25)

“President Trump is going to extraordinary lengths to defend his claim that U.S. airstrikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, determined to cement the operation as a defining victory of his presidency…Trump has staked his credibility — and major parts of his foreign policy legacy — on the success of Saturday’s military intervention, which punctuated decades of U.S. debate over the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. He has treated the leak of an initial Pentagon battle damage assessment as an act of sabotage, launching an aggressive campaign to discredit the report as preliminary, inaccurate and already outdated.” See also U.S. initial damage report: Iran nuclear program set back by months, not obliterated (WaPo 6/25/25); Trump says key Iranian nuclear facilities ‘totally obliterated’ in U.S. strikes (WaPo 6/22/25); Israeli officials see “significant” damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities (Axios 6/25/25); Iran’s Khamenei claims U.S. strike didn’t cause major damage to nuclear facilities (Axios 6/26/25); IDF chief believes Iran no longer a nuclear threshold state after Israeli, US strikes (TOI 6/27/25); Iran’s Foreign Minister Says Nuclear Facilities ‘Seriously Damaged’ (NYT 6/26/25); Centrifuges at Fordo ‘No Longer Operational,’ U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Head Says (NYT 6/26/25)

Visualising 12 days of the Israel-Iran conflict (Al Jazeera 6/26/25)

An intense 12‑day conflict between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, 2025, after Israel launched air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing key nuclear scientists and military commanders. More than 200 Israeli fighter jets hit more than 100 nuclear and military facilities along with residential neighbourhoods across Iran. Iran retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israeli cities. In the days that followed, Israel and Iran traded missiles as casualties mounted on both sides. The United States entered the military clash on June 22 with bunker-buster strikes on Iran’s Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan nuclear facilities. A fragile ceasefire was brokered by the US on June 24, hours after Iran had fired missiles at its largest airbase in the Middle East, based in Qatar. According to Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, thousands of people were injured, hundreds were killed, and public infrastructure was damaged. As of June 24: Total injured: 4,746, including 185 women; Total people killed: 610…According to Israel’s Ministry of Health, as of June 24, the number of people killed and injured across Israel was: Total injured/hospitalised: 3,238. Total people killed: 28.” See also How the carefully planned US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities unfolded (The Guardian 6/22/25); Iran Retaliates by Firing Missiles at U.S. Base in Qatar (NYT 6/23/25);

Caught in the crossfire, Qatar again finds itself Middle East peace broker (The Guardian 6/24/25)

“Caught in the crossfire, Qatar on Monday night found itself in the unusual position of being asked by the US to mediate to end a war where one of the two parties was firing missiles at it. But then there are few countries as multifaceted as Qatar, or few conflicts quite as tangled as the Iran-Israel war. It seems Monday’s heavily signalled Iranian attack on Qatar’s 60-acre Al Udeid airbase, the largest US military facility in the Middle East, may even have become the opening to resume diplomacy. The attack, which caused no casualties, cleared the ground for Donald Trump and Qatar to work together to secure the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran. It once again highlights Qatar’s role as professional mediator – a bespoke service this tiny but massively wealthy country makes available from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Gaza.” See also Iran launches missiles at US base in Qatar in retaliation for bombing of nuclear sites (The Guardian 6/23/25);

Khamenei says Iran will strike back if US hits again in first remarks since ceasefire (The Guardian 6/27/25)

“Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has threatened to respond to any future US attack by striking American military bases in the Middle East, in his first public comments since a ceasefire with Israel was declared. The 86-year-old, who has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war on 13 June, said his country had “delivered a slap to America’s face” – a reference to an Iranian missile attack on a US base in Qatar on Monday, which caused no casualties. He also claimed that the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites “did not achieve anything” and Donald Trump had “exaggerated” their impact.” See also Iran’s parliament approves bill to suspend cooperation with IAEA (The Guardian 6/25/25);

Netanyahu, Trump said working on plan to end Gaza war and expand Abraham Accords (TOI 6/26/25)

“US President Donald Trump is pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conclude the 20-month-old war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the success of the 12-day war against Iran, several Hebrew media outlets reported Thursday, amid calls in Israel for the same.  US President Donald Trump is pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conclude the 20-month-old war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the success of the 12-day war against Iran, several Hebrew media outlets reported Thursday, amid calls in Israel for the same. The Kan public broadcaster reported that Trump’s demand to cancel Netanyahu’s criminal trial was also linked to this effort…Meanwhile, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported that as part of the American president’s plan to end the war, new countries would join the Abraham Accords, and Israel would be required to commit to supporting a future Palestinian state.” See also PM [Netanyahu] denies reported plan to end Gaza war while backing Palestinian state (TOI 6/27/25); How Trump’s call to end Netanyahu’s trial is linked to broader Gaza deal (Al Monitor 6/27/25); Ceasefire in Iran gives rise to new calls for a deal to end Gaza war (WaPo 6/26/25); Netanyahu thanks Trump for public call to cancel his corruption trial (The Guardian 6/26/25)

Israel strikes Lebanon in one of biggest attacks since November ceasefire (WaPo 6/27/25)

“Israel pounded southern Lebanon with a series of airstrikes Friday in what analysts and officials on the ground said were some of the most significant strikes since Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November.”

RIVER TO THE SEA

New Israeli directive expedites ethnic cleansing of Masafer Yatta (Yuval Abraham & Basel Adra//+972 Magazine 6/25/25)

“In recent months, Israeli forces and settlers have intensified efforts to expel roughly 2,500 Palestinians living in a cluster of villages in the southern West Bank region of Masafer Yatta. In early May, when the military razed most of Khilet Al-Dabe’, it was the largest demolition in the area to date. Now, a new military directive threatens to fast-track the destruction of a dozen more villages…The directive is based on a document issued last week by the army’s Central Command, which +972 and Local Call have obtained a copy of. According to the document, the residents of the area must be expelled “using the full range of civilian and security tools at [the army’s] disposal,” so that the army can practice live fire on their land “for the benefit of war in the various arenas — a war that has unfortunately become routine in the past year and a half and culminated in the events of Operation Rising Lions,” the Israeli name for the operation in Iran…According to [ Masafer Yatta Council head Nidal] Yunis, the Palestinian residents’ lawyers were struck by the military’s explicit language in its internal document, specifically the assertion that current security conditions allow for the army to transform the firing zone into a “sterile area” by “evacuating” residents.” See also Meanwhile, in Masafer Yatta, the Dispossession of Palestinians Surges Forward (Haaretz 6/27/25);

At least 4 Palestinians killed in West Bank as Israeli settler violence rises: What to know (Al Monitor 6/27/25)

“Israeli settlers attacked a number of Palestinian villages and towns in the West Bank Friday following a month of escalation. At least four Palestinians have been killed in settlers’ attacks in June, according to local reports.  The UN humanitarian agency OCHA documented at least 78 attacks involving Israeli settlers between May 27 and June 16, resulting in injuries, property damage or both. According to the UN organization, the attacks wounded 88 Palestinians, including three children. It also reported that 539 Palestinian-owned trees, mostly olive, and 33 vehicles were vandalized by the settlers. Between October 2023 and June 12, 2025, at least 947 Palestinians, including 200 children, have been killed in Israeli military raids or settler attacks in the West Bank, according to OCHA. Of those figures, 141 Palestinians, including at least 27 children, have been killed since the beginning of this year alone.” See also Three Palestinians shot dead during settler rampage of West Bank village — PA health ministry (TOI 6/25/25); Police free all settlers detained in Wednesday’s deadly rampage of Palestinian village (TOI 6/26/25); Armed settlers filmed expelling Palestinians from their field near Ramallah (TOI 6/27/25);

12 days that brought the war home to Israelis (Oren Ziv//+972 Magazine 6/24/25)

“Indeed, this war — which has taken the lives of at least 28 people in Israel — has made tens if not hundreds of thousands of Israelis, especially in Tel Aviv and its surrounding suburbs, genuinely fearful for their lives. For some of them, it’s the very first time. Fear has always accompanied life in Israel — whether from shootings and stabbings, intifadas, or “rounds” of fighting with Hamas and Hezbollah. But this time feels different. It’s not just existential anxiety; it’s an immediate, personal fear, especially in the country’s center. People feel death close by, in the sound of missiles exploding and the extent of the devastation that follows strikes that weren’t intercepted. What could previously be repressed or managed through some semblance of routine now requires confronting head-on. The killing, destruction of homes, and halting of daily life all point to one conclusion: Israel’s policies are making the country unlivable for its own population.” See also Israel’s Bedouin rely on makeshift shelters when missiles fall (WaPo 6/24/25); Iranian strikes hit Haifa as conflict stretches to eighth day (WaPo 6/21/25); ‘We thought it was the end’: Israeli town reels after deadly strike (BBC 6/24/25); How Israel’s ‘Onion Defense’ Systems Intercept Missiles, Drones and Rockets (Haaretz 6/24/25); Hamas took 251 hostages from Israel into Gaza. Where are they? (WaPo 6/26/25)

Israel’s euphoric ‘victory’ over Iran is quickly giving way to disillusionment (Meron Rapoport//+972 Magazine 6/27/25)

“Politically, Netanyahu may appear the winner of the “12-Day War.” But Israel achieved none of its military goals, and Gaza is once again impossible to ignore.”

U.S. SCENE

What the Iran Strikes Reveal About MAGA (Jon Allsop//New Yorker 6/27/25)

“Recently, media talk of a “MAGA civil war” reached its apex over the question of whether the U.S. should bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure…There are several reasons, it seems to me, why MAGA didn’t ultimately tear itself in two over the Iran strikes. The way the story unfolded offered something for everyone: the hawks within the movement got to claim that Trump acted decisively to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat, while the doves, if that’s the right word, got to claim that Trump showed restraint and, after Israel and Iran (eventually) committed to a ceasefire, made peace…Above all, perhaps, MAGA diehards understand that Trump is both the charismatic glue holding an otherwise disparate movement together and its wrathful enforcer—what he says goes.” See also Trump’s military attack on Iran reveals split among Maga diehards (The Guardian 6/22/25); Majority of Republicans support US joining Israel-Iran conflict while majority of Democrats oppose (JTA 6/25/25);

How Support for Palestine Became a Hate Crime (Mari Cohen//Jewish Currents 6/17/25)

“In the weeks and months after the October 7th attacks, universities disbanded student clubs and fired nontenured faculty, media outlets severed ties with journalists, and hotels canceled planned conferences, all in the name of fighting antisemitism. From the start, this repressive response also included a criminal crackdown, in which police and prosecutors sought to stick protestors with serious felonies rather than the misdemeanor charges typical for civil disobedience…In a small but significant portion of these criminal cases, the defendant, like Lopez, has been charged with a hate crime—representing a relatively novel use of a statute that is widely understood as a civil rights protection. To charge someone with a hate crime, prosecutors must prove that the accused not only committed a crime—whether it be vandalism, assault, or murder—but did so due to an evident bias against the victim’s identity. (The types of crimes that are eligible, as well as the characteristics that are protected—such as race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion—vary by state.) A “hate crime enhancement” on a charge can bump a misdemeanor to a felony, increasing the potential sentence…by designating [an act as] a “hate crime,” prosecutors have construed political actions against Zionism or the state of Israel as anti-Jewish…at least three of those charged with antisemitic hate crimes in the cases identified by Jewish Currents are themselves Jewish.” See also Supreme Court rules unanimously to allow terror victims to sue Palestinian Authority, PLO (JI 6/21/25); Mahmoud Khalil renews devotion to Palestinian freedom at New York rally (The Guardian 6/22/25);

Mamdani stood firm in his support of Gaza. The Democratic party could learn from him (Yousef Munayyer//The Guardian 6/26/25)

“But one area where the contrast between the candidates could not be clearer was on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Mamdani, for his part, stood with protesters, demanded the release of Mahmoud Khalil, and called out Israel’s war crimes. Mamdani even pledged he’d have the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, an indicted war criminal, arrested if he came to New York City while he was mayor. Cuomo, on the other hand, volunteered to be part of Netanyahu’s legal defense team before the international criminal court. Israel’s genocide in Gaza has tanked already waning support for Israel in the US, particularly among Democrats…Few issues highlight how out of touch with their party leaders are than the issue of Palestine. While opinion polls are clear and consistent about Democratic voters’ disgust with Israeli policies toward Palestinians, Democratic party leaders like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are stalwart defenders of Israel. Increasingly, a candidate’s politics on Gaza is a litmus test for authenticity and whether the candidate actually cares to represent the voters.” See also How the U.S. Locked Itself Into a Regime Change War (Yousef Munayyer//Foreign Policy 6/24/25)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

Plenty of Jews Love Zohran Mamdani (Michelle Goldberg//NYT 6/27/25)

“Mamdani’s pro-Palestinian politics have sparked enormous alarm among some New York Jews, but he’s also won considerable Jewish support. In a poll of likely Jewish voters done by the Honan Strategy Group in May, Andrew Cuomo came in first, with 31 percent of the vote, but Mamdani was second, with 20 percent. On Tuesday, he won most of Park Slope, a neighborhood full of progressive Jews, and held his own on the similarly Jewish Upper West Side…And while Mamdani undoubtedly did best among left-leaning and largely secular Jews, he made a point of reaching out to others…I can certainly understand why Jews who see anti-Zionism and antisemitism as synonymous find Mamdani’s rise alarming. There’s no question that he sympathizes with the Palestinians over the Israelis…He has consistently denounced antisemitism, and has spoken movingly about Jewish fear…Mamdani’s opponents will try to reduce him to a caricature, some mutant offspring of Jeremy Corbyn and Yahya Sinwar. They will say they’re doing it for the Jews, and plenty of Jews will believe them. But don’t forget that the vision of this city at the heart of Mamdani’s campaign — a city that embraces immigrants and hates autocrats, that’s at once earthy and cosmopolitan — is one that many Jews, myself included, find inspiring.”

The Attacks on Zohran Mamdani Show That We Need a New Understanding of Antisemitism (M. Gessen//NYT 6/24/25)

“​​The conflations that underlie most political conversations about antisemitism make it seem as if everyone wants to kill Jews — that antisemitism is not just common but omnipresent. If you believe that the whole world wants you dead, then you are much less likely to stand up for human rights or civil liberties, other people’s or your own. A casualty of this cynical era is our understanding of the actual scale of antisemitism, defined as animus against Jews as Jews. There are many reasons to think that antisemitic attitudes and attacks are on the rise, but the keepers of statistics often thwart the effort to get hard information, because they insist on conflating criticism of Israel with anti-Zionism and anti-Zionism with antisemitism.”

Timed for Impunity: Israel’s War on Iran (Yara Hawari//Al Shabaka 6/26/25)

“Israel’s war on Iran was a bold assertion of its regional dominance. It was and continues to be part of an effort to consolidate domestic support and deflect international attention from the mass killing of Palestinians. It also carries the potential to reshape the Middle East, as well as global dynamics of power and accountability. As the Iranian-Swedish policy analyst Triti Parsi observed, “Two nuclear weapons states have bombed a non-nuclear weapons state, without having been attacked. This will send shockwaves throughout the world, and more countries will conclude that they will need nuclear weapons to deter existing nuclear weapons states.” Indeed, what has become clear is that the so-called rules-based international order, which has dominated global relations since World War II, is now being decisively dismantled.”

Trump’s Afrikaner Refugee Policy: Religious Resistance & the Palestine Factor (Julie Schumacher-Cohen//Contending Modernities 6/20/25)

“The [Trump] administration’s February executive order also cut aid and assistance to South Africa based in part on policy differences on Palestine. In particular, the order cited that “South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice.” Indeed, South Africa led the charge to bring international action against Israel’s assault on Gaza. In the end, the ICJ’s preliminary opinion in January 2024 ruled that Palestinians’ rights to protection from genocide were plausibly at risk and Israel should take steps to prevent genocide. Since then, many experts including Holocaust scholars and Amnesty International have concluded that a genocide is taking place in Gaza…As part of their motivation for bringing the case and for their solidarity with the Palestinian people, South African leaders cited their country’s history of repression and violence, human rights abuses and the crime of apartheid. For its part, the U.S. under the Biden Administration called South Africa’s case “meritless,” refusing to reckon with how U.S. and Israeli policies had so devalued Palestinian lives. The Trump administration has now further upped the ante with its retributive stance toward the South African government. They see no irony in their willingness to recognize a “White genocide” in South Africa, with no evidence, while supporting ongoing atrocities by Israel in Gaza; indeed, President Trump is colluding in such wrongdoing with his own plan, which coincides with Israel’s, to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the coastal enclave.”

What the UAE hopes to gain from Israel’s growing isolation (Mira Al Hussein//+972 Magazine 6/25/25)

“The assumption, evident in the Abraham Accords, that access to the United States was best secured via Israel seemed to be giving way to a new confidence that the Gulf can deal directly with Washington, and be heard on its own terms. As former Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash recently put it, the balance of power is seen to be tilting in the Gulf’s favor. Whether these assumptions reflect reality or are grounded in any tangible and lasting shifts in the international order remains to be seen. Indeed, Trump’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran — and Iran’s retaliatory strikes against the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Qatar — sounded alarm bells in Gulf capitals, and leaders are now trying to ensure that the fragile ceasefire holds.”

1. New from FMEP

2. Region/Global

3. Gaza

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up June 20, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
   Note: The annual Christians United for Israel Summit [“Together, we will make Israel stronger and her people safer as we obey the Biblical mandate to bless God’s Chosen“] will take place in DC June 29 – July 1, including lots of lobbying Congress [“visit your elected officials on Capitol Hill with other constituents from your state to advocate for Israel and the Jewish people.“] Watch the intro video to the summit here (these folks pull no punches in telling the world who they are and what they are doing — people would do well to pay attention/believe them).

REGION/GLOBAL

Trump to decide on Iran action within two weeks, White House says (Axios 6/19/25)

‘”I have a message directly from the president: ‘Based on the fact that there is a chance for substantial negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision on whether or not to go within the next two weeks,'” [White House press secretary Karoline] Leavitt said at Thursday’s White House briefing.” See also Regime change emerges as unstated goal of Israel’s war in Iran (Axios 6/17/25); Trump demands Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ and says US won’t kill supreme leader ‘for now’ (The Guardian 6/17/25); Donald Trump not seeking ceasefire but wants ‘complete give-up’ by Iran (The Guardian 6/17/25); Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader – report (The Guardian 6/15/25); If the U.S. joins Israeli attacks, Iran will retaliate ‘wherever we find the targets,’ an official says.; (NYT 6/18/25); Iran Rejects Trump’s Call for ‘Surrender’ in War With Israel (NYT 6/18/25); Iran’s Khamenei threatens US with ‘irreparable damage’ if Trump joins war (Al Monitor 6/18/25);  Hezbollah vows loyalty to Khamenei as Iran-Israel war approaches week 2 (Al Monitor 6/19/25);

The U.S. could join Israel’s war with Iran to deploy this 30,000-pound bomb

“A 30,000-pound bomb might be the most important weapon for Israel’s war with Iran — and it’s in the U.S. military’s hands…The U.S. alone possesses the world’s most powerful non-nuclear bomb — and it’s uniquely capable of targeting key Iranian facilities that Israel can’t hit with its own weapons…The bomb in question is 30,000 pounds and precision-guided: the GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, also known as the “MOP.”…Iran’s Fordow facility is built into a mountain and hundreds of feet underground — the kind of fortress the MOP is designed to penetrate…”The entire operation … really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told Fox News on Friday.” See also US targets Iran’s defense industry with sanctions as Trump weighs strikes (Al Monitor 6/20/25); ‘I’ve had it’: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Iran nuclear sites (Al Monitor 6/18/25); US dispatches second aircraft carrier toward Middle East as Israel-Iran strikes escalate (Al Monitor 6/16/25);  A Long Way Down: What It Takes to Hit Iran’s Deepest Nuclear Site (NYT 6/20/25); From Beersheba to Babylon: Netanyahu casts himself as liberator of Iran (The Guardian 6/19/25)

What Iran’s hospital strike reveals about Israel’s missile defense limits (Al Monitor 6/19/25)

“Iran’s strike on Beersheba’s Soroka hospital on Thursday, which severely damaged a building, underscores the limitations of Israel’s vaunted aerial defense system in intercepting every ballistic missile fired at the country…Tehran has launched more than 450 missiles at Israeli cities since last Friday. Of those, some 50 missiles got past Israeli air defense systems, striking buildings or landing in open spaces, according to Ynet. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that close to 90% of the Iranian missiles launched since Friday were intercepted, though significant damage has been caused to civilian infrastructure and 24 people have been killed by the missile barrages.” See also Israel calls Iran’s hospital missile strike war crime, vows escalation (Al Monitor 6/19/25); Iran’s barrages hit at least 10 Israeli cities, towns: What to know (Al Monitor 6/16/25); Israeli minister says Khamenei ‘can no longer be allowed to exist’ after hospital strike (Guardian 6/19/25); IDF chief says Israelis must prepare for ‘prolonged campaign’ against Iran (Times of Israel 6/20/25); Israel’s Military Says Iran Struck Israel With Missile Armed With Cluster Munitions (NYT 6/19/25); Will Israel’s Interceptors Outlast Iran’s Missiles? The Answer May Shape the War. (NYT 6/19/25); Israelis reeling from Iranian barrages brace for a new kind of war (WaPo 6/17/25);

Crypto looted, TV hijacked: Iran grapples with wave of cyberstrikes (Al Monitor 6/19/25)

“The war between Israel and Iran is being fought not just in the air with missiles and drones, but also online, with cyberattacks and psychological intimidation.” See also Pro-Israel hackers claim cyberattack on Iranian bank (Axios 6/17/25); A hacking group steals at least $90 million from Iranian crypto exchange in cyberattack. (NYT 6/18/25); Israeli Strikes in Iran Killed 639 People, Including 263 Civilians, U.S. Rights Group Says (Haaretz 6/19/25);

Israel bombs Iranian state TV during live broadcast (Axios 6/16/25)

“Iranian state television was broadcasting live on Monday when a massive explosion rocked the studio, with the anchor fleeing her desk amid smoke and rubble. The broadcast then went dark…Israel’s strike on the IRIB state media building signaled a broadening of its bombing campaign in Iran…The Israeli military had claimed it was only striking targets connected to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. But Israel has now issued several evacuation orders for civilians in Tehran, in areas where hundreds of thousands of people live…Israel’s strikes have killed around 250 Iranians since Friday, according to the health ministry. Iran’s missile strikes on Israel have killed 24 Israelis, according to the Israeli emergency service. Iranian missiles hit Israel’s oil refinery in Haifa on Monday…The Israeli military says it has full control of the airspace over Tehran after knocking out Iran’s air defense systems.” See also State TV to IRGC elite: Here are Israel’s main targets in Iran war (Al Monitor 6/16/25); Iranian opposition supporters grapple with US and Israeli regime change plans (The Guardian 6/18/25);

Tehran is about as densely populated as New York City. (NYT 6/18/25)

“Israel has expanded its attacks on Iran’s densely populated capital city, in recent days warning many of Tehran’s residents to evacuate ahead of strikes. With around 10 million people within its nearly 300 square miles, according to the C.I.A. World Factbook, Tehran is comparable in density to New York City. About one in 10 Iranians lives in Tehran proper, and millions more live in its greater metropolitan area. Photos and videos taken in the capital in recent days show long lines of cars at gas stations and congested traffic on the roads as people try to flee…President Trump also warned in a Truth Social post that the entire population of Tehran should “immediately evacuate.”’ See also Israeli Strikes Kill Civilians Across Iran (NYT 6/18/25); Israel Expands Attack to Include Iran’s Oil and Gas Industry (NYT 6/14/25); Israel Diminished Iran’s Air Defenses in Rounds of Strikes (NYT 6/15/25);

U.S. Spy Agencies Assess Iran Remains Undecided on Building a Bomb (NYT 6/19/25)

“U.S. intelligence agencies continue to believe that Iran has yet to decide whether to make a nuclear bomb even though it has developed a large stockpile of the enriched uranium necessary for it to do so, according to intelligence and other American officials. That assessment has not changed since the intelligence agencies last addressed the question of Iran’s intentions in March, the officials said, even as Israel has attacked Iranian nuclear facilities. Senior U.S. intelligence officials said that Iranian leaders were likely to shift toward producing a bomb if the American military attacked the Iranian uranium enrichment site Fordo or if Israel killed Iran’s supreme leader. The question of whether Iran has decided to complete the work of building a bomb is irrelevant in the eyes of many Iran hawks in the United States and Israel, who say Tehran is close enough to represent an existential danger to Israel. But it has long been a flashpoint in the debate over policy toward Iran and has flared again as President Trump weighs whether to bomb Fordo.” See also Mossad says Iran 15 days from bomb, US agencies still say up to a year – report (TOI 6/20/25); As Israel Targets Iran’s Nuclear Program, It Has a Secret One of Its Own (NYT 6/17/25); Israeli strikes have not knocked out Iran’s nuclear programme – or its nuclear ambitions (The Guardian 6/18/25)

Macron lays out broad European offer for Iran to end war with Israel (The Guardian 6/20/25)

“Europe is to make Iran a comprehensive offer to end its war with Israel that would include an Iranian move to zero uranium enrichment, restrictions on its ballistic missile programme and an end to Tehran’s funding of terrorist groups, Emmanuel Macron has said…Macron aired his ideas on Friday as European foreign ministers held talks with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva. It is the first time Araghchi has met western-based diplomats in person since the launch of the surprise Israeli offensive against Iran a week ago. Araghchi has spoken this week by phone to the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and has told him he will not revive US-Iran talks in person until Israel ends its strikes.” See also Mapping strikes in the Israel-Iran conflict (WaPo 6/20/25)

Germany’s Merz says Israel ‘doing dirty work for all of us’ in Iran (DW 6/17/25)

“German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed respect for Israel’s attack on Iran, calling it a service to Western allies. “This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us,” Merz said Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF. “We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” he added. “I can only say: the greatest respect for the fact that the Israeli army and the Israeli leadership had the courage to do this.” Merz said Israel’s attacks on Iran could lead to the downfall of the Islamic Republic’s leadership.” See also These countries are harshly critical of Israel in Gaza but have its back with Iran. Why? (Ron Kampeas//JTA 6/16/25); Alarming Signs Spurred Israel to Bomb Iran – and Its Arab Neighbors to Cheer It On (Amos Harel//Haaretz 6/20/25)

GAZA

‘The Hunger Games’: Inside Israel’s aid death traps for starving Gazans (Ahmed Ahmed and Ibtisam Mahdi//+972 Magazine 6/20/25)

“After two months without a single drop of food, medicine, or fuel entering Gaza, a trickle of white flour and canned goods has been allowed in since late May. Most of it has gone to sites in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), guarded by private American security contractors and Israeli soldiers…Starving civilians gather in massive crowds, waiting for permission to approach. In many instances, Israeli troops have opened fire on the masses — and even during distribution itself — killing dozens as they try to collect a few kilos of flour or canned goods to bring home in what Palestinians have dubbed “The Hunger Games.” Since May 27, well over 400 Palestinians have been killed and over 3,000 wounded while waiting for aid, according to Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basel. The deadliest single attack on aid seekers occurred on June 17, when Israeli forces fired tank shells, machine guns, and drones into a crowd of Palestinians in Khan Younis, killing 70 and injuring hundreds.” See also Dozens more people killed or injured seeking aid in Gaza (The Guardian 6/19/25); At least 37 Palestinians killed in Gaza food site shooting, local authorities say (The Guardian 6/16/25); 50 Palestinians Killed by Israeli Fire in Gaza, Many Near Aid Sites While Seeking Food, Ministry Says (Haaretz 6/16/25);  At least 35 killed in new Israeli attack on Gaza aid seekers (Al Jazeera 6/20/25); Israel Turns Gaza Aid Distribution Sites Into Open Killing Fields (Hamza M.Salha and Sharif Abdel Kouddous//Drop Site 6/20/25); A Fatal Failure: Israel’s Gaza Aid Policy Leaves Dozens Killed Daily as They Seek Food (Haaretz 6/18/25);

Unicef warns children could die of thirst in Gaza amid collapse of water systems (The Guardian 6/20/25)

“The collapse of water systems in Gaza is threatening the territory with devastating drought as well as hunger, Unicef has warned, as medics reported that Israel had killed more desperate Palestinians seeking aid…There is also an acute shortage of fuel, which is needed for pumps on boreholes and Gaza’s sole remaining desalination plant. None has been allowed into Gaza since the collapse of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in March. Elder added: “We are way below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for people in Gaza. Children will begin to die of thirst … Just 40% of drinking water production facilities remain functional.”’

Rafah Is Gone. Razed to the Ground. And It’s Not the Only City Wiped Out by the Israeli Army (Haaretz 6/12/25)

“On the eve of the war, the Rafah metropolitan area in Gaza had a population of 275,000. Jabalya refugee camp had 56,000 residents. Beit Lahia had 108,000. Today, those are little more than ruins. The scale of destruction wrought by Israel stands out even among the most extreme wartime cases in modern history…Effectively, the proportion of structures that have been eradicated in Rafah and in Jabalya refugee camp is higher than what was destroyed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

Egypt’s Crackdown on the Global March to Gaza (Ahmed Dahaby//Drop Site 6/14/25)

“Egyptian authorities are cracking down on hundreds of international activists who arrived in the country to take part in a planned march to the Rafah border crossing and call for an end to Israel’s siege of Gaza. The grassroots movement, called the Global March to Gaza, made repeated requests for permission at Egyptian embassies abroad in the days and weeks leading up to the planned action to cross into Sinai and gather in al-Arish for the march. But, according to organizers, Egypt has refused authorization and participants from 80 countries arriving in Cairo this week have instead been subject to hotel raids, harassment, arrests, and deportations.” See also Trump’s Yemen bombings killed nearly as many civilians as 23 previous years of US attacks, analysis shows (The Guardian 6/18/25)

RIVER TO THE SEA

Unprotected from Iranian missiles, Palestinians in Israel decry neglect (Baker Zoubi//+972 Magazine 6/17/25)

“The tragedy suffered by the Khatib family, who join some 20 other casualties of Iranian missiles in Israel since the Israeli army launched its attack on Iran last Friday morning, exposed once again the systemic inequality inherent in Israel’s civil defense infrastructure. According to a 2018 State Comptroller’s report, 60 out of 71 Arab municipalities in Israel have no public shelters. Tamra, a city of 37,000 residents, is one of them. For comparison, Safed, a Jewish city of similar size (about 42,000 residents), has 138 public shelters…At-home safe rooms (which are known in Hebrew as a “Mamad”, and considered less effective at withstanding blasts than larger public shelters) are few and far between in Arab towns and cities. Under Israeli law, safe rooms cannot be built in houses that were constructed without the necessary permit. Yet many Palestinian families in Israel are forced to build without permits due to discriminatory housing policies that make it almost impossible to build legally in Arab municipalities…Urban renewal projects, which require the building of safe rooms in new homes, could offer a partial solution — but according to the NGO Sikkuy-Aufoq, not a single urban renewal project was approved in an Arab town between 2010 and 2023, compared to more than 5,600 projects in Jewish communities.”

With Iran war as pretext, Israel suffocates the West Bank (Shatha Yaish//+972 Magazine 6/19/25)

“After striking Tehran, the army closed hundreds of gates to seal Palestinians inside towns and strand them on roads — proof of annexation in all but name.”

U.S. SCENE

Mahmoud Khalil To Be Released From ICE Detention (Zeteo 6/20/25)

“On Friday, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered Palestinian Columbia University student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil to be released from ICE detention on bail. Khalil, a green card holder, was detained by masked immigration agents in the lobby of his Columbia-owned housing in March. Khalil’s arrest was the first in a string of abductions that expanded into a much larger operation against student protesters and international students generally. The Trump administration targeted Khalil on the spurious and previously little-tested grounds that he was compromising US foreign policy – a determination made personally by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Khalil, as with other students and academics targeted in this way, was not accused of committing an actual crime.”

Americans largely disapprove of U.S. involvement in Israel and Iran war: Poll (Axios 6/19/25)

“60% of 1,512 polled Americans think the U.S. military should not get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to an Economist/YouGov poll released this week. Only 16% support U.S. military action, and 24% are unsure. That largely holds up across party lines, with 65% of Democrats, 61% of independents and 53% of Republicans opposing U.S. military intervention in Iran…Similarly, most Americans think the U.S. should engage in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program — that’s true across 58% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans.”

Tucker Carlson splits from Trump, advocates ‘dropping Israel’ (JI 6/13/25)

““If Israel wants to wage this war, it has every right to do so. It is a sovereign country, and it can do as it pleases,” Carlson wrote of Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “But not with America’s backing.”’ See also The key moments from the testy Tucker Carlson-Ted Cruz showdown (JI 6/18/25); Far left and far right converge in opposition to U.S. involvement in Israel-Iran war (JI 6/17/25); As Trump signals willingness to join Iran fight, tensions roil MAGA movement (JTA 6/17/25);

Trump’s Iran War Critics on the Home Front: MAGA Warriors and Progressive Democrats (Ben Samuels//Haaretz 6/17/25)

“An inorganic coalition of prominent far-right isolationists and progressive Democrats are quickly consolidating as the limited yet vocal opposing force to U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential decision to strike Iran. The lawmakers from opposing sides of the aisle – who find themselves at bitter loggerheads over virtually every other policy matter – are jointly warning that Trump cannot unilaterally decide to start a war without Congressional approval, and that it is not in America’s best policy interest to enter another significant military conflagration in the Middle East. The coalition is further united in its belief that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a bad-faith actor who is manipulating Trump into advancing Israel’s policy goals at the expense of American interests. Senator Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate, introduced a war powers resolution that would require prompt debate and voting on any U.S. military force against Iran…Following Kaine’s privileged resolution – meaning it must be debated and voted upon once Kaine pulls the trigger – several Senate Democrats introduced the No War Against Iran Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds for military force in or against Iran absent specific Congressional authorization…Representative Thomas Massie, the House Republican who is the greatest enemy of the pro-Israel establishment within the GOP, and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna introduced Tuesday a bipartisan war powers resolution as counterpart to Kaine’s effort.” See also How Democratic Party Leaders Quietly Support Trump’s March to War With Iran (The Intercept 6/19/25); Several Progressive Jewish Groups Refuse to Back Israel’s ‘Defensive Actions’ Against Iran (Haaretz 6/18/25); AIPAC Demands Democrats “Stand With Israel” on Iran (Drop Site 6/18/25);

Australian deported from US says he was ‘targeted’ due to writing on pro-Palestine student protests (The Guardian 6/15/25)

“An Australian man who was detained upon arrival at Los Angeles airport and deported back to Melbourne says United States border officials told him it was due to his writing on pro-Palestine protests by university students…“The CBP explicitly said to me, the reason you have been detained is because of your writing on the Columbia student protests,” he told Guardian Australia on Sunday.” See also How My Reporting on the Columbia Protests Led to My Deportation (Alistair Kitchen//New Yorker 6/19/25); U.S. to Review Social Media Posts of Student and Scholar Visa Applicants (NYT 6/18/25);

The Secret Operation Funneling Foreign Cash to Israel’s Far-right, via a Settlement Home (Haaretz 6/14/25)

“From his home in the settlement of Efrat, Jay Marcus transfers hundreds of millions of shekels from anonymous sources to settler organizations, anti-LGBTQ groups and regime-coup supporters. The budget of his family fund is three times greater than that of the left-wing New Israel Fund”

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

Crimes of the Century: How Israel, with the help of the U.S., broke not only Gaza but the foundations of humanitarian law. (Suzy Hansen//New York Magazine 6/16/25)

“But what then of the psychology of those sending the weapons? Do the Americans believe the killing is justified? After decades of superpower status and 25 years of the “War on Terror,” has human suffering as a means to unending dominion simply become justifiable in the American psychology? Gaza has by now become part of the American story, and it is not surprising that it mirrors the contradictions of U.S. history, with the protection of one minority group and the elimination of another. The Americans and the Israelis have created a world in which such hypocrisy is endemic: Children are terrorists, safe zones are killing fields, and the norms to protect civilians against violence are used to annihilate them. The U.S. might have long been on the same page as Netanyahu’s Israel, but, perhaps faster than it recognized, Netanyahu became Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, so the U.S. too is a far-right country, one that is fanatical and inured to death.”

Can the United States Really Be Marching Toward This Madness Again? (Yousef Munayyer//TNR 6/19/25)

“The eerie echoes of Iraq and 2003 are numerous. But there are some key differences—and they make going into Iran an even greater act of folly.”

There Is No Such Thing as a Quick U.S. War on Iran (Murtaza Hussain and Mahmoud Shaban//Drop Site 6/18/25);

“Israel has framed the U.S. entering the fray as a way to bring its conflict with Iran to a quick conclusion. But, absent an immediate Iranian diplomatic capitulation, a U.S. attack would likely only be a prelude to a much longer and drawn-out military engagement with Iran. A U.S. war with Iran focused on stopping Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, rather than beginning and ending with the destruction of Fordow, would need to extend to a much broader campaign of searching for and destroying new and undisclosed nuclear sites across the country, particularly as Iran is likely to respond to an attack by diverting nuclear equipment to other sites across its vast territory…Despite their statements about the nuclear program and desire for U.S. help in addressing it, Israeli officials have been open that their own objectives are much broader. In recent days, Israeli officials have suggested that their real aim is U.S.-supported “regime change” in Iran, or even the wholesale partition and destruction of the country itself, for which Tel Aviv would require U.S. military assistance over an extended period.”

Israel’s greatest threat isn’t Iran or Hamas, but its own hubris (Orly Noy//+972 Magazine 6/15/25)

“We Israelis must understand — we are not immune. A people whose entire existence depends solely on military might is destined to end up in the darkest corners of destruction, and ultimately, in defeat. If we haven’t learned this most basic lesson from the past two years, let alone the past eighty, then we are truly lost. Not because of Iran’s nuclear program or Palestinian resistance, but because of the blind, arrogant hubris that has taken hold of an entire nation.”

No War With Iran Will Erase Israel’s Crimes in Gaza. Don’t Get Distracted (Michael Sfard//Haaretz 6/16/25)

“No war with Iran will erase our crimes in Gaza…Look at the satellite photos. This is us, the 21st-century people of Israel. We erase cities, destroy towns, pulverize villages. There’s no military explanation that could even come close to justifying this destruction, which, legally speaking, is a blatant crime. And we haven’t even mentioned yet the starvation tactics and the weaponizing of humanitarian aid to perpetrate a population transfer. Generations of Israelis will have to live with the mark of Cain we have put on ourselves through our actions. These deeds are in the best case crimes against humanity and war crimes, and in the worst case they raise suspicions of genocide. So forgive me if my greatest fear about the war with Iran is that the little international and domestic opposition there was to the ethnic cleansing and mass killing in Gaza will dissipate.”

The Tangled Knot of Anti-Zionist Violence (Daniel May//Jewish Currents 6/11/25)

“Yet those seeking to hold specific individuals and institutions accountable for their support for the ongoing destruction in Gaza will get no help from the Jewish world, whose representatives continually insist that there is no difference between a synagogue service, a march for hostages, or an AJC event for diplomats—or that a municipal ceasefire resolution, a college protest encampment, and a firebombing at a peaceful march are all, equally, signs of pernicious anti-Jewish hatred. The terrible irony is while such declarations are made in the name of Jewish security, they do nothing to make Jews safer. By reinforcing the view that Jews are at risk no matter where they live and no matter what they do or say, such calls distract from addressing the conditions that produce such violence. Rather than demanding generic support for “the fight against antisemitism,” those looking to actually protect Jews will eventually need to turn their eyes from the violence of recent attacks towards the bombing and starvation of millions in Gaza. Doing so will require recognizing recent attacks not as evidence of an eternal hatred but as destructive responses to an unconscionable war.”

Why everything Israelis think they know about Iran is wrong (Orly Noy interviews Lior Sternfeld//+972 6/20/25)

“The fantasy that an Iranian opposition will seize this moment to overthrow the regime and free the country from the Ayatollahs’ grip is also gaining traction in Israeli public discourse, as can be heard in nearly every TV panel discussion. But for Professor Lior Sternfeld, who teaches the modern history of Iran at Penn State University, this is a complete delusion, resting on the distorted Israeli perception of the political relevance of the Iranian opposition in the diaspora. “In Israel, the voices being amplified are those of Reza Pahlavi [the exiled Iranian crown prince] and his supporters — people with no real credibility or influence inside Iran,” he told +972 Magazine in an interview. “In the past 10 years, a lot of money has been invested in building up his image, and suddenly he’s gone from being seen as a sixty-something slacker to a crown prince with a whole kingdom behind him.”’

Netanyahu’s Iran gambit aimed to realign the world behind Israel. It may backfire (Amos Brison interviews Ori Goldberg//+972 Magazine 6/17/25)

“For Iran expert Ori Goldberg, Israel overreached in starting a war with Tehran, and can only avoid getting bogged down by dragging the West into the conflict.”

 

1. New from FMEP

2. Region/GlobalGaza

3. Gaza

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up June 12, 2025 (early this week) (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Settlement & Annexation Report: June 13, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)

1.West Bank Settlement & Annexation News; 2. U.S. Politics & News; 3. International News

Daily Life while Committing Genocide: the Lexicon of Brutality in Israel (New Occupied Thoughts episode)

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with sociologist Assaf Bondy and human rights researcher and historian Adam Raz about what they call the “lexicon of brutality,” drawing from a recent book the pair published in Hebrew on the language that Israelis use to discuss Palestinians and, specifically, the Israeli war on Gaza. The trio also talk about whether Israel has ever been a democracy and what people in Israel who oppose the genocide can do to resist it.

What an American Doctor Saw in Gaza (New Occupied Thoughts episode)

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, who recently returned from spending the month of March, 2025, in Gaza as a trauma and critical care surgeon. The March trip was Feroze’s second medical mission to Gaza in the last year. Peter and Feroze discuss why children in Gaza are shot in the head, why Gaza’s medical workers expect to die, and what it’s like to try to bring medical supplies into Gaza.

REGION/GLOBAL

Iran’s nuclear facilities damaged but not destroyed, experts say (WaPo 6/13/25)

“Israel’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites have damaged some aboveground research facilities and infrastructure but do not appear to have eliminated the thousands of centrifuges, buried deep underground, that enrich near-weapons-grade uranium or the hundreds of pounds of material they have already produced, according to a wide range of nonproliferation and Iranian experts. In launching the attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Iranian program poses an existential threat that Israel intends to destroy. “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program,” he said in an address to the nation early Friday. But judging by reports and statements from both countries, as well as videos and overhead imagery of the sites hit so far — and those as yet unscathed — no irreversible damage has been done, experts said.” See also After years of preparation, Israel launches major offensive against Iran and its nuclear program (TOI 6/13/25); Israel strikes Iran, as Trump officials say no U.S. military support (WaPo 6/13/25);

Israel Killed Iran’s Top Chain of Command in One Night (NYT 6/13/25)

“Israel’s strikes on Iran on Friday delivered a seismic blow to Iran’s chain of command, with Iranian officials and media reports saying that at least three of the top generals — including the country’s overall military commander — had been killed…Israel has a history of successfully assassinating Iranian security officials and nuclear scientists. But it has generally picked them off one by one in covert operations as part of its long shadow war with Iran and in Lebanon or Syria. The strikes early on Friday proved to be a stunning escalation of that tactic. Not only did they target Iran’s nuclear program and air defenses, the Israeli attacks also eliminated the top tier of military commanders all at once, targeting their residential homes, including some in secure military complexes. In some areas of the capital, Tehran, entire apartment buildings collapsed.” See also What we know about Iranian commanders, scientists killed in Israeli attack (WaPo 6/13/25); Over 200 Israeli strikes in Iran kill 10 IRGC commanders and scientists (Al Monitor 6/13/25); Iranians Describe Israel’s Attacks in Voice Memos and Calls (NYT 6/13/25);

Iran strikes back at Israel, U.S. helps intercept missiles (Axios 6/13/25)

“Iran launched a major counterattack against Israel on Friday, firing around 100 missiles in two barrages, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)…The retaliatory attack began 18 hours after Israel launched a war against Iran, attacking its nuclear facilities and missile sites and killing top military leaders and nuclear scientists. The U.S. is helping to intercept incoming ballistic missiles, according to an Israeli official and a senior U.S. official.” See also Trump to Fox News: U.S. will defend Israel if Iran retaliates (JI 6/13/25); ‘Declaration of war’: Iran fires 100+ missiles at Israel after airstrikes (Al Monitor 6/13/25); Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv as Netanyahu warns attack on Iran ‘just the beginning’ (Guardian 6/13/25);

How an Israeli-American deception campaign lulled Iran into a false sense of security (TOI 6/13/25)

“Israel and the US carried out a multi-faceted misinformation campaign in recent days to convince Iran that a strike on its nuclear facilities was not imminent, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Friday. The official asserted that US President Donald Trump was an active participant in the ruse, and knew about the military operation since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to move forward with the strike on Monday.” See also U.S. told Israel it won’t participate in an Israeli strike on Iran (Axios 6/12/25); Hegseth tells Congress ‘indications’ Iran moving toward nuclear weapon (Al Monitor 6/11/25); Iran not complying with nuclear obligations, U.N. watchdog says (WaPo 6/12/25); US orders non-essential embassy staff out of Iraq amid growing Middle East tensions (Guardian 6/11/25);

Trump scrambles to claim credit for Israel’s Iran attack he publicly opposed (The Guardian 6/13/25)

“Donald Trump is walking a tightrope as he claims that he was fully aware of Israel’s plans to launch massive airstrikes against Iran while continuing to distance the US from those strikes and deny Washington took any active role in the preparations. The White House’s messaging has shifted quickly from Marco Rubio’s arms-length description of the Israeli attack as a “unilateral action”, to Trump claiming on Friday morning that he was fully in the loop on the operation and that it came at the end of a 60-day ultimatum he had given Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear programme…Trump’s framing presents a good cop-bad cop dynamic of his approach with Benjamin Netanyahu, the embattled Israeli leader with whom he has a notoriously combative relationship. The US president has scrambled to now present the Israeli strikes, which he publicly claimed he did not want on Thursday, as a means of continuing his efforts to convince Iran to negotiate.” See also ‘Excellent’: Trump lauds Israeli strikes on Iran, says Tehran can still make a deal (TOI 6/13/25); Oil prices surge, airlines cancel flights after Israel strikes Iran (Al Monitor 6/13/25);

How Israeli spies and pilots crippled an Iranian counterstrike (Axios 6/13/25)

“As it became clear Israel was about to attack, the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air force convened in a bunker to coordinate the response. But Israel knew that emergency protocol, and the location of the bunker. They destroyed it, killing the overall commander and the heads of the drone and air defense forces. “The fact that there was nobody to give the order neutralized an immediate Iranian response,” an Israeli official said…Another key target was Iran’s air defense systems and radars. Israeli intelligence mapped their locations, and most were hit by the Israeli Air Force in the opening strike. That gave the IDF virtually unchallenged freedom of operation in Iran’s skies.” See also Smuggled drones, weapons, and Mossad: Inside Israel’s Iran strikes (Al Monitor 6/13/25); A Sprawling Israeli Intelligence Effort Underpinned the Iran Strikes (NYT 6/13/25);

UK, Australia, Canada sanction Israel’s Ben-Gvir, Smotrich for inciting violence (Al Monitor 6/10/25)

“The United Kingdom, together with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, have imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, citing their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinians amid the Gaza war. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Tuesday the measures, including asset freezes and travel bans, take effect immediately.” See also State Dept. Imposes Sanctions on International Criminal Court Judges (NYT 6/5/25); Israel Deporting Greta Thunberg and Other Activists on Gaza Aid Boat (NYT 6/10/25); Gaza flotilla activists: Who are they and where are they now? (Al Monitor 6/11/25); Israeli forces take control of Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg (The Guardian 6/9/25); Trolling the Madleen reveals the depths of the Israeli media’s delusion (Oren Ziv//+972 6/11/25);

Israel posts record $14.7B in defense deals as European demand soars: What to know (Al Monitor 6/8/25)

“Israel’s defense exports hit a record high in 2024, driven by rising demand from European countries despite growing criticism over the Gaza war and efforts from some states on the continent to reduce dependence on Israel.” See also Keir Starmer calls Israel’s recent actions in Gaza ‘appalling and intolerable’ (The Guardian 6/4/25); Macron says UN conference on Israeli-Palestinian conflict postponed after attack on Iran (TOI 6/13/25); Amid Gulf pressure, Abbas tells Macron ‘Hamas will no longer rule Gaza’ (Al Monitor 6/10/25);

GAZA

‘It’s a Disaster’: Gazans Describe Chaos, Violence at Food Aid Distribution Sites (Haaretz 6/11/25)

“More than two weeks have passed since the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating distribution areas in the Strip, but the overcrowding, the chaos and fighting over every aid parcel continue.”

The planned expulsion of Gaza’s population is already underway (Gadi Algazi//+972 6/13/25)

“The recurring massacres of Palestinians rushing to food distribution centers, with at least 245 Palestinians killed in the past two weeks, have shocked many. But these incidents should not distract us from the structural change: instead of hundreds of food distribution centers operating across the Gaza Strip by experienced international organizations, Israel set up only four centers for over two million people. That is not how to meet the needs of a population after many months of devastation and deprivation. It’s how you starve and strip survivors of their human dignity. The location of the four centers is no less important. One is in the central part of the Strip along the Netzarim Corridor, and three in the south, west of Rafah. A quick look at the map is enough to understand: there is no connection between the locations of the “distribution centers” and the needs of the people. Instead, the goal is to promote “moving the population” southward, ideally into the “concentration zones.” Since this constitutes a crime against humanity, Israel employed concealment tactics: first expelling established aid groups that could provide aid efficiently, then outsourcing distribution to opaque entities like the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).” See also Israeli forces kill at least 60 Palestinians seeking food in Gaza, health officials say (The Guardian 6/11/25); What we know about the killing of Palestinians at a food point in Gaza (The Guardian 6/4/25);

How Israel is engineering Gaza’s social collapse (Mahmoud Mushtaha//+972 6/12/25)

“What is unfolding is not mere military conquest but engineered disintegration — one in which Israel actively cultivates Gaza’s collapse by empowering criminal militias, fragmenting authority, and dismantling every pillar of Palestinian social infrastructure. At the center of this unraveling stands Yasser Abu Shabab, a 32-year-old Rafah native of Bedouin descent. Once imprisoned by Hamas on charges of narcotics trafficking, Abu Shabab now leads the “Popular Forces” (al-Quwat al-Shaabiya), a militia operating with open Israeli backing in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Publicly, he postures as a provider of order and protector of humanitarian aid; in reality, he is the linchpin of a proxy war to replace governance with warlordism and clan-based coercion. Abu Shabab’s rise is no accident. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted to “activating powerful clans in Gaza” to counter Hamas, as corroborated by former right-wing Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, as well as media investigations showing his militia operating in Israeli-controlled zones, armed with AK-47s seized from Hamas and redistributed with the approval of Israel’s security cabinet.” See also ‘Death and hunger’: Videos, expert analysis and witnesses point to Israeli gunfire in Gaza aid site shooting (CNN 6/5/25)

Netanyahu defends arming Palestinian clans accused of ties with jihadist groups (The Guardian 6/6/25)

“The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has admitted arming clans in Gaza that he says are opposed to Hamas, after allegations that members of these criminal gangs looted humanitarian aid and have ties to jihadist groups. The admission came after Israeli media reports quoted defence sources as saying Netanyahu had authorised giving weapons to a clan reportedly led by a man known as Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah resident from a Bedouin family, known locally for his involvement in criminal activity…On the advice of security officials, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. What’s wrong with that?” Netanyahu said in a short video he posted on social media.” See also Israel accused of arming Palestinian gang who allegedly looted aid in Gaza (The Guardian 6/5/25); ‘Sources confirm Israel arming Gazan gang to bolster opposition to Hamas (TOI 6/5/25); Israel Armed Palestinian Militia to Fight Hamas, Officials Say (NYT 6/5/25); Hamas has killed 50 Palestinian fighters armed by Israel in Gaza, faction’s associates say (The Guardian 6/11/25);

American Security Contractor Unloads On US-Israeli ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ (Zeteo 6/13/25)

“I am one of hundreds of security contractors who have been in Gaza to facilitate aid under the new US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation project. And it’s all bullshit.” See also Israel-backed Gaza delivery group names US evangelical leader as chair (The Guardian 6/3/25); An Inside Look at Gaza’s Chaotic New Aid System (Isaac Chotiner//New Yorker 6/11/25); Outsourcing Occupation: US Private Contractors in Gaza (Safa Joudeh//Al Shabaka 6/10/25); Chicago Private Equity Firm Has Stake in Controversial U.S.-backed Gaza Aid Operation (Haaretz 6/6/25); At least 27 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire at food point, Gaza officials say (The Guardian 6/3/25); Palestinians gunned down while trying to reach food aid site in Gaza, hospital says (Guardian 6/1/25); Boston Consulting Group CEO apologizes for Israeli-backed Gaza aid project (WaPo 6/6/25); U.S. consulting firm quits Gaza humanitarian aid effort amid criticism (WaPo 6/3/25); Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says five workers killed in attack (WaPo 6/11/25);

Israel is falsely designating Gaza areas as empty in order to bomb them (Yuval Abraham//+972 Magazine 6/5/25)

“The army is using an algorithm it knows to be inaccurate to declare Gaza neighborhoods as “green,” or cleared of residents, and carry out airstrikes — killing hundreds of civilians in recent weeks, a joint investigation reveals.” See also Israeli use of human shields in Gaza was systematic, soldiers and former detainees tell the AP (AP 5/24/25); “It’s an order—destroy the neighborhood so Arabs can’t return” (Drop Site 6/6/25); A 63-Year-Old Medical Worker Spent Three Months as a Human Shield for Israeli Brigades in Gaza (Drop Site 6/5/25);

RIVER TO THE SEA

Smotrich moves to paralyze Palestinian economy in response to Western sanctions (TOI 6/11/25)

“Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich directed his office on Tuesday to cancel a critical policy for sustaining the Palestinian economy in retaliation for the decision by five Western countries to sanction him and fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir…Smotrich had earlier in the day reportedly pledged to collapse the PA in response to the sanctions, even though Ramallah was not known to have had any involvement in the joint decision by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.”

A Grim Poll Showed Most Jewish Israelis Support Expelling Gazans. It’s Brutal – and It’s True (Dahlia Scheindlin//Haaretz 6/3/25)

“Friends, colleagues, peace activists, journalists and strangers wrote in from Australia to Uruguay to down the block, asking if it could possibly be true that 82 percent of Israeli Jews support “the transfer (expulsion) of residents of the Gaza Strip to other countries?” No less than 54 percent of Jewish respondents were “very” supportive. Other findings were grim: A majority of 56 percent of Jews supported the “transfer (forced expulsion) of Arab citizens of Israel to other countries.” And when asked directly whether they agreed with the position that the IDF, “when conquering an enemy city, should act in a manner similar to the way the Israelites acted when they conquered Jericho under the leadership of Joshua, namely, to kill all its inhabitants?” nearly half, 47 percent, agreed…People wrote in asking whether the survey’s methodology was credible, or whether the findings sounded remotely reasonable, in my long experience testing conflict-related attitudes. The blunt answer is yes and yes.”

In Nur Shams and Tulkarem, Israeli incursions leave ‘nothing to salvage’ (Basel Adra//+972 Magazine 6/5/25)

“Once home to more than 13,000 Palestinians, Nur Shams is now a ghost town after Israel’s most aggressive military campaign against West Bank refugee camps in decades. Reports indicate near-total destruction across its dense one-square-kilometer area east of Tulkarm, with nearly every home damaged and many completely flattened to rubble. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the more than four-month-long assault on the Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps has killed at least 13 Palestinians — including a child and two women, one eight-months pregnant — wounded dozens, and displaced over 4,200 families, totaling over 25,000 people.”

The Deadliest Period in History for Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Detention (Mariam Barghouti//Drop Site 6/1/25)

“While news reports and testimonies have emerged of the torture of Palestinian prisoners held in detention camps like Sde Teiman—where there are frequent beatings, starvation, forced stress positions, rape, and death—there has been less recognition that these conditions are prevalent across all Israeli prisons and detention centers…At least 70 Palestinian detainees have been confirmed killed in Israeli detention between October 2023 and May 2025 as a result of torture by Israeli interrogators or prison units, systemic starvation, or medical negligence through the deliberate denial of medical care. According to prisoner rights groups, dozens more have been killed in detention, particularly those arrested from Gaza, yet remain unidentified. Israel refuses to provide a comprehensive list of all detained Palestinians, with significant numbers forcibly disappeared and their whereabouts or condition unknown. Nearly all Palestinians released from Israeli prisons and detention camps, regardless of age, often emerge with ashen faces, shaved heads, scrawny bodies, and extensive bruising. In recent months, prison conditions and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees appear to be deteriorating even further.”

What Every IDF Soldier Serving at Notorious Sde Teiman Knows Is Happening to Its Palestinian Detainees (Anonymous//Haaretz 5/31/25)

“As anyone who has been there knows, Sde Teiman is a sadistic torture camp. Since late 2023, dozens of detainees have entered alive and left in body bags. There are testimonies from guards, doctors and detainees, all recounting similar events…Many of them weren’t even members of the Nukhba (the Hamas commando force that led the October 7 attack), just regular Palestinian civilians from Gaza detained for investigation and, after enduring brutal abuse, released when it turned out they were innocent. It’s no wonder people died there. The wonder is that anyone survived.”

U.S. SCENE

US ambassador to Israel says US no longer pursuing goal of independent Palestinian state (The Guardian 6/10/25)

“The former Arkansas governor chosen by Donald Trump as his envoy to Israel went further by suggesting that any future Palestinian entity could be carved out of “a Muslim country” rather than requiring Israel to cede territory.”

US imposes sanctions on a Palestinian NGO and other charities, accusing them ties to militant groups (AP 6/10/25)

“The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a major Palestinian legal group for prisoners and detainees along with five other charitable entities across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, accusing them of supporting Palestinian armed factions and militant groups, including Hamas’ military wing, under the pretense of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Those sanctioned include Addameer, a nongovernmental organization that was founded in 1991 and is based in the city of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.”

Trump’s Illegal Cuts to University Funding, Explained (Alex Kane//Jewish Currents 6/5/25)

“In halting federal funding, Trump administration officials have repeatedly claimed that they are following Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits institutions receiving federal support from creating or permitting a “hostile environment” for students on the basis of race, national origin, or other protected identity classes. But experts have said that the Trump administration is leapfrogging the legal process outlined by the Civil Rights Act, even as it points to Title VI as justification for their funding cuts. In the process, legal experts say, the administration is not only misusing Title VI—turning a statute intended to combat discrimination into a potent weapon with which to assault pro-Palestinian activism—it is also illegally undermining universities. This explainer delves into how the Trump administration is using Title VI law; the precedents Trump is building on in turning Title VI against critics of Israel; and how such weaponization of civil rights law relates to the administration’s attempts to undermine the rule of law.” See also Judge Denies Mahmoud Khalil Release, Siding with Trump Admin’s 11th Hour Argument (Zeteo 6/13/25); University of Michigan using undercover investigators to surveil student Gaza protesters (The Guardian 6/6/25); In Public, Harvard Is Fighting Trump. Quietly, It’s Dismantling a Program the White House Doesn’t Like. (Chronicle of Higher Education 6/9/25); A Professor Was Fired for Her Politics. Is That the Future of Academia? (NYT 6/6/25); Harvard appears to think all Jews support Israel. That is discriminatory (Barry Trachtenberg, Victor Silverman, Atalia Omer, Raz Segal, Rebecca T Alpert and Judith Butler//The Guardian 6/12/25)

The Era of Unconditional Support for Israel is Ending (Peter Beinart//Jewish Currents 6/6/25)

“Over the last 18 months, Israel’s assault on Gaza has made many of these conservatives associate the Jewish state even more strongly with wars that threaten to draw in the US. This has contributed to an enormous gap between the way younger and older conservatives view Israel. According to the Pew Research Center, 50% of Republican adults ages 18–49 now hold an unfavorable view of the Jewish state, compared to only 23% ages 50 and above. By comparison, the generation gap among Democrats is only five points. A 2024 Northeastern University poll found that Republicans 18–24 feel more negatively toward Israel than Democrats over the age of 65. These young conservatives are led by a spate of far-right influencers—from Tucker Carlson to Candace Owens to Nick Fuentes—who offer harsh criticism of Israel, much of it suffused with conspiracy theories about Jews.” See also The intra-GOP fight over Israel’s strikes on Iran (Axios 6/13/25); Tucker Carlson splits from Trump, advocates ‘dropping Israel’ (JI 6/13/25); New Quinnipiac poll illustrates deepening partisanship over Israel (JI 6/11/25); 22 House progressives push unprecedented new restrictions on U.S. aid to Israel (JI 5/30/25)

Exclusive: ADL chief compares student protesters to ISIS and al-Qaida in address to Republican officials (The Forward 6/6/25)

“Jonathan Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League CEO, repeatedly compared pro-Palestinian student protesters to Islamist terrorists in comments to Republican attorneys general and said the left harbored the “real deal threat” to Jews…“There is a throughline from Occupy Wall Street to BLM to ‘defund the police’ to ‘River to the Sea,’” he added, referring to the Black Lives Matter movement launched a decade ago to protest police violence. “They are the same people, these are the same kind of nihilists.”’ See also MIT Student Condemned Genocide — So ADL Chief Said She Helped Cause Boulder Attack (The Intercept 6/4/25)

US deports two Palestinians who landed with valid visas for an interfaith mission (Middle East Eye 6/13/25)

“Two Palestinian peace activists who were detained upon landing in the US during a trip sponsored by a synagogue were deported from San Francisco on Friday, friends and fellow activists have told Middle East Eye. Eid Hathaleen and Awdah Hathaleen, cousins from the Masafer Yatta village of Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank, possessed valid visas and, after being detained, had their visas revoked upon landing in the US on Wednesday.” See also Palestinian Activists Came to Speak at California Synagogue — But Face Deportation at the Airport (The Intercept 6/12/25); U.S. Authorities Detain Two Palestinians Invited to Speak With Jewish Groups in California (Haaretz 6/12/25); Visas abruptly canceled for 2 Palestinian humanitarian activists detained at SFO: SF supervisor (ABC7News 6/12/25)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

What Gaza Needs Now (Mosab Abu Toha 6/12/25)

“My family is starving. My neighbors are dying. I’m compelled to share these injustices because they need to stop.”

A Palestinian Doctor in Israel Helps People on Both Sides (New Yorker 6/9/25)

“Lina Qasem Hassan treated victims of October 7th. She also publicly condemned the war in Gaza—a stance that imperilled her job.” See also The Shame of Israeli Medicine (Neve Gordon, Guy Shalev, Osama Tannous//NYRB 5/31/25)

I told the truth about the West Bank and was threatened and assaulted. Now I’m relying on you to act (Issa Amro//The Guardian 6/3/25)

“Without concrete actions now, we will be erased across the West Bank as well as in Gaza. Forty thousand Palestinian refugees have been expelled from their West Bank homes since January. Twenty Palestinian communities have been expelled from their West Bank lands after attacks from settlers and the occupying army employing bulldozers. Last week the last remaining 30 families of Maghayir al-Deir, near Ramallah, were forced to flee after months of escalating state-backed settler violence. Despite these extraordinarily dark times, I write this with a great sense of hope in my heart inspired by the many people of conscience in the world who stand with us.”

Silence Is Complicity: Why Israeli Academia Must Strike Against the Atrocities in Gaza (Inbal Arnon, Ido Katri & Zohar Weiman-Kelman//Haaretz 6/3/25)

“We can declare that we will stop teaching or doing research as long the destruction grows, the Israeli hostages are abandoned and the silence continues. We can go on strike for a day, a week, until further notice. The important thing is to stop pretending that nothing is going on. This is not a question of our public image or personal conscience. It is not about how we will be remembered in history, or what our colleagues abroad will think about us. It is a principled and practical question: What can we do to stop this war, that brings with it not only devastating destruction to Palestinians, and neglectful abandonment of Israeli hostages, but also a deep and lasting breakdown of civic society? In light of the collapse of the system of checks and balances, we must say: We will not continue as usual. We will strike, to shatter the illusion of normalcy, to stop the complicity, to break the silence.” See also Mossad’s Former Chief Calls the War in Gaza ‘Useless’ (The Atlantic 6/5/25); Israeli Soldier, Beware – You Are Walking Into a War Crime (Michael Sfard//Haaretz 6/5/25)

This Israeli Government Is a Danger to Jews Everywhere (Thomas Friedman//NYT 6/10/25)

“But as a Jew who believes in the right of the Jewish people to live in a secure state in their biblical homeland — alongside a secure Palestinian state — I am focused right now on my own tribe. And if my own tribe does not resist this Israeli government’s utter indifference to the number of civilians being killed in Gaza today — as well its attempt to tilt Israel into authoritarianism at home by moving to sack its independent attorney general — Jews everywhere will pay dearly.”

Why Ehud Olmert Thinks His Country Is Committing War Crimes (interview with Isaac Chotiner//New Yorker 6/6/25)

Olmert: “What has happened lately is that it is obvious to everyone that there is no purpose that can justify the expansion of these military activities. There is not any goal that can justify continuing the military operation at the risk of losing the hostages, at the risk of losing the lives of Israeli soldiers, and the risk of losing the lives of many of the non-involved people in Gaza. There is not any purpose. The perception in Israel is that this is a personal war or illegitimate war that is being conducted exclusively because of the political interests of the Prime Minister. This is a crime. This is not something that can be defended. And the fact that there are so many victims can’t be justified. It’s as simple as that.”

Israel’s War on Reproduction in Gaza (Hala Shoman//MERIP 6/11/25)

“In an effort to trace the effects of reprocide amid Israel’s ongoing genocidal war, between October 2023 and October 2024, I collected ethnographic evidence—voice notes, text messages, emails and phone calls—from those enduring or witnessing reproductive violence. Analyzing their accounts alongside official reports from Gaza reveals the many ways Israel has weaponized reproduction, some more obvious than others: from the direct assaults on reproductive health and infrastructure to the conditions it forces women and men to reproduce under to sexual violence and its role in reproductive erasure.” See also For pregnant Palestinian women, checkpoints are a matter of life and death (Hala H.//+972 Magazine 6/10/25)

In Haifa, where ‘coexistence’ requires silence about Israel’s war crimes (Ghousoon Bisharat//+972 Magazine 6/6/25)

“Last Saturday, I joined thousands in the streets to protest the genocide. But the ensuing backlash has made me question whether I’m welcome in my own city.”

Israel no longer hides its genocidal aims in Gaza. Will the world keep looking away? (Omar Rahman//+972 Magazine 6/3/25)

“Since Trump’s return, Israel has dropped all pretenses of self-defense. But even as it evades accountability, it has cemented its legacy as a global pariah.”

The two-state solution is a delusion (Rabea Eghbariah//The Guardian 6/12/25)

“The truth is that the two-state solution has become a delusion – a mantra repeated to mask an entrenched one-state reality. From the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, Israel controls the lives of all Palestinians, without equal rights, without equal representation, and with a system built to preserve Jewish supremacy. This system has long constituted apartheid, now affirmed as such by the international court of justice for violating prohibitions on racial segregation and the crime of apartheid. And yet the two-state delusion persists. This mantra continues to prop up the illusion that Israeli occupation is on the brink of ending – if only more states recognize the Palestinian state and if only Palestinians and Israelis would just sit down and talk. But three decades of so-called peace negotiations have yielded nothing but deeper entrenchment of Israeli occupation, systematic land theft and escalating subjugation of Palestinians.”

Living Through the Unimaginable: a Testament from Gaza (Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei//Counter Punch 6/11/25)

“So, how do you provide mental health care during genocide? You do it by refusing to accept that any people deserve to live this way. You do it by helping a child speak again, by sitting with a parent’s guilt, by finding hope in the simple act of survival itself. But mostly, you do it by demanding the world remember that Palestinians are not resilient by choice—we are resilient because we have no other option. And that must change. When this ends—and it will end—Gaza’s children will carry these traumas for generations. But they won’t be the only ones marked by this moment. History will ask what you did when you knew. Mental health, it turns out, isn’t just about healing trauma—it’s about preventing it. The question isn’t just how we provide care during genocide. It’s why the world allows genocide to continue.”

1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region/Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 30, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Settlement & Annexation Report: May 30, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)

1. Israel Approves 22 New Settlements – “Dramatically Reshap[ing] the West Bank”; 2. East Jerusalem & Its Environs; 3. West Bank Settlement & Annexation News; 4. International News; 5. Israeli Politics

GAZA

In Emaciated Children, Gaza’s Hunger Is Laid Bare (NYT 5/30/25)

“The starvation of Gaza can be measured in the jutting ribs of a 6-year-old girl. In the twig-like thinness of her arms. In the pounds she and those around her have lost. In the two tomatoes, two green chili peppers and single cucumber a destitute child can buy to feed his family that day…With international alarm surging over its total blockade, Israel allowed in a drip of aid starting last week. That enabled some bakeries to reopen. But humanitarian officials said it did little to alleviate Gaza’s enormous needs and to stop the territory’s slide toward famine…In northern Gaza, cut off by Israeli troops from the rest of the territory, hundreds of thousands of people are reduced to waiting for hours for charity-kitchen food that runs out too soon and to digging boreholes for water to drink, unsanitary though it might be. There is never enough.” See also Israel Seeks to Clear Much of Northern Gaza, Warning of Dangerous Combat to Come (NYT 5/30/25); IDF strikes kill 72 Gazans, wound 278 since Thursday (Haaretz 5/30/25);

Israel’s Weaponized “Aid” Plan Forces Thousands of Palestinians to Trek Miles and Risk Their Lives for Meager Boxes of Food (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 5/28/25)

“The GHF distribution hubs are guarded by armed private security contractors working for a U.S. company and surrounded by chain-link fences channeling Palestinians into tight enclosures surrounded by sand berms. Veteran aid officials across the UN and other international humanitarian aid organizations have denounced the program, describing the conditions as resembling concentration camps or ghettos…The hungry crowds stormed the center and seized aid and equipment, including tables, chairs, and even small trees, which were uprooted to be used as firewood due to Israel’s ban on fuel and cooking gas. As the facility was overrun, forces opened fire on the crowd. “As people tried to leave with whatever they had taken, Israeli helicopters flew overhead and opened fire on the crowd, injuring dozens,” Salem said. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others wounded.” See also U.N. condemns U.S. aid system in Gaza after Israel opens fire on crowd (WaPo 5/28/25); How a US-backed body plans to handle Gaza’s food distribution and why aid groups oppose it (AP5/27/25)

Four people killed after starving Palestinians burst into UN food warehouse in Gaza (The Guardian 5/28/25)

“Four people have died as thousands of Palestinians burst into a United Nations warehouse in Gaza, tearing away sections of the building’s metal walls in a desperate attempt to find food. Two people were fatally crushed and two others died of gunshot wounds after the crowd forced its way into the World Food Programme warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday afternoon, health officials said. It was not immediately clear if Israeli forces, private contractors or others had opened fire.” See also Why a US-backed Gaza plan is sparking accusations of weaponizing aid (Al Monitor 5/29/25); New Aid Site in Gaza Brings More Scenes of Chaos (NYT 5/29/25);

New Gaza Aid Plan, Bypassing U.N. and Billed as Neutral, Originated in Israel (NYT 5/24/25)

“Throughout the war in Gaza, U.N. agencies and experienced aid groups have overseen the distribution of food aid in the territory. Now, Israel is set to transfer that responsibility to a handful of newly formed private organizations with obscure histories and unknown financial backers. Supporters of the project describe it as an independent and neutral initiative run mainly by American contractors…But the project is an Israeli brainchild, first proposed by Israeli officials in the earliest weeks of the war, according to Israeli officials, people involved in the initiative and others familiar with its conception, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak more freely of the initiative…The plan was designed to undermine Hamas’s control of Gaza, prevent food from falling into militants’ hands or the black market, and bypass the United Nations, which Israeli officials do not trust and have accused of anti-Israeli bias…U.N. officials pushed back, contending that the plan would restrict food aid to limited parts of Gaza, and warning that it could endanger civilians by forcing them to walk for miles, across Israeli military lines, to reach food. The U.N. also warns that the system could facilitate an Israeli plan to displace civilians out of northern Gaza, since the initial distribution sites would only be in the south.” See also New Aid Site in Gaza Brings More Scenes of Chaos (NYT 5/29/25); Israel’s New Gaza Food Plan: Military-Directed Starvation (Jonathan Kuttab//Arab Center DC 5/30/25); Gaza Humanitarian Foundation head resigns, casting more doubt on aid plan (WaPo 5/25/25); Head of US-backed Gaza aid group resigns, saying he will not abandon ‘principles’ (The Guardian 5/25/25)

Children in Gaza Are Starving. Let the U.N. Do Its Job. (Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF//NYT 5/29/25);

“Before hostilities resumed, the United Nations operated a vast and effective aid delivery system inside Gaza. During the recent cease-fire, we were delivering assistance like essential vaccines and medicine, lifesaving nutrition services and access to clean water through more than 400 distribution points, including in sites close to shelters for displaced families. UNICEF and our partners went even further, delivering aid door-to-door, reaching malnourished children and pregnant women directly in their places of refuge. That extensive system is now sidelined, and our operations have been significantly curtailed. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is reportedly channeling aid through a few distribution points in southern Gaza that have security on site provided by private American contractors, and Israeli soldiers standing outside the perimeter. Having a limited number of distribution sites will force civilians to travel far from their homes, exposing them to violence…This plan cannot support a population of 2.1 million people, including over a million children. We believe this new mechanism is also incompatible with humanitarian principles, including neutrality, impartiality and independence, and fails to meet Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.” See also Here’s what to know about the controversial new aid program in Gaza (WaPo 5/30/25); U.N. condemns U.S. aid system in Gaza after Israel opens fire on crowd (WaPo 5/28/25);

Inside Trump’s New Gaza “Ceasefire” Proposal (Drop Site 5/29/25)

“A new proposal for a Gaza ceasefire spearheaded by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, includes a 60-day initial truce, a “redeployment” of some Israeli occupation forces, and an exchange of captives, including ten living Israelis held in Gaza. It would also require the “immediate” delivery of humanitarian aid, including by the United Nations and the Red Crescent. Drop Site obtained a copy of the document, labelled a “term sheet” by Witkoff. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that Israel had accepted the proposal, asserting it would allow Israel to continue its war of annihilation. “We agree to accept the outline that was conveyed to us tonight,” Netanyahu said. “We do not believe Hamas will release the last hostage, and therefore we will continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed, and we will not leave the Gaza Strip until all the hostages are in our hands.”’ See also Hamas reviews Gaza ceasefire proposal as U.S. expresses optimism (WaPo 5/30/25); Full text of Witkoff’s proposal for 60-day Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal (TOI 5/30/25); After Sanaa airport strike, Houthis say they’ll start targeting Israeli civilian planes (TOI 5/30/25); Israeli airstrike kills nine of Gaza doctor’s 10 children (The Guardian 5/24/25); The Massacre of Nine Children of the Al-Najjar Family (Drop Site 5/26/25);

REGION/GLOBAL

As Trump Seeks Iran Deal, Israel Again Raises Possible Strikes on Nuclear Sites (NYT 5/28/25)

“As the Trump administration tries to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been threatening to upend the talks by striking Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, according to officials briefed on the situation. The clash over how best to ensure that Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon has led to at least one tense phone call between President Trump and Mr. Netanyahu and a flurry of meetings in recent days between top administration officials and senior Israeli officials.” See also Trump confirms he told Netanyahu last week not to strike Iran (JI 5/28/25); Trump: I told Netanyahu striking Iran would be ‘very inappropriate,’ as deal is close (TOI 5/28/25); After Sanaa airport strike, Houthis say they’ll start targeting Israeli civilian planes (TOI 5/30/25); Saudi Arabia Warned Iran to Reach Nuclear Deal With Trump or Risk Israeli Strike (Haaretz 5/30/25);

Europe’s leaders are scolding Israel over Gaza, but will they go further? (WaPo 5/30/25)

“A rare rebuke of Israel by Germany this week underscored Europe’s growing willingness to pressure the Netanyahu government over its siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which is testing the tolerance of some of Israel’s staunchest allies. After a deadly Israeli strike on a Gaza school turned shelter this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the harm to civilians could “no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism” — a sharp departure from Germany’s blanket defense of Israel during the war. Merz cautioned Israel against doing “anything that at some point its best friends are no longer willing to accept.” Merz made his comments as the European Union launched a review of its trade ties with Israel after more than a year and half of war. The Netherlands, a stalwart Israeli ally, led the push for the 27-nation bloc to review trade relations…Some E.U. states are calling for a full suspension of trade ties…Their collective action has yet to go far beyond finger-wagging, though, and officials say that issuing punitive measures would be more difficult and could expose the bloc’s divisions.” See also Germany threatens ‘steps’ against Israel over Gaza, escalating criticism of war (TOI 5/27/25); Israel is losing almost all its allies as it forges on in Gaza (Axios 5/25/25); EU could partially suspend Israel’s association agreement within weeks: Sources (Al Monitor 5/27/25); U.K. Weighs Sanctions on 2 Israeli Cabinet Ministers as Gaza Crisis Worsens (NYT 5/29/25); Macron warns France could harden stance on Israel if it continues to block Gaza aid (TOI 5/30/25); German minister: future weapons deliveries to Israel depend on Gaza situation (Haaretz 5/30/25);

UN gears up for landmark Palestine conference (Al Monitor 5/30/25)

“The United Nations headquarters in New York is gearing up for a major meeting to discuss the Palestinian situation and several countries including France have indicated that they are considering recognizing Palestine at the event. The conference, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, will take place on June 17-20, as called for in Resolution 79/81, and produce a document outlining a “peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-state solution.” The “action-oriented” plan will “chart an irreversible pathway towards the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution.”’ See also Israel warns Europe that Palestine recognition may be met with West Bank annexation (TOI 5/27/25); Foreign Ministry says Macron on ‘crusade against Jewish state,’ wants to ‘reward jihadists’ (Haaretz 5/30/25);

Performance, Punishment or Policy: What Would Recognizing Palestine Really Mean? (Dahlia Sheindlin//Haaretz 5/28/25)

“Nearly 150 countries have already recognized Palestinian statehood, with more in train. Opposing them are Israelis who dream of annexation, and even some Palestinians tired of symbolic declarations. Can the new French-Saudi two-state initiative break the mold?”

RIVER TO THE SEA

It’s time for Israel to halt its war of devastation in Gaza (Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert//The Guardian 5/30/25)

“What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: the indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. We’re not doing this due to loss of control in any specific sector, not due to some disproportionate outburst by some soldiers in some unit. Rather, it’s the result of government policy – knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated. Yes, Israel is committing war crimes. First, starving out Gaza…I believe the government of Israel is now the enemy from within. It has declared war on the state and its inhabitants…And while all this mess is going on, we keep on slaughtering Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, too.” See also Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes (Ehud Olmert//Haaretz 5/27/25)

Israel confirms plans to create 22 new settlements in occupied West Bank (The Guardian 5/29/25)

“Israel has said it will establish 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalisation of outposts already built without government authorisation, after a security cabinet vote held in secret last week…[Israeli Defense Minister Israel] Katz said the settlement decision “strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria”, using the biblical term for the West Bank, “anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism”.’ See also Israel announces biggest West Bank settlement expansion in decades (JTA 5/29/25); In a single week, a new settler outpost erases an entire Palestinian community (Oren Ziv//+972 Magazine 5/26/25); They are trying to cut us off from the world (Humans of Masafer Yatta)

Yes to Transfer: 82% of Jewish Israelis Back Expelling Gazans (Shay Hazkani & Tamir Sorek//Haaretz 5/28/25)

“A recent survey of Israeli Jews reveals a growing comfort with the idea of forcibly expelling Palestinians – both from Gaza and from within Israel’s borders. The poll also found that a signi􀀁cant minority supports the mass killing of civilians in enemy cities captured by the Israeli army. These disturbing trends re􀀂ect the radicalization of religious Zionism since Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, and the failure of secular Israeli Jews to articulate a vision that challenges Jewish supremacy…According to the results, 82 percent of respondents supported the expulsion of Gaza’s residents, while 56 percent favored expelling Palestinian citizens of Israel…Religious interpretations play a key role in shaping these views. Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents agreed that “when conquering an enemy city, the Israel Defense Forces should act as the Israelites did in Jericho under Joshua’s command – killing all its inhabitants.” Sixty-five percent said they believed in the existence of a modern-day incarnation of Amalek, the Israelite biblical enemy whom God commanded to wipe out in Deuteronomy 25:19. Among those believers, 93 percent said the commandment to erase Amalek’s memory remains relevant today…Some 66 percent of those under age 40 support expelling Palestinian citizens of Israel, and 58 percent want to see the army follow the path laid down by biblical Joshua in Jericho. A generational gap in political positions is not an unusual phenomenon, but in Israel, it has widened greatly since 2000.” See also Israeli Forces Said They Killed a ‘Terrorist.’ He Was 14 Years Old. (NYT 5/27/25); Netanyahu Intervened and Blocked Shin Bet Investigations Against Jewish Terrorism (Haaretz 5/29/25);

Jerusalem Day Flag March Reached a New Low: Mocking the Dead Children of Gaza (Nir Hasson//Haaretz 5/27/25)

“Hundreds of marchers on Jerusalem Day are not satisfied with singing hate songs and chanting racist slogans. They also engage in attacks on Palestinian property: breaking locks, stealing merchandise, smashing shop signs, beating on metal doors with flagpoles, plastering racist stickers by the hundreds, and more…The repertoire of racist songs shifted slightly this year. The dominant chants remained the familiar ones: “May your village burn,” “Muhammad is dead,” and “Avenge but one of my two eyes of Palestine, damn them” (a phrase that literally means “May their name and memory be erased,” with the final words shouted while flagpoles slammed against metal doors). But new songs were added to the mix, including: “There’s no school in Gaza, there’s no children left,” “Let the IDF fuck the Arabs,” and “Flatten Gaza.” Contrary to claims from religious-nationalist leaders, this hate is not the work of a small fringe. The true minority is composed of those who stick to songs of faith and Jerusalem. Once again this year, I struggled to find any group that refrained from racist chants. Im Tirtzu (IMTI), an organization affiliated with the Likud party rather than the far-right Otzma Yehudit, proudly displayed a giant banner at the entrance to the Old City reading “No Nakba, No Victory.”…It’s worth noting that all of this was funded by the Jerusalem Municipality, which allocated 700,000 shekels –without a public tender – to the organization behind the march.” See also Thousands to Take Part in Far-right, State-funded Jerusalem Day March Through Muslim Quarter (Haaretz 5/26/25); Thousands of Israelis join violent, racist march through Jerusalem’s Muslim quarter (The Guardian 5/26/25);

A Lost Battle for Human Rights: Throughout the War Israel’s High Court Has Denied All Requests to Protect Gazans (Haaretz 5/23/25)

“Indeed, since the start of the war, the High Court has given its seal of approval to all of Israel’s actions – withholding of medical treatment, the disappearing of people, denial of media access to Gaza, and above all, starving the population of Gaza.” See also Israel’s Justice System and the Genocidal War on Gaza (Nareman Shehadeh-Zoabi//Arab Center DC 5/30/25);

U.S. SCENE

How a controversial definition of antisemitism is making its way into state laws — from banning masks to training cops (Hannah Feuer//The Forward 5/29/25)

“The definition of antisemitism that governments rely on may seem like a semantic debate, but the recent flurry of state legislation shows its impact on how crime data is tracked, which incidents at public universities lead to discipline, and what is considered acceptable speech in the classroom. Those are the stakes behind a renewed debate over the IHRA definition, which continued to cement its dominance at the state level over the past two months, as Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee all passed bills or issued executive orders reiterating their support for it…“Once you’ve adopted the IHRA definition, there really isn’t any question. You’re going to shut down all sorts of free speech,” said Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. “You say ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine is free’ — done, you’re guilty of antisemitism. You say that Israel is a racist state — done, antisemitism.”’

The ‘Nonprofit Killer Bill’ Could Rise Again (Chronicle of Philanthropy 5/27/25)

“The legislation would have allowed the U.S. Treasury Department to strip the nonprofit status from any group it believes supports terrorists. It was included as a late addition into the massive tax bill on May 14, right before it cleared the House Ways and Means Committee; and it was then excised from the bill on the House floor, just hours before passage eight days later. The anti-terror measure raised alarms among nonprofits because it would have let the Trump White House — and future administrations — characterize a nonprofit’s actions as supporting terrorist groups, while giving the accused nonprofit a very limited ability to challenge that determination. [Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace:] “When this [bill] was first introduced, it was explicitly about going after people, organizations that support Palestinian lives and rights. It was explicitly about shutting down organizations engaged in work in support of Palestinian lives and Palestinian rights and critical of Israel and what it’s doing in Gaza. That was explicit. Then people began to say, “This is great. We can use this to go after Soros and the Open Society Foundations.” It was recognized as a weapon of mass destruction against groups with disfavored political viewpoints. This piece of legislation is sort of ripping the mask off. There’s no pretense. Initially, it was clearly focused on Palestinians. The intent behind this law is to make it easier to simply strip away the 501(c)(3) status of organizations for disfavored political views and speech.”’

Israel is losing Americans’ support. Will the Democrats listen? (Halah Ahmad//+972 Magazine 5/28/25)

“In recent months, multiple new public opinion surveys have illustrated the extent to which Israel has lost Americans’ support. In early April, a poll from the Pew Research Center attracted widespread attention when it revealed that more than half of U.S. adults now express an unfavorable opinion of the Israeli state — an increase of over 10 percent since March 2023. And this month, after Israel launched a new military operation to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, a new poll from Data for Progress showed that 76 percent of U.S. voters support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and 51 percent think that U.S. President Donald Trump should demand one. These dramatic shifts come alongside several recent polls demonstrating that Gaza played a definitive role in the Democrats’ loss in the November U.S. presidential election. In February, a YouGov poll from the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project found that the genocide was the leading reason cited by former Democratic voters who did not cast a ballot for former Vice President Kamala Harris.”

Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil’s detention ruled likely unconstitutional (WaPo 5/29/25)

“A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist whom the government is seeking to deport, was likely to prevail in his argument that his detention was unconstitutional. But he declined to issue a preliminary injunction in the case, so Khalil will remain in detention — unlike several other high-profile cases of international students targeted for deportation by the Trump administration because of their pro-Palestinian activities.”

Trump pauses student visa interviews, weighs social media vetting for applicants (Axios 5/28/25)

“The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and considering a social media vetting requirement as its immigration crackdown extends to people who want to study in the U.S…Since March, consular officers have been required to conduct social media reviews looking for support for purported “terrorist activity or a terrorist organization.” Such activity could be as broad as showing support for Palestinians, according to an earlier cable obtained by The Guardian.” See also Top Middle East, Israel and Iran officials pushed out of NSC (JI 5/25/25)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

The MAGAfication of Israel: How America’s Heritage Foundation Plans to ‘Convert’ the Jewish State (Nettanel Slyomovics//Haaretz 5/25/25)

“The right-wing organization that prepared the American blueprint for dismantling liberal democracy in Trump’s second term is ‘making aliyah,’ cozying up to Netanyahu’s government through like-minded groups, such as the powerful Kohelet Policy forum.” See also Spotlight on the “Kohelet Policy Forum”: How a Far-Right-Wing, U.S.-Funded Israeli Think Tank is Working to Shape Policy & Law in the US & Israel (FMEP webinar 4/4/23)

The Group Forging a “Judeo-Christian” Zionism for the New MAGA Age (Ben Lorber//Jewish Currents 5/21/25)

“Israel365’s decades of outreach to Christian Zionists has made it a power player from the World Zionist Congress to the White House.”

For more Israelis, calling out war crimes is no longer taboo (Meron Rapoport//+972 Magazine 5/29/25)

“Recognition of the army’s atrocities in Gaza has moved into mainstream Israeli discourse. This alone cannot end the war — but it’s a profound shift.” See also Families of hostages stage protests on 600th day of Israel-Gaza war (The Guardian 5/28/25); ‘Killing People Needs to Have Some Justification’: Why IDF Reservists Are Choosing Jail Over War (Haaretz 5/26/25)

Why do so many Americans join the Israeli military? (Ahmed Moor//The Guardian 5/29/25)

“The Washington Post reported in February 2024 that “an estimated 23,380 American citizens currently serve in Israeli ranks”…To be sure, the phenomenon of Americans joining foreign armies is not unique to Zionists or Israel. NPR reports that hundreds of Americans are fighting alongside Ukrainians in their war against the Russian occupation. But hundreds is not the same as tens of thousands, and fighting occupation is the opposite of investing in and propagating it. Now, with the genocide in Palestine, we’re faced with a reality in which tens of thousands of Americans are actively involved in war crimes.”

The Outcasts of Zion (Benjamin Balthasar//Boston Review 5/27/25)

“The manufacturing of Jewish Zionist consensus lies at the heart of American liberalism’s identity crisis.” See also How six months in the West Bank undid a lifetime of Zionist indoctrination (Sam Stein//+972 Magazine 5/30/25); See also We must face reality — the Gaza war is now a war of annihilation (Jay Michaelson//The Forward 5/28/25); Israel is becoming a pariah state. Here’s what American Jews must do (Daniel Sokatch//The Forward 5/29/25)

Staying in Motion (Arielle Angel//Jewish Currents 5/28/25)

“On the first Sunday afternoon in May, the final day of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) National Members Meeting in Baltimore, executive director Stefanie Fox took the stage to fortify the crowd for the work ahead. She laid out a lengthy list of threats to the movement for Palestine, many of them already on the tracks—from the potential revocation of nonprofit status and freezing of bank accounts to the criminal prosecution of activists—before switching into a personal register. Her voice softened as she spoke of a recent walk with her young son through an old growth forest near their home in Seattle. When they came upon a fallen tree, her kid began to tell her about “nurse logs,” relating how these felled giants became incubators for new growth, releasing nutrients and holding moisture in the soil so life could take root. “Look around,” Fox entreated the attendees, some of whom, after four days of nonstop workshops, lectures, performances, and organizing meetings, were spread out on the floor at the periphery of the audience, where they stretched, tended to children, or lay with heads resting on friends’ bellies. “This movement is an old growth forest. You can’t stop a forest from growing.” “What can we do,” she asked, “to ensure that no matter what they take from us, we are nurturing this movement forward?” This ominous image, implicitly likening the organization to a fallen tree, was a striking note on which to close—a reminder of JVP’s alarming vulnerability to repression even at a moment of unprecedented influence.”

Focus On: Global Solidarity with Palestine (Al Shabaka 5/27/25)

“As the US and its allies lead a sweeping assault on the global legal order to shield the Israeli regime from accountability for genocide, international outrage has sparked an extraordinary wave of pro-Palestine solidarity and organizing. Millions have taken to the streets in a broad-based protest movement that marks a profound shift in public consciousness. In addition, a growing surge of grassroots initiatives—from legal challenges by human rights groups to divestment campaigns and organizing by students, academics, and labor unions—has solidified Palestine as a central pillar in the global struggle for justice. Al-Shabaka’s latest Focus On offers a multifaceted exploration of how solidarity with Palestine is expanding and being reimagined globally. It also highlights the significant challenges facing the movement amid a vicious crackdown on pro-Palestine activism. This collection brings together contributions from analysts working across advocacy, academia, and policy to examine the shifting landscape of global solidarity.”

What can the Joint List teach us about building Palestinian political power? (Rida Abu Rass//+972 Magazine 5/23/25)

“Ten years ago, Israel’s four Palestinian-majority parties achieved an unprecedented breakthrough by forming the Joint List — a historic electoral alliance that aimed to bridge the ideological gaps and interpersonal rivalries dividing the community’s fragmented leadership. While short-lived, this experiment ignited rare political enthusiasm among Israel’s Palestinian citizens who had long yearned for unity and influence. Within five years, the Joint List became Israel’s third-largest party and the most substantial challenge to mainstream Zionist politics…A decade after the Joint List’s promising start, Palestinian politics in Israel has fractured beyond recognition. The List’s unified leadership has splintered back into competing factions, paralyzed by ideological divides, strategic disagreements, and personal rivalries — some long-standing and others new. This disintegration fueled Palestinian citizens’ disillusionment with both the Israeli political system and their ineffectual leadership, with voter participation and parliamentary representation plummeting as a result.”

 

1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region/Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 23, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

GAZA

‘A Drop in the Ocean’: UN Says Gaza Aid Still Lacking as Trucks Arrive, Bakeries Reopen (Haaretz 5/23/25)

“After 80 days of siege, the first trucks carrying food and other aid reached residents of the Gaza Strip Thursday night. However, UN officials stressed that this was just “a drop in the ocean” and that many Gazans wouldn’t feel any improvement anytime soon. Since Thursday night, 100 trucks have gone through the Kerem Shalom border crossing and reached distribution sites in Gaza, mainly in the territory’s south. The trucks carried flour, baby food and medical products.” See also Netanyahu says ‘minimal’ aid will go to Gaza to preserve U.S. support (WaPo 5/19/25)

Gaza: Starvation and Exile (Sari Bashi//NYRB 5/18/25)

“The Israeli government has announced plans to make civilians in the Strip accept further displacement as a condition of receiving food—and eventually to push them out of Palestine altogether.” See also Aid workers feel helpless as Israel’s blockade pushes Gaza towards famine (AP 5/19/25); 29 in Gaza die from starvation says PA; UNICEF warns 9,000 children malnourished (Al Monitor 5/22/25);; Israeli attacks kill at least 60 people in Gaza as aid agencies warn of famine (The Guardian 5/23/25); Children and elderly are dying from starvation in Gaza, says health minister (The Guardian 5/22/25); Trump administration working on plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya (NBC News 5/16/25)

UN chief says Gaza war in ‘cruelest phase’ as aid trucks looted (Al Monitor 5/23/25)

“The United Nations chief said Friday that Palestinians were enduring “the cruelest phase” of the war in Gaza, where more than a dozen food trucks were looted following the partial easing of a lengthy Israeli blockade. Aid was just beginning to trickle back into the war-torn territory after Israel announced it would allow limited shipments to resume as it pressed a newly expanded offensive aimed at destroying Hamas…UN chief Antonio Guterres said “Palestinians in Gaza are enduring what may be the cruelest phase of this cruel conflict”, adding that Israel “must agree to allow and facilitate” humanitarian deliveries…”In any case, all the aid authorised until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required,” he added in a statement.” See also Gaza aid trucks looted amid ‘hunger, desperation, and anxiety,’ U.N. says (WaPo 5/23/25)

Israel-backed food aid group admits it won’t be able to reach most vulnerable in Gaza (Guardian 5/17/25)

“The organisation backed by Israel to take over food distribution in Gaza as famine looms has admitted it would not be able to feed some of the most vulnerable civilians from the militarised compounds it plans to set up. Aid groups and the United Nations have already refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a Swiss-registered organisation led by a former US marine. They say it does not have the capacity to end hunger in Gaza and would make it harder to get aid to civilians caught up in other wars by undermining their neutrality.” See also Israel says it will allow a ‘basic quantity’ of food into Gaza to prevent starvation (NPR 5/19/25)

I Tried to Donate Blood to Help Gaza’s Wounded. I Was Too Anemic and Malnourished (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 5/19/25)

“Since Israel banned the entry of any and all aid into Gaza on March 2, I haven’t tasted red meat, chicken, or eggs. Like everyone else in Gaza, my body has been deprived of basic protein and vitamins. The only things on sale in the markets are falafel made from the remaining lentils and chickpeas, and a meal called duqqa, which is a mixture of ground wheat, sumac, and salt. What we eat is not enough to silence the hunger. While most foods have vanished, there are a few types of vegetables available for purchase from the little local agriculture still left in Gaza. Potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers are all on sale in the markets, but their prices have skyrocketed 20, 30, or even 40 times more than from before the war, making them inaccessible to most people in Gaza who no longer have a source of income. I’ve lost about 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in weight. I suffer from constant fatigue, persistent joint pain, and hair loss. Even when I write my journalistic stories, I need to take brief moments of rest as I suffer pain in the joints of my hands.” See also One Day, Three Diaries From the Brink of Famine in Gaza, Where Even Rotten Food ‘Feels Like a Victory’ (Nagham Zbeedat & Rawan Suleiman//Haaretz 5/19/25)

“Nothing Left in Jabaliya”: Endless Catastrophes in a Besieged Refugee Camp (Drop Site 5/20/25)

“Over the past several days, the Israeli military has launched a massive offensive with near-continuous airstrikes across the enclave, a ground invasion, and a full-spectrum blockade on food, fuel, and medicine that has brought hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation…The killing is so relentless that the health ministry, in its afternoon bulletin publishing the number of confirmed dead and wounded for the previous 24 hours, has also begun including the number killed since dawn that same day as it tries to keep up with the body count.” See also Israel kills five journalists, over 100 civilians in one night as ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ begins in Gaza (The Cradle 5/18/25); Israel Expands Ethnic Cleansing Operations in Khan Younis (Donya Abu Sitta//Drop Site 5/21/25); Days of terror in Gaza’s ‘Block 76’ (Ruweida Amar//+972 Magazine 5/21/25); Airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza, international criticism of Israel grows (Reuters 5/20/25); ‘Israel burned the ground under our feet’: Hundreds killed in intensified Gaza assault (Ibtisam Mahdi//+972 Magazine 5/16/25); Israeli army begins ‘extensive’ new ground operations in Gaza (The Guardian 5/18/25); Report: Body of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar found in Gaza tunnel struck by IDF (TOI 5/18/25); Israel launches major new offensive in Gaza as UN calls the situation for Palestinians ‘beyond inhumane’ (CNN 5/17/25); Gaza crisis ‘beyond atrocious’ as IDF operations intensify, UN chief says (ABC News 5/17/25)

Netanyahu lays out newest phase of Gaza war, view on Iran negotiations in press conference (JI 5/21/25)

““The world is telling us to end the war,” Netanyahu said, in the first press conference he has held in Israel since December. “I am prepared to end the war according to clear conditions: Hamas lays down its weapons, steps down from power, returns all the hostages, Gaza is demilitarized and we implement the Trump plan” to relocate residents of Gaza. “Whoever is calling for us to end the war is calling for Hamas to stay in power,”’ See also PM recalls top members of Doha negotiating team, citing ‘Hamas refusal’ of hostage deal (TOI 5/21/25); Hamas proposes releasing some hostages in fresh talks after new Israel offensive (BBC 5/18/25)

REGION/GLOBAL

Israel preparing to strike Iran fast if Trump’s nuclear talks break down (Axios 5/21/25)

“Israel is making preparations to swiftly strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if negotiations between the U.S. and Iran collapse, two Israeli sources with knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.” See also New intelligence suggests Israel is preparing possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, US officials say (CNN 5/20/25); U.S.-Iran nuclear talks show “some progress,” no breakthrough in 5th round (Axios 5/23/25); ‘It’d be suicidal’: Will Israel strike Iran’s nuclear sites without US support? (Al Monitor 5/23/25); Iran-US nuclear talks end with no agreement but ‘possibility of progress’ (The Guardian 5/23/25);

Israel allies threaten trade rupture over Gaza. Here’s what’s at stake. (WaPo 5/23/25)

“Several of Israel’s top allies and trading partners said this week that they would reconsider trade arrangements with the country over humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, amid an acute humanitarian crisis. Britain said Israel’s blockade on Gaza and new ground operation would prevent “advance discussions” on a new trade pact, without affecting its existing accord with Israel. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the 27-member bloc, Israel’s largest commercial partner, would launch a review of its trade deal with Israel. The full implications of the trade reconsiderations still aren’t clear. But the countries involved are some of Israel’s most important trading partners, accounting for around 31 percent of Israel’s exports last year and 37 percent of its imports, according to data from the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics.” See also Israel’s plans for Gaza draw rebuke, review of trade ties from allies (WaPo 5/20/25); As Israel starves and destroys Gaza, it’s turning into a global pariah (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 5/21/25); UK suspends trade talks with Israel and attacks ‘repellent’ extremism (The Guardian 5/20/25); Netanyahu accuses leaders of Britain, France and Canada of ‘emboldening Hamas’ (The Guardian 5/23/25)

Israeli troops fire ‘warning shots’ at 25 diplomats visiting occupied West Bank (The Guardian 5/21/25)

“Israeli troops fired “warning shots” towards a group of 25 diplomats visiting Jenin in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Wednesday, prompting a wave of outrage and calls for an investigation from world leaders and ministers. Footage shows a number of diplomats giving media interviews when rapid shots rang out nearby, forcing them to run for cover. The delegation comprised ambassadors and diplomats representing 31 countries, including Italy, Canada, Egypt, Jordan, the UK, China and Russia. The group was on an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority to observe the humanitarian situation there. The Israeli military said the visit had been approved but the delegation “deviated from the approved route” and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area…The IDF said it regretted “the inconvenience caused” and that senior officials would contact diplomats to inform them of the results of its internal investigation into the incident.” See also Israeli Soldiers Fire at Diplomats in West Bank (NYT 5/21/25)

Mahmoud Abbas declares from Lebanon ‘era of weapons outside state’ over (Al Monitor 5/21/25)

“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for a three-day official visit that is expected to focus on the issue of disarming Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, as the state seeks to extend its authority across the Lebanese territory.” See also Lebanon Moves to Disarm Palestinian Groups, a Test Run for Hezbollah (NYT 5/23/25); US set to unveil sweeping Syria sanctions relief (Al Monitor 5/23/25); EU to lift economic sanctions on Syria to aid recovery of war-torn country (The Guardian 5/20/25); Israeli Mossad retrieves entire archive of Eli Cohen from Syria: What we know (Al Monitor 5/19/25); Israel Recovers Troves of Documents Belonging to Its Most Famous Spy (NYT 5/19/25);

RIVER TO THE SEA

Israeli settlers force about 150 Palestinians to leave their West Bank village (The Guardian 5/23/25)

“Violent Israeli settlers including two under UK sanctions have forced about 150 Palestinians to leave their village in the occupied West Bank, through a five-day intimidation campaign carried out under the watch of the Israeli police and army. On Sunday morning, settlers established an illegal outpost, consisting of a basic shelter and a sheep pen, 100 metres from a Palestinian home in Mughayyir al-Deir, east of Ramallah. By Friday, dozens of villagers had already moved their flocks away, packed up their belongings and were dismantling the wooden and metal frames of their houses.” See also Settlers Build Outpost Adjacent to a Palestinian Village and Are Harassing Its Residents (Hagar Shezaf//Haaretz 5/20/25); Israelis Roam and Rampage, Palestinians Under IDF Curfew: A Night at a Jewish Holy Site in the West Bank (Hagar Shezaf//Haaretz 5/15/25); Violent Israeli settlers under UK sanctions join illegal West Bank outpost (The Guardian 5/22/25);

‘This Is Eternal War’: Netanyahu’s Shin Bet Chief Pick Reportedly Opposed Hostage Deals in Top IDF Forum (Haaretz 5/23/25)

“Israeli army general David Zini, who was tapped by Prime Minister Netanyahu to lead the Shin Bet security service, said in closed discussions with the General Staff that he opposed hostage deals, Israeli Channel 12 has reported. “I oppose hostage deals – this is an eternal war,” said Zini, according to the report.” See also Netanyahu Names New Domestic Spy Chief After Clash With the Last One (NYT 5/22/25); Outrage as opposition party leader Golan says Israel ‘killing babies as a hobby’ in Gaza (TOI 5/20/25); It’s Not a ‘Disgraceful Antisemitic Blood Libel’ to Say Israel Is Killing Babies in Gaza (Haaretz 5/21/25)

U.S. SCENE

Two Israeli Embassy staffers killed in shooting near Jewish Museum in D.C. (WaPo 5/22/25)

“A young couple who worked for the Israeli Embassy were shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington late Wednesday by a gunman who chanted “free, free Palestine” after the shooting, according to authorities. A suspect was in custody, D.C. police said. The victims were exiting the museum in Northwest Washington after attending an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee when the gunman opened fire, authorities said. See also Washington shooting suspect charged with murder, told police he ‘did it for Gaza’ (TOI 5/23/25); Affidavit: Suspect in D.C. Jewish museum shooting confessed to killings (WaPo 5/22/25); Pro-Israel leaders link anti-Israel radicalism to fatal shooting (JI 5/23/25)

Will the Capital Jewish Museum shooting lead Trump to crack down even more on pro-Palestinian activists? (Ron Kampeas//The Forward 5/23/25)

“Will the murder of the two Israeli embassy employees — by a gunman who allegedly said he “did it for Gaza” — prompt the president to intensify his crackdown? Some Republican officials and conservative pro-Israel activists hope so.  “The fact of the matter is, the Palestinian cause is an evil one,” Rep. Randy Fine, a firebrand Jewish Republican from Florida, told Fox News…Across an ocean, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu adopted the same tenor, likening the attack, and the suspect’s slogan, to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack as well as Nazism…In the day since the shooting took place, a number of Jews have said the tragedy offers a grisly vindication to their warnings that chants such as “Free Palestine” and “Globalize the intifada,” common at campus encampments and other anti-Israel protests, could incite violence. “There is a direct line between demonizing Israel, tolerating antisemitic hate speech in the public square, and violent action,” William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said on social media. “We are now witnessing the deadly consequences of months of relentless antisemitic incitement.”

The Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crush the Pro-Palestinian Movement (NYT 5/18/25)

“In late April, the Heritage Foundation dispatched a team to Israel to meet with power players in Israeli politics, including the country’s foreign and defense secretaries and the U.S. ambassador, Mike Huckabee. The conservative Washington-based think tank is best known for spearheading Project 2025, a proposed blueprint for President Trump’s second term that called for reshaping the federal government and an extreme expansion of presidential power. Now the Heritage contingent was in Israel, in part, to discuss another contentious policy paper: Project Esther, the foundation’s proposal to rapidly dismantle the pro-Palestinian movement in the United States, along with its support at schools and universities, at progressive organizations and in Congress…Now, four months after Mr. Trump took office, Heritage Foundation leaders are taking an early victory lap. Since the inauguration, the White House and other Republicans have called for actions that appear to mirror more than half of Project Esther’s proposals, a New York Times analysis shows, including threats to withhold billions in federal funding at universities and attempts to deport legal residents.” See also Judge allows Mahmoud Khalil to hold newborn son for first time despite Trump administration objections (PBS 5/22/25); Judge temporarily blocks effort to ban Harvard from enrolling foreign students (WaPo 5/23/25); How Trump Defeated Columbia: The inside story of an unconditional surrender. (Nick Summers/New York 5/19/25); Mohsen Mahdawi, Released From ICE Custody, Graduates From Columbia (NYT 5/19/25); Trump administration says Columbia violated Jewish students’ civil rights (WaPo 5/23/25); GWU bans graduate from campus over Israel divestment call at commencement (WaPo 5/21/25);

Unpacking the Rift Between Trump and Netanyahu (Alex Kane//Jewish Currents 5/21/25)

“The president has sought to separate US interests from Israeli interests abroad, even as he represses Israel critics at home.” See also Scoop: Vance decided against Israel visit due to new Israeli operation in Gaza (Axios 5/19/25); World Jewish Congress President Applauds Trump for Withholding Funds From Elite U.S. Universities (Haaretz 5/19/25); Trump frustrated by Gaza war, wants Netanyahu to “wrap it up”: U.S. officials (Axios 5/20/25); US closes Office of Palestinian Affairs, dedicated channel to Washington (The Guardian 5/19/25); Rubio: Israel’s Gaza aid blockade hurt Israel’s security, standing (JI 5/21/25); Trump administration accepts jet from Qatar for possible use as Air Force One (The Guardian 5/21/25); DOGE Loses Battle to Take Over USIP—and Its $500 Million Headquarters (Wired 5/19/25)

Is Wikipedia a cesspool of antisemitism? Don’t trust the ADL’s answer. (Shira Klein//The Forward 5/16/25)

“Two dozen members of Congress recently accused Wikipedia of “antisemitism and pro-terrorist content,” citing a lengthy report by the Anti-Defamation League. To read that report, one would think that English Wikipedia is a cesspit of antisemitism…The ADL’s report is, dismally, riddled with errors, including in its manipulation of a peer-reviewed publication that I co-authored on Holocaust distortion on Wikipedia. The report inaccurately uses my research to uphold its allegations that antisemitism is running rampant across Wikipedia, amid the ADL’s ramped-up efforts to police public discourse about Israel…The attacks by the ADL and Congress on Wikipedia purport to protect Jews, but in fact have nothing to do with antisemitism, and everything to do with controlling the narrative about Israel.”

Most Senate Democrats sponsor resolution calling for ‘urgent delivery’ of Gaza aid (TOI 5/21/25)

“A Senate resolution calling for the “urgent delivery” of humanitarian aid to Gaza that was put forth last week has received almost unanimous support from Democrats, who affirmed their backing during a debate on Tuesday. The resolution calls on the US government to use “all available diplomatic tools” to release the hostages and end the blockade of food and aid to Palestinian civilians, as well as the overall conflict in Gaza. The resolution is co-sponsored by 44 Democrats and two Independents, according to a statement from the office of Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat who introduced the resolution last week. There are 45 Democrats in the Senate.” See also Van Hollen: The U.S. Is ‘Complicit’ in Starving the People of Gaza (Rolling Stone 5/18/25); ‘We didn’t negotiate with the Nazis’: US congressman calls for Hamas’ total surrender in Gaza (yNet 5/23/25 on Florida Rep. Randy Fine)

Microsoft Bans the Word “Palestine” in Internal Emails (Waqas Ahmed and Murtaza Hussain//Drop Site 5/21/25)

“Microsoft has quietly implemented a policy blocking employee emails containing the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” or “genocide” on its internal Exchange servers, according to No Azure for Apartheid, a group of pro-Palestine Microsoft employees. The automated filter, which silently prevents such emails from reaching recipients was first detected on Wednesday—just after Microsoft’s Build developer conference faced repeated disruptions by the activist group. Microsoft has been rocked by internal dissent over its collaboration with the Israeli military and government amid the ongoing assault on Gaza. The company has faced disruptions to its events, including protests from employees over its provision of cloud services and other critical infrastructure used by the Israeli military.” See also Microsoft employee interrupts CEO’s keynote with pro-Palestinian protest (The Guardian 5/19/25)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

Gaza genocide: How Israel’s healthcare system became an instrument of state violence (Ghada Majadli//Middle East Eye 5/21/25)

“The blending of military and medical roles, along with the repression of the voices of Palestinian medics, exposes a deeply unequal system…n recent years, Israel’s defenders have increasingly pointed to the significant presence of “Arab Israeli” doctors and their integration into the country’s healthcare system as evidence against accusations of apartheid…In the interviews I conducted, doctors described a climate of fear and silencing, where even minimal expressions of grief for Palestinian victims are treated as support for “terrorism”.”

Suddenly Trump Is No Longer Buying What Bibi Has Been Selling (Mairav Zonszein//NYT 5/21/25)

“On almost every significant strategic and geopolitical issue that matters to Israel — from seeking a new nuclear deal with Iran to a cease-fire with the Houthis, from embracing the new Syrian regime to negotiating directly with Hamas on hostage release — Mr. Trump is not only bypassing Israel but also moving in a very different direction from what Mr. Netanyahu would have chosen. The U.S. administration has sidelined Israel again and again. In so doing, Mr. Trump and his team have managed to expose Israel’s policy of destruction and the failings of Israel’s leader, whose lone success has been staying in power through pursuing constant war. That doesn’t mean that there is an open crisis between Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu or that Israel has lost the United States as its most powerful ally or even that Mr. Trump will force Israel to stop the war in Gaza. Indeed, in Gaza the United States has mostly left the Netanyahu coalition to its own devices.”

The Radical Courage of Noor Abdalla (Aida Alami//New Yorker 5/21/25)

‘How the wife of Mahmoud Khalil has navigated becoming a new mother while fighting for her husband’s freedom.”

Remembering the Nakba while witnessing a genocide (By Dikla Taylor-Sheinman//+972 Magazine 5/19/25)

“As Israel destroys Gaza, Israelis and Palestinians gathered in Beit Jala not only to mark the catastrophe of 1948, but to elevate living Palestinian testimonies.”

‘Occupation From Within’: Legal Scholar’s Book Calls for the Razing of Israel’s Jewish Supremacy Regime (Haaretz 5/20/25)

“As Sfard puts it, “A society accustomed to wielding power over millions and systematically violating the most basic human rights – one that enshrines the supremacy of one group and the subjugation of another – can no longer break free.”…Or, in Sfard’s words, “Can a state defined as a Jewish nation-state not help but create an apartheid regime?”…To answer it, he turns to the writings of his grandfather, the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, who reflected on the legacy of Auschwitz. According to Bauman, Sfard writes, life after the Holocaust happens in a world forever stained by the possibility of a similar catastrophe taking place. Bauman argues that this anxious existence could become the Nazis’ final poison arrow against the Jewish people. While they failed to incite the world against the Jews, they can still incite the Jews against the world. For this reason, Sfard tells Peratis with sadness, “Zionism’s pluralistic path was blocked at Auschwitz,” meaning that the regime of Jewish supremacy was born in the extermination camp and was, tragically, unavoidable.”

We are Jewish students from universities Trump is targeting. He’s not protecting us (The Forward 5/21/25)

“Democracy, not deportations, protect Jewish students from antisemitism.” By Nikki Appel, Yarin Hagay-Nevel, Gabriel Freedman-Naditch, Celia Little, Elianna Perlman, Tova Kaplan, Alexander Fooy, Joseph Hillyard, Talia Winiarsky and Jennifer Nehrer.

Severed: The Story of a Boy From Gaza (Jen Marlowe//The Nation 5/22/25)

“At 18, Mohamad Saleh has survived five wars and lost his home, his family members, his leg. This new film, produced with The Nation, follows him as he tries to piece together his shattered life.” See also In ‘Severed,’ a Palestinian child pieces together the shattered fragments of his life (Jen Marlowe//+972 Magazine 5/22/25)

What Will It Take for Israelis to Acknowledge the Suffering in Gaza? (Dahlia Scheindlin//Haaretz 5/22/25)

“While Netanyahu’s ministers incite to genocide, Israeli grassroots protests over the deaths of Gazan children grow – and prominent domestic critics call Israel’s expansion of the war a ‘manifestly illegal order.’ So is the Israeli public nearing a tipping point on recognizing Palestinians’ right to life?”

 

1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region/Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 16, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Settlement & Annexation Report: May 16, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)

1. Annexation – – Israel Green Lights Land Registration in the West Bank Area C; 2. East Jerusalem & the Old City News; 3. West Bank Settlement & Annexation News; 4. Israeli Politics; 5. U.S. Politics; 6. Marking 77 Years of Ongoing Nakba

What’s happening between the U.S. and Iran? (New podcast episode)

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with analyst Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute about Iran and the U.S. Their conversation spans from exploring decision-making authority and processes in Iran to the impact that U.S. sanctions have on ordinary people in Iran, where poverty has risen dramatically. They speak in depth about the regional and economic dynamics that may have primed Iran for a deal with the United States, including a growing recognition about both the potential and limits on what Russia and China can provide, and the possibility that President Trump will break with DC orthodoxy to make a deal.

What Harvard’s Antisemitism and Islamophobia Reports Get Wrong (New podcast episode)

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Dr. Lara Jirmanus and Professor Atalia Omer about the Harvard University’s two new reports, one on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias and the other on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. They discuss the quality of the reports, how the antisemitism report erases Jews who are critical of Israel, and what the potential impact is for a report on Islamophobia, anti-Arab and Anti-Palestinian bigotry.

GAZA

Israel kills over 100 in Gaza as Palestinians mark 77 years since the Nakba (Al Jazeera 5/15/25)

“At least 115 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in a wave of Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, as indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas continue. At least 61 people were killed overnight and early on Thursday in a barrage of attacks on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, according to local health officials. In Jabalia in northern Gaza, an Israeli strike on al-Tawbah medical clinic killed at least 15 people and wounded several others, the health ministry said. Israel’s army also attacked three hospitals in north and south Gaza: al-Awda hospital in Jabalia, the Indonesian Hospital in Khan Younis, and the European hospital, which Gaza’s Health Ministry says is now out of service…“Israeli warplanes directly targeted nine houses without any warning in the city of Khan Younis,” he said, adding that entire families were “completely wiped out”.” See also Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill 70 people, including 22 children, health officials say (AP 5/14/25); The 1948 Nakba and Today’s Gaza Genocide Are Two Sides of the Same Coin (Diana Buttu//Zeteo 5/15/25); Why Israelis Need to Accept That for Palestinians, the Nakba Is Ongoing (Rana Salman//Haaretz 5/15/25); Israeli strikes kill over 115 Palestinians as Trump suggests to ‘take’ Gaza (Al Monitor 5/15/25);

‘Render it unusable’: Israel’s mission of total urban destruction (Meron Rapoport & Oren Ziv//+972 Magazine 5/15/25)

“Together, these sources paint a clear picture: the systematic destruction of residential buildings and public structures has become a central part of the Israeli army’s operations, and in many cases, the primary objective. Some of this devastation is the result of aerial bombardments, ground fighting, and IEDs planted by Palestinian militants inside buildings in Gaza. However, while it is difficult to obtain precise figures, it appears that most of the destruction in Gaza and southern Lebanon was not carried out from the air or during combat, but rather by Israeli bulldozers or explosives — premeditated and intentional acts.  According to +972 and Local Call’s investigation, this was driven by a conscious, strategic decision to “flatten the area,” to ensure that “the return of people to these spaces is not something that will happen,” as Yotam, who served as a deputy company commander in an armored brigade in Gaza, said.” See also Gazans Once Escaped To Rafah. Now Israel Is Razing It. (NYT 5/15/25); Thousands Flee in Gaza City After Israel Issues Mass Displacement Orders and Vows to Attack ”With Great Force” (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 5/15/25); Breaking down a deadly week in Gaza as Israel kills hundreds (Al Jazeera 5/16/25);

IDF says it has launched first stages of new major Gaza offensive dubbed ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ (TOI 5/16/25)

“​“Over the past day, the IDF launched extensive attacks and mobilized forces to seize strategic areas in the Gaza Strip, as part of the opening moves of Operation Gideon’s Chariots and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza, to achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza, including the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” the military says in a statement…According to Israeli officials, the Gideon’s Chariots offensive would see the IDF “conquering” Gaza and retaining the territory; moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip; attacking Hamas; and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.”

Gaza’s Last Hospital for 10,000 Cancer Patients Shuts Down Due to Repeated Israeli Strikes (Haaretz 5/16/25)

“Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry announced on Friday that the European Hospital in Khan Yunis would be closed due to ongoing Israeli strikes on the compound. In an attempt to assassinate top Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, the Israeli military on Tuesday struck the European Hospital, Gaza’s last facility that could treat cancer patients, killing at least 16 people, wounding 70, and leading to the evacuation of its patients. Since then, strikes on the hospital have not ceased.” See also Israeli Forces Bombed Two Gaza Hospitals in One Day (Kavitha Chekuru//Drop Site 5/14/25); Israel says strikes on Gaza hospital complex targeted underground bunker (WaPo 5/13/25);

Trump touts ‘freedom zone’ plan for Gaza as ceasefire talks stall in Qatar (NPR 5/15/25)

“President Trump said on Thursday the Gaza Strip should be made into a “freedom zone,” doubling down on his proposal to displace Palestinians from the territory just as Israel plans a major offensive and intensifies deadly airstrikes, killing more than 150 people in the past day, including dozens of children…Israel’s far-right government has embraced Trump’s proposals on Gaza to displace Palestinians permanently outside the territory and turn it into a seaside real-estate development. Trump’s latest comments on Gaza were made while he was still in Qatar. All Arab states have rejected the plan, and Hamas has called it ethnic cleansing. Trump’s remarks about Gaza came on the same day the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in the war surpassed 53,000 people — a third of them children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.” See also Netanyahu says there is ‘no way’ Israel halts the war in Gaza until Hamas is defeated (AP 5/13/25); Israeli airstrikes kill at least 80 as Trump talks of turning Gaza into ‘freedom zone’ (The Guardian 5/15/25)

Hamas Says Witkoff Personally Promised to Lift Gaza Blockade in Exchange for Edan Alexander (Jeremy Scahill//Drop Site 5/16/25)

“A senior Hamas official told Drop Site that the group received a direct commitment from Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, that two days after the release of U.S. citizen and Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, the Trump administration would compel Israel to lift the Gaza blockade and allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory. Witkoff, according to the official, also promised that Trump would make a public call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for negotiations aimed at achieving a “permanent ceasefire.” “It was a deal,” said Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau who has previously engaged in direct talks with U.S. officials. He said the pledge was made by “Witkoff, himself.”…“He did nothing of this,” Naim added. “They didn’t violate the deal. They threw it in the trash.”’ See also Witkoff told mediators US not planning to force Israel to end Gaza war, officials say (TOI 5/15/25); Hamas frees last living US citizen held in Gaza in what Trump calls a ‘good faith step’ (The Guardian 5/12/25); As Trump Declares “Golden Era” in the Arab Gulf, Gaza Burns and Netanyahu Threatens to Wipe Palestinians Off the Map (Jeremy Scahill//Drop Site 5/15/25)

Food security experts warn Gaza at ‘critical risk of famine’ amid Israeli blockade (The Guardian 5/12/25)

“Gaza is at “critical risk of famine”, food security experts have warned, 10 weeks after Israel imposed a blockade on the devastated Palestinian territory, cutting off all supplies including food, medicine, shelter and fuel. In its most recent report, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said on Monday there had been a “major deterioration” in the food security situation in Gaza since its last assessment in October 2024 and that Palestinians living there faced “a critical risk of famine”. “Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people – one in five – facing starvation,” said the IPC, a consortium of independent specialists tasked by the UN and international NGOs with assessing the risk of famine in crises worldwide. Israel imposed its strict blockade in early March, after the end of the first phase of a supposed three-phase ceasefire…Aid workers in Gaza told the Guardian that prices for essentials had risen further in recent days, warehouses were empty and humanitarian teams treating malnourished children were being forced to divide rations designed for one between two patients to give both a chance of survival.” See also Trump says people in Gaza are starving and US will take care of situation (The Guardian 5/16/25); Gaza faces ‘critical’ famine risk, experts say, as Israel blocks aid (WaPo 5/12/25);

In Private, Some Israeli Officers Admit That Gaza Is on the Brink of Starvation (NYT 5/13/25)

“Some Israeli military officials have privately concluded that Palestinians in Gaza face widespread starvation unless aid deliveries are restored within weeks, according to three Israeli defense officials familiar with conditions in the enclave. For months, Israel has maintained that its blockade on food and fuel to Gaza did not pose a major threat to civilian life in the territory, even as the United Nations and other aid agencies have said a famine was looming. But Israeli military officers who monitor humanitarian conditions in Gaza have warned their commanders in recent days that unless the blockade is lifted quickly, many areas of the enclave will likely run out of enough food to meet minimum daily nutritional needs, according to the defense officials. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details.” See also The U.S. has a plan for getting food into Gaza. Top aid groups object to the idea (NPR 5/11/25); Construction sites appear in Gaza ahead of Israeli-US aid plan rejected by UN, images show (BBC 5/15/25)

7 European governments call on Israel to reverse aid blockade responsible for Gaza ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ (TOI 5/16/25)

“The leaders of seven European governments have issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s ongoing aid blockade in Gaza that has been in place since March 2…“We will not be silent in front of the man-made humanitarian catastrophe that is taking place before our eyes in Gaza. More than 50.000 men, women, and children have lost their lives. Many more could starve to death in the coming days and weeks unless immediate action is taken,” the leaders of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Slovenia and Spain say in their joint statement. “We call upon the government of Israel to immediately reverse its current policy, refrain from further military operations and fully lift the blockade, ensuring safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian aid to be distributed throughout the Gaza Strip by international humanitarian actors and according to humanitarian principles.”’ See also Macron: EU may revisit cooperation pacts with Israel over PM’s ‘shameful’ Gaza policy (TOI 5/14/25); Netherlands urges review of EU-Israel trade deal over ‘catastrophic’ Gaza aid block (The Guardian 5/7/25)

REGION/GLOBAL

Trump blasts ‘interventionalists’ and ‘neo-cons’ in Riyadh speech (Jewish Insider 5/13/25)

“President Donald Trump lambasted “interventionalists” and “neo-cons” who previously led foreign policy discourse in the Republican Party in a speech on Tuesday at a U.S.-Saudi Arabia investment forum event in Riyadh. “The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called nation-builders, neo-cons or liberal nonprofits like those who spent trillions failing to develop [Kabul], Baghdad, so many other cities,” Trump said. “In the end, the so-called nation-builders wrecked far more nations than they built and the interventionalists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.” “They told you how to do it, but they had no idea how to do it themselves,” Trump continued. “Peace, prosperity and progress ultimately came not from a radical rejection of your heritage but rather from embracing your national traditions and embracing that same heritage that you love so dearly.” Trump also condemned American presidents who “have been afflicted with the focus that it’s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use U.S. policy to dispense justice for their sins” — an apparent condemnation of former President George W. Bush.” See also In Trump’s Middle East, Israel’s Standing Has Been Downgraded (Haaretz 5/16/25); Visiting Riyadh, Trump tells Saudi Arabia: You’ll join Abraham Accords in your own time (TOI 5/13/25); Trump announces more than $200bn of deals between US and UAE (The Guardian 5/15/25); US signs $142B deal to upgrade Saudi military (Al Monitor 5/13/25); US, Saudi Arabia ink $600B economic pact amid AI, energy deals (Al Monitor 5/13/25); Saudis Greet Trump to His Tastes, With Pomp, Opulence and Real Estate (NYT 5/13/25); Trump Cites $600 Billion in Saudi Deals, but Real Figure Appears Lower (NYT 5/13/25);

Syria-Israel talks reportedly intensify as Trump asks Sharaa to normalize: What to know (Al Monitor 5/16/25)

“Israel is reportedly conducting secret talks with the new Syrian government and engaged in two indirect channels of negotiations as Washington intensifies its push to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords by normalizing ties with the Jewish state.  What happened: The first, more formal track involves talks with Turkish counterparts, reportedly taking place in Baku under Azerbaijani auspices. Israeli diplomatic sources confirmed last week that these talks included official Israeli representatives. The second, less formal channel was initiated by senior Emirati officials. It involves former Israeli security officials and academics, rather than serving government figures. Both Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates have open ties with Israel…The Channel 12 report cited unnamed Israeli diplomatic sources who stressed that while these contacts are still in a very early stage, they could reshape the regional map, expanding the Abraham Accords and help mend relations between Israel and Turkey.” See also Syrians rejoice after Trump pledge to lift crippling sanctions (WaPo 5/14/25); Trump announces U.S. will remove sanctions on Syria (Axios 5/13/25); Gulf States Pay Off $15.5 Million Syrian Debt to World Bank (NYT 5/16/25); Rubio Meets Syrian Foreign Minister in Another Sign of Warming Ties (NYT 5/15/25); Trump’s Meeting With Syria’s New Leader Proves It: Israel Has Lost Clout With U.S. (Haaretz 5/15/25);

Washington’s Qatargate: How Doha Gets Away With Funding Hamas and Trump’s Air Force One (Ben Samuels//Haaretz 5/14/25)

“U.S. President Donald Trump’s Wednesday visit to Qatar puts unprecedented spotlight on the Gulf state that is already no stranger to controversy. Trump’s visit, originally intended to focus on an anticipated $200-300 billion in investments and weapons deals, was already set to mark a capstone in Qatar’s decades-long influence campaign among successive presidential administrations from both political parties. Scrutiny over Doha’s influence amid news of its planned gift of a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet (estimated to be worth approximately $400 million) to be used as the new Air Force One, however, has reached a fever pitch…Many of the concerns revolve the ethical implications of the Trump Organization’s $5.5 billion golf course and real estate deal with DarGlobal and Qatari Diar, a firm established by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund…Qatar has employed more than a dozen white-shoe lobbying firms to provide a variety of services related to information control over its role in the Middle East.” See also More than just a plane: Gift to Trump highlights Qatar’s multi-billion US influence campaign (TOI 5/15/25); More Republicans voice concern about Qatari jet, as Dems pursue blocking efforts (Jewish Insider 5/14/25); In Middle East, Trump marginalizes Israel without helping Gaza (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 5/15/25); Trump repeatedly bypasses Netanyahu, stoking dismay among Israelis (WaPo 5/12/25);

Trump confirms U.S. gave Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal (Axios 5/16/25)

“President Trump on Friday confirmed that the U.S. gave Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal and called on Iran to accept it fast…What he is saying: “They have a proposal. They know they have to move quickly or something bad is gonna happen,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he left Abu Dhabi back to Washington on Friday. The other side: [Iranian Foreign Minister] Araghchi responded to Trump’s comment on his X account and claimed Iran has not received any “written” proposal from the U.S. or from the Omani mediators.” See also Trump Says Negotiations on Iran’s Nuclear Program Are ‘Very Serious’ (NYT 5/15/25); IDF pounds Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen in response to missile, drone attacks (TOI 5/16/25);

ICC war crimes prosecutor takes leave amid sexual misconduct inquiry (WaPo 5/16/25)

“The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who was pursuing war crimes cases against the leaders of Israel and Russia, has abruptly stepped aside while under investigation himself amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Karim Khan, a British attorney posted at The Hague since 2021, informed the court Friday that he would take leave from his duties until the inquiry into his personal behavior concludes, according to Fadi El Abdallah, spokesperson for the global court.” See also “Hiding Behind Atrocities”(Alice Speri//Drop Site 5/11/25: “As Prosecutor Karim Khan seeks a flurry of arrest warrants, ICC staff accuse him of using court cases to dodge sexual abuse allegations.”);

RIVER TO THE SEA

The Destruction of Khalet a-Daba’ (Emily Glick//Jewish Currents 5/13/25)

“In the early morning hours of May 5th, two large excavators and two bulldozers rolled over the hills of Masafer Yatta and into the village of Khalet a-Daba’. In under two hours, Israeli military forces demolished nine houses, six residential caves, 11 bathrooms, ten water tanks, seven water cisterns, four animal shelters, an electricity room, the majority of the village’s solar panels, and the community center. By the time the army left, only four structures remained; 90% of the village was in ruins…The demolition of Khalet a-Daba’—the largest ever carried out in Masafer Yatta—marks the state’s first clear attempt to actualize the Supreme Court’s ruling by trying to expel one of the 12 villages [in Firing Zone 918] in its entirety. Residents fear that this step foreshadows an escalation in Israel’s campaign of expulsions and forced transfer across the region—the intensification they have nervously anticipated for the last three years. This photo essay—comprised of photos by Basel Adra, Eid Suleiman, Omri Eran Vardi, Oren Ziv, and myself—offers a glimpse at life in Khalet a-Daba’ before, during, and after its recent destruction.”

How Kahanism found its way into the Israeli political mainstream (Natasha Roth-Rowland//+972 Magazine 5/14/25)

“While he was still in the United States, [Israel’s current Ambassador to the U.S, Yechiel] Leiter had been a member of the far-right Jewish Defense League, a violent vigilante group founded by the extremist American rabbi Meir Kahane. In the 1970s, after moving to Israel, Leiter joined Kach, the fascist political party and movement that Kahane had founded after his own immigration…Leiter’s appointment as ambassador to the U.S. despite his prior membership in this group is noteworthy, and offers a depressing snapshot of the extremism of both Israeli and U.S. politics…At the same time, Leiter’s rise is a window onto a larger story: the perpetual and ever-growing absorption of extremist groups into Israel’s political mainstream, typically through their alumni either being elected into office or serving as top aides to powerful members of the Knesset. Indeed, the sight of Kahanists and members of the extremist hilltop youth going about their day in the Israeli parliament is now well-established, and has thrown into sharp relief Israeli politics’ rightward march over the past few decades — which has accelerated into a race to the bottom since October 7…This has been going on in some form since the founding of the state: The far-right militants who bombed hotels and markets during the pre-state era — and agitated against the British Mandate authorities, the indigenous Arab inhabitants of Palestine, and their mainstream Jewish rivals — were rapidly folded into the new country’s institutions, from the army to the parliament…The Kahanist pipeline into mainstream Israeli politics is the most notable and consistent aspect of this trend, given the movement’s longevity and transparently fascist ideology. But Kach is far from the only extreme-right group in Israeli society to find a place for itself in the Knesset. Members of Gush Emunim, the Jewish Underground, the Temple Mount Movement, and, as noted above, the hilltop youth, have all found their way into Israel’s corridors of power — whether as elected officials or as their aides and advisers.” See also Once Outliers, Now Indistinguishable: How Netanyahu Brought Kahanist Politics Into Israel’s Mainstream (Noa Shpigel//Haaretz 5/15/25); Flatten the West Bank? Why Israelis Are Apathetic About the War Crimes Committed in Their Name (Haaretz 5/15/25);

Israeli mother en route to hospital to give birth killed in West Bank terror shooting (TOI 5/15/25)

“A Palestinian terrorist opened fire on Israeli vehicles on Wednesday night in the northern West Bank, striking a pregnant woman who was en route to a hospital to deliver her baby, along with her husband, the military and medics said.” See also Settlers set fire to 15 Palestinian vehicles in West Bank, Palestinian media reports (TOI 5/16/25); Israel Launches PR Initiative to Boost Global ‘Legitimization’ of West Bank Settlements (Haaretz 5/7/25); In First, Israel Uses New West Bank Land Policy to Delay Settlement Eviction (Haaretz 5/16/25);

The Israeli Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Gaza (Ruth Margalit//New Yorker 5/14/25)

“In unit after unit, the Israeli military is seeing the attendance rates of reservists plummet. Among the resisters is a small but growing group of veterans, like Tamir, who openly express dissent and outrage…Nearly a thousand current and former pilots and airmen signed a petition last month calling for the release of the remaining hostages, “even at the cost of ending the war.” (The signatories stopped short of forthrightly calling for their peers to refuse call-ups, but the Air Force said that petition’s endorsers could no longer serve in the reserves.) Hundreds of current and former intelligence soldiers from the élite Unit 8200 and doctors in the Army reserves have signed similar letters. While these protesters announce their moral objections, thousands of other reservists are engaging in what has become known as “quiet refusal”—simply not showing up for duty.” See also Despite Netanyahu, Edan Alexander is finally free (The Forward 5/12/25); Israel’s Top Civil Liberties Group Warns Knesset Is ‘Building Dictatorship’ (Haaretz 5/14/25); Fear, Censorship and Repression Are Keeping Israelis in the Dark About Gaza (Haaretz 5/12/25)

U.S. SCENE

Indian academic held over pro-Palestinian views released from Ice jail (The Guardian 5/14/25)

“The Georgetown academic Badar Khan Suri was released from Ice detention hours after a Virginia federal judge’s order on Wednesday. Khan Suri was among several individuals legally studying in the US who have been targeted by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism. He has spent two months in detention. US district judge Patricia Giles in Alexandria, Virginia, said that the ruling was effective immediately with no conditions and no bond. She added that Khan Suri’s release was “in the public interest to disrupt the chilling effect on protected speech” during the hearing. The judge explained in her ruling how the government did not submit sufficient evidence on several of its claims.” See also He Denounced the Gaza War at Graduation. N.Y.U. Withheld His Diploma. (NYT 5/14/25)

Rümeysa Öztürk, Tufts student held by Ice, vows to continue legal action after jail release (The Guardian 5/11/25)

“A Tufts University student from Turkey has returned to Boston, one day after being released from a Louisiana immigration detention center where she was held for more than six weeks after being arrested for her political speech…[Judge] Sessions said the government offered no evidence for why Öztürk was arrested other than the op-ed…Öztürk was one of four students who wrote the opinion piece last year in campus newspaper The Tufts Daily. It criticized the university’s response to student activists demanding that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel.” See also SCOOP: Trump Admin Forcing Schools to Report International Students for Protest Activity or ‘Antisemitic Actions’ (Zeteo 5/16/25); Ben & Jerry’s co-founder arrested for Gaza protest at US Senate hearing (The Guardian 5/15/25);

ADL takes on shareholders questioning Israel arms sales (Eli Clifton//Responsible Statecraft 5/7/25)

“The Anti-Defamation League now says criticizing the use of US weapons is ‘antisemitic’”

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

I run a soup kitchen in Gaza. The horrors of starvation here are indescribable. (Faten Madhoun//USA Today 5/9/25)

“Each morning, as the sun rises over the dust and debris, my focus narrows to one thing: feeding the hundreds who rely on the lifeline we call our soup kitchen in northern Gaza, with what meager supplies I manage to find that day, if any at all. Meats, fruits and vegetables are a distant memory. Finding a can of beans feels like a small victory…Each meal I can provide is a small act of defiance against the gnawing engineered starvation that has become a constant companion, part of what legal experts and human rights groups have called a genocide – one that aims to erase us from existence…The stark reality I witness daily at the soup kitchen is children with pale complexions and skin sores, thinning hair and weakened bodies…Death is everywhere. It feels inescapable and inevitable.”

Even Once Reluctant Scholars Now Agree on Israel’s Gaza Assault: It’s a Genocide (Common Dreams 5/15/25)

“The seven experts were interviewed Wednesday by NRC, a newspaper in the Netherlands, and were unequivocal: Not only have they all come to believe—some earlier than others—that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, but the vast majority of their peers in academia concur. “Can I name someone whose work I respect who doesn’t consider it genocide?” said Raz Segal, an Israeli genocide researcher at Stockton University in New Jersey. “No.”

To my newborn son: I am absent not out of apathy, but conviction (Mahmoud Khalil//The Guardian 5/11/25)

“Yaba Deen,* it has been two weeks since you were born, and these are my first words to you…Deen, my heart aches that I could not hold you in my arms and hear your first cry, that I could not unfurl your clenched fists or change your first diaper…The grief your mother and I feel is but one drop in a sea of sorrow that Palestinian families have drowned in for generations…No matter where I am when you read this – whether I’m in this country or another – I want to impress upon you one lesson: The struggle for Palestinian liberation is not a burden; it is a duty and an honor we carry with pride. So at every turning point in my life, you will find me choosing Palestine. Palestine over ease. Palestine over comfort. Palestine over self. This struggle is sweeter than a life without dignity. The tyrants want us to submit, to obey, to be perfect victims. But we are free, and we will remain free. I hope you feel this as deeply as I do.”

I’m a rabbi. Starving Gaza is immoral. (Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism//WaPo 5/12/25)

“Nonetheless, Hamas’s actions do not excuse Israel’s policy of cutting off humanitarian aid to innocent civilians in Gaza…Starving Gazan civilians neither will bring Israel the “total victory” over Hamas it seeks nor can be justified by Jewish values or humanitarian law…As a proud Zionist who continues to feel deep solidarity with the people of Israel, including those who wear the Israel Defense Forces uniform, and as I have said on numerous occasions since Oct. 8, I cannot be silent in the face of the immense suffering of civilians in Gaza, including hundreds of thousands of children. Hamas is willing to sacrifice thousands of Palestinians by hoarding humanitarian aid; Israel must not. Depriving Gazans of food and water will not make Israel safer or hasten the return of the hostages. Each of us who loves Israel must say so — and urge Israel to change this policy.” See also I supported Israel’s actions in Gaza in October 2023 — not anymore (Rabbi Jay Michaelson//The Forward 5/9/25)

Why Israel’s demand for Hamas to disarm is a red herring (Muhammad Shehada//+972 5/13/25)

“For Israel, Hamas’ disarmament is merely the pretext; The real goal, as Netanyahu himself admitted recently, is to render Gaza uninhabitable, ungovernable, and ultimately unpopulated. Every negotiation Israel sabotages, every ceasefire it undermines, and every humanitarian convoy it blocks are part of a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing. Netanyahu’s strategy is not peace through security, but conquest through suffering: to grind Gaza down until its people either flee, starve, or disappear beneath the rubble. This is not a war on Hamas, it is a war on the very existence of Palestinians in Gaza.”

Israel is annihilating Palestinian children. Amer Rabea was one of them (Ahmad Ibsais//The Guardian 5/14/25)

“Amer Mohammed Rabea was 14 years old. He was a US citizen. On 7 April 2025, he was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Turmus Ayya. There was no warning. No investigation. Just a bullet, a body and a silence so deep it threatens to swallow justice whole. The killing of a child should rupture the world. Instead, Amer’s death joined a growing ledger of erased Palestinian lives, tallied but never mourned by those in power. There was no state department briefing. No congressional statement. No public grieving for a child born under two flags, killed under a third. Even in death, Amer was made stateless.”

‘We need to do something’: the company releasing Palestinian films no one else will (The Guardian 5/14/25)

“As many films struggle to find distribution, Watermelon Pictures has stepped in to help tell stories from Palestine and other marginalized communities”

The Unbearable Pain of Leaving Gaza (Abubaker Abed//Drop Site 5/12/25)

“Since the onset of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, my life has been flipped upside down. My educational career was interrupted. In 2023, I was in my final undergraduate year at university. When the Israeli onslaught escalated, I stopped reporting on football and evolved into an accidental war correspondent—to cover the genocide against me and my people. With the exception of two periods—a week-long truce in November 2023, and a longer ceasefire this past January that lasted nearly sixty days—the bombs fell perpetually on Gaza. Al-Hassan Mattar, my closest friend, was killed. My aunt’s entire family was wiped out. About twenty relatives were killed in twin bombings that targeted my other aunt’s family. Being immunocompromised, the genocide exacerbated my long-time suffering. I contracted a variety of diseases—acute gastroenteritis, bronchitis, and hepatitis A…At the end of March, I was diagnosed with acute malnutrition…”I was 20 when I began reporting on the genocide. Now, I am 22. My hope is to be free—to be like any 22-year-old around the world. I was a football reporter who had to evolve into a war correspondent, and I kept speaking the truth at the top of my lungs and sharing our tragedies with a world that has let us down for the last eighteen months. My journey has been difficult. I was born in a womb of suffering, raised in a walled-in refugee camp, and I faced countless struggles and challenges. I grew up with war. I spent many nights in the dark with no light except for a candle whose wax would melt and sting my hands as I wrote. Gaza was always a place of suffering—the genocide thrust us to a lower rung of hell than the one we had always lived in…Outside of Gaza, I will fight with all my strength to change the world—to continue speaking up until the genocide ends. It must end. Now.”

1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region/Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 9, 2025 (Lara Friedman)

1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Settlement & Annexation Report: May 9, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)

1. Smotrich Says E-1 To Be Approved in Coming Months, Cautioned Annexation Will be Enacted but Not Announced; 2. West Bank Settlement & Annexation News; 3. East Jerusalem Settlement News; 4. Israeli Politics; 5. U.S. Politics.

GAZA

She’s dying in front of my eyes’: The Gazan children starving under Israeli siege (Ahmed Ahmed & Ruweida Amer//+972 Magazine 5/9/25)

“For a little over two months, Israel has prevented all food, goods, and medical supplies from entering the Gaza Strip. The consequences have been catastrophic: According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, over 70,000 children are now hospitalized with acute malnutrition, and 1.1 million lack the daily minimum nutritional requirements for survival. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported that, as of May 5, at least 57 children have already died from malnutrition-related health complications since the start of the war, and another 3,500 under the age of five face imminent risk of death from starvation.” See also Aid group closes soup kitchens across Gaza due to dwindling supplies (AP 5/8/25); Leading agency shuts its Gaza soup kitchens amid continued Israeli aid ban (TOI 5/8/25); ‘There is no life here’: Palestinians say Israel is imposing its Gaza endgame (The Guardian 5/6/25)

This Is the Moment of Moral Reckoning in Gaza (Sean Carroll, President & CEO of Anera//NYT 5/6/25)

“A full-blown humanitarian emergency in Gaza is no longer looming. It is here, and it is catastrophic. It’s been more than two months since Israel cut off all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies into Gaza. The World Food Program delivered its last stores of food on April 25. Two million Palestinians in Gaza, nearly half of them children, are now surviving on a single meal every two or three days. At makeshift clinics run by my relief organization, American Near East Refugee Aid, signs of prolonged starvation are becoming more frequent and alarming…This is the longest continuous total siege Gaza has endured in the war. Israel is now openly exploiting aid as a tool of war; senior Israeli officials have declared what effectively is the intent to use starvation as a tactic to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages — a clear violation of international law. Many Palestinians fear it is also part of a plan to expel them from Gaza, and aid groups warn that Palestinians could end up in “de facto internment conditions.”…This is the moment of moral reckoning. Will the world be complicit in Gaza’s collapse, or part of its recovery?” See also “The Situation Now Is So Beyond Imagination” (Isaac Chotiner interviews Louise Wateridge, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)//New Yorker 5/2/25); As Gaza Siege Grinds On, Gazan Children Go Hungry and Patients Die (NYT 5/4/25); Israel is starving Gaza. It’s a cheap, silent and brutal way to kill (Ahmed Moor//The Guardian 5/7/25)

UN and aid groups denounce Israeli-U.S. plan for Gaza aid delivery (Axios 5/4/25)

“The UN and all aid organizations operating in Gaza jointly announced they would not cooperate with an Israeli-U.S. plan to establish a new mechanism for aid delivery to Palestinians in the enclave because it “contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles.”…Israel has been blocking the delivery of all food, water, and medicine to Gaza since the ceasefire broke down two months ago…UN aid agencies say food supplies in Gaza will run out within days.” See also UN Slams Israel’s Gaza Aid Distribution Plan as ‘Incompatible With Humanitarian Principles’ (Haaretz 5/8/25); US pressuring humanitarian groups to get behind Israeli aid plan for Gaza (TOI 5/8/25); Groups fear Israeli proposal for controlling aid in Gaza will forcibly displace people (AP 5/3/25); Aid groups voice alarm as US pushes Israeli plan for Gaza assistance (The Guardian 5/9/25); Israel plans to control aid distribution in Gaza, use U.S. contractors (WaPo 5/5/25);

Israel plans to occupy and flatten all of Gaza if no deal by Trump’s trip (Axios 5/5/25)

“Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan Sunday night to gradually reoccupy all of Gaza and hold it indefinitely if no deal is reached by May 15. Plans for the operation call for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to flatten any buildings that remain standing and displace virtually the entire population of 2 million people to a single “humanitarian area.” The alternative to remaining in the humanitarian zone is for Palestinians to leave the enclave “voluntarily” for other countries “in line with President Trump’s vision for Gaza,” an Israeli official said. Such departures could hardly be considered voluntary, and no country has agreed thus far to accept displaced Palestinians. Israeli officials claim there are ongoing negotiations with several countries on that front.” See also Israel vows to escalate war with new plan to ‘conquer’ Gaza (CNN 5/6/25); Netanyahu says new offensive in Gaza focused on consolidating seizure of territory (The Guardian 5/5/25); Israel plans to seize parts of Gaza and stay indefinitely (WaPo 5/5/25); 27 Palestinians killed, 85 wounded in Gaza in last day, Hamas-run Health Ministry says (Haaretz 5/9/25)

‘Desperate, traumatised people’: Gaza faces wave of looting, theft and violence (The Guardian 5/7/25)

“Gaza has been hit by a wave of looting and theft as increasingly desperate Palestinians struggle to get food while criminal gangs exploit a breakdown in law and order. Aid officials and witnesses in the devastated territory describe armed men attacking humanitarian warehouses, firefights over remaining food stores and a spate of stealing of supplies vital for survival, such as solar chargers, batteries, phones and cooking pots.” See also Hamas executes looters in Gaza as food crisis worsens under Israeli blockade (Reuters 5/4/25);

Israeli Airstrikes Decimate the Last Restaurant in Gaza City in Nightmarish Bloodbath (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 5/7/25)

“On Wednesday afternoon, two Israeli airstrikes slammed into Thai Restaurant—the last restaurant still open in Gaza City—turning a once bustling gathering place into a panorama of death. A third, near simultaneous, airstrike hit a nearby crowded market on al-Wahda street, sending body parts everywhere. At least thirty-three Palestinians were killed and nearly ninety wounded in the three airstrikes, according to the health ministry, though the actual death toll is likely higher.” See also Israeli strikes kill 48 at Gaza shelters for displaced Palestinians, hospitals say, as military operation intensifies (CNN 5/7/25); Israeli airstrikes kill at least 40 people in Gaza, officials say (The Guardian 5/3/25); ‘What’s left to bomb?’ Israel’s plan to expand campaign strikes fear into Gazans (Reuters 5/6/25)

Gaza will be entirely destroyed, Israeli minister says (The Guardian 5/6/25)

“An Israeli government minister has vowed that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” as a result of an Israeli military victory, and that its Palestinian population will “leave in great numbers to third countries”, raising fears of ethnic cleansing in the occupied territory. The declaration on Tuesday by the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, came a day after Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan for Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which an Israeli official said would entail “the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories”.’ See also Israeli Army Places Returning Hostages at Bottom of Its Gaza War Goals, Despite Promises to Families (Haaretz 5/8/25);

 

REGION/GLOBAL

U.S. to end bombings of Houthi militants in Yemen, Trump says (WaPo 5/6/25)

“President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will halt its targeting of Yemen’s Houthi militants, 51 days after he pledged a campaign of “overwhelming lethal force” against the Iran-backed group in response to its attacks on commercial shipping and military vessels in the Red Sea. Trump, speaking in the Oval Office, unexpectedly said the Houthis “don’t want to fight anymore,” and that the United States will “honor that” and stop its bombing in Yemen. “They have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their own word,” Trump said. “They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore, and that’s the purpose of what we were doing.” U.S. officials offered few additional details about the abrupt change in strategy, which follows weeks in which Trump administration officials touted the U.S. military operation as a success story while disclosing few details about it.” See also Trump Marveled at Houthi “Bravery.” Here’s Why. (Drop Site 5/8/25); Under Trump, Saudi civil nuclear talks delinked from Israel recognition, sources say (Reuters 5/8/25); Vance: Iran can have ‘civil nuclear power’ but no weapon (JI 5/7/25)

Israel pummels Sanaa airport in strikes on Houthis as US denies involvement (Al Monitor 5/6/25)

“Israeli fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes in Yemen’s capital Sanaa targeting Houthi infrastructure at the city’s lone airport, less than a day after similar strikes in the port city of Hodeidah…”US forces did not participate in the Israeli strikes on Yemen today,” a US defense official told Al-Monitor. Separately, a US official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity also said US forces were not involved, but noted that there is coordination between the two countries.” See also Israeli airstrikes rock airport in Yemen’s capital (WaPo 5/6/25); US reaches truce with Houthis hours after Israel bombs their airport in Yemen (JTA 5/6/25); Syria’s Sharaa confirms indirect talks with Israel (Al Monitor 5/7/25)

Houthis pledge more attacks on Israel despite Trump truce: What to know (Al Monitor 5/7/25)

“US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of a ceasefire in Yemen drew various statements from the Yemeni Houthi group on Wednesday. Some officials acknowledged the truce while others warned that attacks on Israel would continue until its military offensive in the Gaza Strip stops. “The agreement does not include Israel in any way, shape or form,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator, told Reuters on Wednesday. “As long as they announced the cessation and they are actually committed to that, our position was self-defense, so we will stop,” he added. The head of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, vowed that his group will not back down from its support for Gaza “no matter the cost,” stressing that the response to the Israeli attacks on Yemen’s Sanaa airport on Tuesday will be “earth-shattering.”’

Revealed: Britain’s Labour Government Sent 8,000 “Munitions of War” to Israel After Saying It Had Stopped (Matt Kennard, Abdulla Sabir, and Inès Khoury//Drop Site 5/7/25)

“After the UK adopted a new policy that it would not allow any weapons shipments that could be used in Gaza, Britain’s Labour government allowed the export of 8,630 separate munitions to Israel.”

Israel moves to tighten control of aid and rights groups (WaPo 5/6/25)

“As its military launches a campaign this week to seize territory in Gaza, Israel’s government and lawmakers are moving to escalate a crackdown on humanitarian and human rights organizations — both international and Israeli — that provide aid to Palestinians or monitor human rights violations in the Palestinian territories. After the government announced sweeping new visa and registration rules in March for international aid organizations operating in Palestinian territories, lawmakers from parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government this week debated a controversial bill that would choke the flow of foreign government funding to Israeli nongovernment organizations that document human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.” See also Pincer Movement: Inside Trump and Netanyahu’s War on Israeli, Palestinian and International Peace, Aid and Civil Rights Groups (Linda Dayan & Ben Samuels//Haaretz 5/5/25); ‘Framed as Threat to the State’ | Human Rights Groups in West Bank, East J’lem, Gaza Condemn ‘Politicized’ Israeli NGO Bill (Haaretz 5/6/25)

New film claims to identify Israeli killer of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (The Guardian 5/8/25)

“A new US-made documentary has produced evidence pointing to the identity of an Israeli soldier who shot dead the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022. The documentary, Who Killed Shireen?, concludes that a member of the Duvdevan Israeli special forces unit shot Abu Akleh while she was reporting for Al Jazeera in Jenin, on the West Bank. The Israeli government, led by Naftali Bennett at the time, initially tried to cast blame on Palestinian militants for her death, but after a few months admitted that Israeli troops were probably responsible. However, the Israelis never identified the unit or individual responsible, nor did they allow the Biden administration access to them. The documentary, made by the Zeteo media organisation, sets out not only to identify the soldier responsible for the journalist’s death, but also to show the failure of the US government to hold the Israeli military to account.” See also Zeteo Documentary Exposes Identity of Israeli Soldier Who Killed Shireen Abu Akleh (Prem Thakker//Zeteo 5/8/25)

RIVER TO THE SEA

In Israel’s Demolition Path, West Bank Residents Pack Up Their Lives (NYT 5/8/25)

“Since January, the Israeli military has conducted a large-scale military operation in three camps in the northern West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of people and causing widespread destruction. Israeli officials, who say the purpose of the campaign is to target militants and their weapons, have said the military should be prepared to remain in the camps for a year.” See also  ‘This Is How You Kill the Palestinian State’ | Smotrich Says Gov’t Set to Approve Construction Plans That Would Divide West Bank in Half (Haaretz 5/6/25); Israeli Practices in the Occupied West Bank: A Prelude to Annexation (Jonathan Kuttab//Arab Center DC 5/7/25); Israel Launches PR Initiative to Boost Global ‘Legitimization’ of West Bank Settlements (Haaretz 5/7/25)

Palestinians awoke to bulldozers. Their village was destroyed by noon (Basel Adra//+972 Magazine 5/6/25)

“In the early hours of Monday morning, two massive Hyundai excavators and two Caterpillar bulldozers roared out of the gates of the Ma’on settlement in the South Hebron Hills — illegally built on Palestinian land belonging to the village of At-Tuwani. For residents living in the area, the sight of these “yellow monsters,” as they call them, is an omen: the day will be filled with destruction, and families will lose homes they woke up in just hours earlier. Roughly 90 minutes later, the full force of the operation became clear. Military jeeps, soldiers from the Israeli army, Border Patrol units, Civil Administration officials, and a group of workers assembled and then moved as a unit toward Khirbet Khilet al-Dabe’, a small but resilient village nestled between the higher lands of Shafa Yatta and the lower hills of Masafer Yatta…What took place in Khilet al-Dabe’ was not merely a demolition — it was a sweeping erasure. In total, nine homes were destroyed, along with six caves, seven wells, four livestock shelters, 10 water tanks, and the village’s only solar energy system and internet infrastructure. Khirbet Khilet al-Dabe’ is one of the main communities featured in our documentary “No Other Land.”’ See also Israel Demolishes Most of West Bank Village in Largest Masafer Yatta Demolition Yet (Hagar Shezaf 5/6/25)

Israel claims to care about Palestinian students — so it shuts down their schools (Gil Gertel//+972 Magazine 5/6/25)

“The Education Ministry ordered UNRWA-run schools in East Jerusalem to close, citing ‘student welfare.’ 800 may lose their classrooms this month.”

‘Depopulation,’ ‘Kill Zone,’ and ‘Second Nakba’: The Lexicon of Brutality Exposes How Israelis Talk About the War (Sheren Falah Saab//Haaretz 5/4/25)

“As the authors put it, as words lose their moral gravitas, it’s more important than ever to observe how the Israeli discourse shapes the collective consciousness about the Palestinians. This shaping creates a violent reality that ties in directly to the 1948 Nakba, when more than 700,000 Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes during the War of Independence. According to Raz and Bondy, the use of militaristic, aggressive and violent language not only minimizes the Palestinians’ humanity, it shapes perceptions of reality and public behavior. Analysts, politicians and other people in key positions manipulate words and phrases and in the end control Israelis’ thoughts and behavior.” See also In Israel, calls for genocide have migrated from the margins to the mainstream (Tamir Sorek//The Conversation 4/2/25); Despite Calls to ‘Burn Gaza,’ Destroy Palestinian Cities, No Incitement Probe of Israeli Finance Minister, Likud MK (Haaretz 4/4/25); Israel’s Cabinet Decides Not to Form Oct. 7 State Commission of Inquiry Amid New Gaza War Plan (Haaretz 5/5/25)

The Catastrophic Displacement from Jenin Camp: Where Is the Palestinian Authority? (Asri Faiad interviews Mohammad Sabbagh//Institute for Palestine Studies 4/25/25)

“One hundred days have passed since the launch of the Israeli military operation known as “Iron Wall” targeting the camps of northern West Bank—most notably the Jenin refugee camp. The operation continues without a declared end date and has, so far, displaced around 18,000 residents from the camp and neighboring areas while, according to WAFA, around 600 housing units have been destroyed and many more damaged. These people have been scattered across approximately 86 locations within the Jenin governorate and beyond, without being allowed to carry any of their belongings or necessities. This disaster of displacement has created an immense crisis that surpasses the capacity of even international institutions and states. IPS conducted the following interview in April with Mr. Mohammed Al-Sabbagh, head of the Popular Services Committee in the camp, a former prisoner who spent 23 years in Israeli captivity, and a native of Jenin camp.”

U.S. SCENE

I Was Detained for My Beliefs. Who Will Be Next? (Mohsen Mahdawi//NYT 5/2/25)

“The American government accuses me of undermining U.S. foreign policy, a patently absurd pretext for deportation for political speech that the Trump administration dislikes. The government is scraping the bottom of the barrel in its attempts to smear me. My only “crime” is refusing to accept the slaughter of Palestinians, opposing war and promoting peace. I have simply insisted that international law must be respected. I believe the way to a just and long-lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis is through diplomacy and restorative justice. By seeking to deport me, the Trump administration is sending a clear message: There is no room for dissent, free speech be damned. It seems willing to shield an extremist Israeli government from criticism at the expense of constitutional rights, all while suppressing the possibility of a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis, a future free of trauma and fear…Once the repression of dissent, in the name of security, becomes a key objective of a government, authoritarian rule and even martial law are not far off. When they look at my case, all Americans should ask themselves: What is left of our democracy, and who will be targeted next?” See also Columbia activist Mohsen Mahdawi speaks out in first network interview since detention: “You will not silence me” (CBS 5/6/25); Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after Columbia calls in police (The Guardian 5/7/25); Why are some trying to silence our film on Columbia’s Gaza protests? (Hamza & Badie Ali//The Guardian 5/2/25); Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha wins Pulitzer prize for commentary (The Guardian 5/5/25); Judge orders immediate release of Rumeysa Ozturk, Tufts student detained by ICE (Politico 5/9/25);

U.S. to Downgrade Palestinian Affairs Office in Jerusalem, Officials Say (NYT 5/6/25)

“In recent years, an office within the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem had a direct line of communication with Washington. That was meant to signal that the United States saw Palestinian issues as important, and considered the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to be separate from Israel. Now, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has decided to shut down this direct channel, according to U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.”

GOP’s ‘Woke Right’ Scuttles Antisemitism and Israel-boycott Bills (Haaretz 5/9/25)

“ Republicans aligned with the party’s fringe have scuttled a pair of highly controversial antisemitism bills in recent weeks despite intense support from the pro-Israel establishment in the United States, bringing into question whether the GOP can address the matter through traditional efforts. The failure of the two bills – the Antisemitism Awareness Act and the IGO Anti-Boycott Act – further challenges how much influence the pro-Israel community has within the American political scene.”

Landlord sentenced for murdering 6-year-old Palestinian American boy (WaPo 5/2/25)

“An Illinois landlord was sentenced Friday to 53 years in prison for murdering a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and severely wounding his mother during an October 2023 hate crime. Joseph Czuba, 73, fatally stabbed the child, Wadee Alfayoumi, and wounded his mother, Hanan Shaheen, a week after Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that year.”

Jewish feud over Trump escalates with open letter in The New York Times (Arno Rosenfeld//The Forward 5/8/25)

“More than three dozen former leaders of major Jewish organizations published an open letter in The New York Times rebuking current leadership for being “far too silent about the stunning assault on democratic norms.” Although they did not name President Donald Trump in the letter published Thursday, the signatories — which included directors and former chairs of the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Hillel International, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and major federations — decried his administration’s approach to fighting antisemitism. “A range of actors are using a purported concern about Jewish safety as a cudgel,” they wrote. “We call on Jewish leaders and institutions – national and local – to resist the exploitation of Jewish fears.”’ See also U.S. Jewish Leaders Slam Establishment Orgs Over Silence on Trump’s Attack on Democracy (Haaretz 5/8/25); The Coming Jewish Civil War Over Donald Trump (Eric Alterman//TNR 5/8/25)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

How Hamas Sees the Current Moment: An Exclusive Interview With Osama Hamdan (Jeremy Scahill//Drop Site 5/5/25)

“In an exclusive interview with Drop Site News, a senior Hamas official said that the movement will not capitulate to any demands from Israel or the U.S. to lay down its weapons and vowed that Hamas will reject any temporary ceasefire deal that does not include a clear path to a total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the genocide.”

Senior Palestinian Resistance Leader: “There may come a day when Israel finds itself longing for Hamas” (Jeremy Scahill//Drop Site 5/9/25)

“A senior leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad—the second largest armed resistance movement fighting in Gaza—told Drop Site News that no more Israeli captives will be freed unless the U.S. and regional mediators force Israel to agree to a ceasefire deal that includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end to its military assault on the Strip. “We are not surrendering this single card in the hands of the resistance,” said Mohammed Al-Hindi, the deputy secretary general and chief political negotiator of PIJ, referring to the 59 Israel captives—living and dead—held in Gaza. “The condition of the resistance is: We are prepared to implement a comprehensive deal—the release of all captives held in Gaza in exchange for an end to the war and withdrawal.”’

Displacement is an Extra Limb That I Carry (Shaimaa Abulebda//Institute for Palestine Studies 4/29/25)

“Author’s Note: I wrote this testimony on March 17, 2025, around 20 hours before I was forcibly displaced again. During the horrifying, long stretch of the genocidal war on Gaza, we did not have the privilege or the time to sit with our feelings. Surviving was a priority over processing our emotions. During the few weeks of the ceasefire in January, I slowly began to navigate my feelings, attempting to crawl out of the shell cupping my heart. It is too much, however, for one to feel and comprehend all at once what we are enduring in Gaza. Now that I’ve permitted myself to confront, to finally process all that I’ve been through… I am nothing but grief.”

I’m an Israeli professor. Why is my work in Harvard’s antisemitism report? (Atalia Omer//The Guardian 5/9/25)

“When I first saw the Harvard report on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias, I didn’t expect to find myself in it. But I did, albeit without my name, my scholarship, or even my identity as a Jewish Israeli academic being acknowledged. The report was compiled and published in response to widespread pressure from donors and pro-Israel advocacy groups. It claims to document a crisis of antisemitism on campus. But what it actually reveals is Harvard’s willingness to redefine Jewish identity in narrow, ideological terms: to exclude and erase Jews who dissent from Zionism…It sends a chilling message to students and faculty: if you are a Jew who questions Zionism, you are suspect. If you engage in solidarity with Palestinians, you do not belong. If your scholarship complicates the tidy moral narrative of a beleaguered Israel, you are not just unwelcome—you are dangerous. This is not a defense of Jewish safety. It is an effort to police Jewish dissent.

Harvard talks free speech but silences Palestine (Lara Jirmanus//Al Jazeera 5/7/25)

“Harvard has fashioned itself as a free-speech warrior on the national stage for refusing to negotiate with the Trump administration on its sweeping demands for the university to drop its diversity, equity and inclusion measures and punish student protesters. However, inside Harvard’s campus walls, we have seen President Alan Garber oversee a systematic erasure of teaching, research and scholarship about Palestine…” See also NYU Demands Law Students Renounce Protests or Be Barred From Sitting Final Exams (The Intercept 5/3/25)

Fear and intimidation at Newark airport (Hebh Jamal//Al Jazeera 5/4/25)

“My husband, a German citizen, and I, an American citizen, have grown accustomed to being held for hours at a time, subjected to invasive interrogations about our travels, and having our belongings thoroughly searched without clear justification. But we were shocked to find out that these tactics, designed to intimidate and deter, have now been taken up by the United States to target Palestinians amid the ongoing genocide. I always knew that citizenship offered only limited protection, especially when dissent is involved. But deep down, I still believed that freedom of speech, the right to speak without fear, meant something in my country of birth. I was wrong. The harassment we endured on March 24 upon arriving in the US shattered that illusion. Our Palestinian identity, our political work, our family ties – all of it makes us permanent targets, not just in Germany, but now in the US, too…I was warned that speaking about our experience at the airport would make the next encounter even harsher, even more punishing. But we must remember: there is nothing this state can do to us that can compare to what is being done to the people of Gaza.”

This Jewish Woman’s Attack by a Pro-Israel Mob Went Viral. Now She’s Speaking Out. (Mother Jones//5/7/25)

“From my experience in the Palestinian movement, a lot of protesters are Jewish. A lot of us are. The only reason why it’s not being commented on is because it changes the narrative of Jewish safety, when in reality, Zionism is really unsafe for Jewish people, too, because we are part of the Palestinian liberation movement. As long as we speak out against genocide and confront institutions we are always at risk of getting hurt by people who protect Zionism. It has nothing to do with Jewish safety, and I’m proof of that…Once I’m fully healed, I plan on continuing to go to protests. I think Zionist Jewish institutions are enabling this genocide by inviting war criminals to speak. I would like to see more Jewish people challenge that, and face it head-on.”

What a ‘peace summit’ reveals about the state of the Israeli left (Orly Noy// +972 Magazine 5/7/25)

“Well-meaning dialogue workshops, panels on distant political solutions, but no mention of genocide: these are privileged distractions we can no longer afford.”

The Right to Be Hostile (Alex Gourevitch//Boston Review 5/6/25)

“Crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protest force a reckoning with inflated definitions of harm and harassment.”