1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters & Reports
3. Hearings & Markups
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
New FMEP podcasts:
- 10/1/26: “The Elimination Project:” Israel’s Effort to Systematically Dismantle Palestinian Collective Life – ft. FMEP fellow Ahmed Moor speaking with B’Tselem Executive Director Yuli Novak about B’Tselem’s newest report, “The Elimination Project,” which “looks at the current reality not as a collection of isolated incidents or specific harms, but as part of a comprehensive mechanism of elimination that works to dismantle the conditions for continued Palestinian existence in the West Bank, while deepening Jewish control and supremacy in an irreversible manner.”
1. Bills & Resolutions
WE NEED ANSWERS RE: WEST BANK VIOLENCE) S. Res. 852 [resolution text]: Introduced 9/14/26 by Van Hollen (D-MD) and having 25 cosponsors (24 Democrats plus Sanders, I-VT), “A resolution requesting information on Israel’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.” Rejected on the Senate floor 9/29/26 by a vote of 47-51, with all Democrats but Fetterman (D-VA) voting YES, and all Republicans but Paul (R-KY) voting NO [note that this was a procedural vote – a vote to discharge the resolution from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations – that in the case was, in effect, an up-down vote on the underlying resolution]. Also see:
- Floor consideration [statements pro and con] [see members’ websites and social media accounts for additional statements]
- Van Hollen (D-MD) 9/29/26: VAN HOLLEN STATEMENT ON SENATE VOTE ON PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION SEEKING ANSWERS ON WEST BANK VIOLENCE
- Media: Democrats in Congress Embrace a More Punitive Posture Toward Israel (New York Times 9/29/26); Nearly all Democrats vote for resolution demanding report on Israeli violence in the West Bank (Jewish Insider 9/29/26); US Senate blocks resolution on Judea and Samaria rights report (Jewish News Syndicate 9/30/26)
(FAR-REACHING, MANDATORY SANCTIONS ON ISRAEL FOR SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY) HR XXXX [bill text]: On 9/30/26, Rep. Castro (D-CA) issues a press release – Castro, Dean, Beyer, Casar, Jacobs, Escobar to Introduce Sanctions on Drivers of Settlement Expansion. As of this writing, the bill does not yet show up in the Congressional Record. Per the press release, the bill has at least 41 cosponsors (listed by name), and is being supported by: J Street; New Jewish Narrative; IMEU; American Committee for Middle East Rights; A New Policy; Center for International Policy; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Refugees International; and Win Without War. Also see: one-pager explaining the bill. See sponsoring members’ websites and social media accounts for statements.
(AMCITS KILLED BY HAMAS ON 10/7/23) S. Res. 938 [resolution text]: Introduced 9/30/27 by Scott (R-FL) and Rosen (D-NV), “A resolution to honor the Americans killed by Hamas terrorists and their affiliates on and after October 7, 2023, to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to seek legal justice on behalf of their families, and for other purposes.” Considered and agreed to in the Senate 9/30/26 by Unanimous Consent. Also see: press release – Sens. Rick Scott, Jacky Rosen Resolution Remembering Americans Murdered by Hamas in October 7th Terrorist Attacks Unanimously Passes Senate
(NO AID TO THE PA OR OTHER PALESTINIAN GOVERNING ENTITIES) S. 5589: Introduced 9/29/26 by Paul (R-KY), “A bill to prohibit United States foreign assistance to the Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian governing entities in the West Bank and Gaza unless certain conditions are met, and for other purposes.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. NOTE: No text of this bill is available as of this writing. That said, U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority is already prohibited under U.S. law (the Taylor Force Act, as well as annual appropriations law), which raises the question: is this legislation seeking to also bar U.S. assistance to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)? [NCAG is the “temporary” body established by Trump’s Board of Peace to manage Gaza according to the will of Israel and the Trump Administration — scare quotes are because “temporary” things often become permanent in this context]
(LEGISLATING IRS GRACE FOR AMERICANS HELD HOSTAGE) HR 9496: Introduced 6/29/26 by Tenney (R-NY) and 2 cosponsors (both Democrats), the “End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.” Passed by the House 9/15/96 by Voice Vote; passed by the Senate 9/30/26 by Unanimous Consent. As noted in the 9/11/26 edition of the Round-Up: This legislation was first introduced after the 10/7/23 Hamas attacks and hostage-taking. Since then, the IRS has repeatedly implemented special tax relief for the broad categories of “taxpayers affected by terroristic action in the State of Israel throughout 2024 and 2025,” “taxpayers affected by the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel” and “taxpayers affected by terroristic action in Israel throughout 2023 and 2024.” Taken together, these policies have (so far) postponed tax payments/filings for affected individuals (going well beyond those taken hostage to include potentially a huge number of Israelis) for three years.
2. Letters & Reports
- (TARGETING CIVIL SOCIETY SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS) 9/28/26: Ways & Means Republicans Move to Strip Tax-Exempt Status from Nonprofit with Suspected Terrorism Ties [letter text]. The target of the attack is the U.S. 501(c)(3) organization Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). Also see: House Republicans press IRS to strip Middle East Children’s Alliance of tax-exempt status (Fox News 9/28). As a reminder, Congress has no legal authority either to strip the tax exempt status of a U.S. organization or to designate a U.S. tax-exempt organization as a tied to terrorism. Also note: this is just the latest effort of Republicans in Congress to target the tax-exempt status of organizations that support Palestinian lives/rights over alleged ties to terror. Previous attacks include— Chairman Smith Calls On IRS to Crack Down on Tax-Exempt Groups Tied to Terrorism & Political Violence (10/6/25) [targeting: Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation, American Muslims for Palestine, Islamic Relief USA, Alliance for Global Justice, WESPAC Foundation, Tides Foundation, Peoples Media Project (also known as The Palestine Chronicle), and The People’s Forum]; Cotton to IRS: Investigate Palestinian Youth Movement’s Funding and Ties to Terrorism (8/22/25); Ways and Means Chairman Smith Demands IRS Revoke Tax-Exempt Status of Organizations Fueling Chaos, Illegal Conduct, and Antisemitic Activity in U.S., Including those with Possible Ties to Terrorist Networks (9/24/24) [targeting: American Muslims for Palestine; Alliance for Global Justice; Islamic Relief USA; Jewish Voice for Peace; The People’s Forum; the Tides Foundation; United Hands Relief Inc.; and Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation; Chairman Smith Calls for States to Investigate Nonprofits Engaged in Antisemitic and Illegal Activity, including Supporting Terrorism (10/29/24) [targeting: The People’s Forum; Westchester People’s Action Coalition; The People Media Project, also known as The Palestine Chronicle; Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Organization; American Muslims for Palestine; The Alliance for Global Justice; Jewish Voice for Peace; Tides Foundation; United Hands Relief]; Chairman Smith Demands Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status for U.S.-Based Media Organization Employing Hostage-Taker in Gaza (6/10/24); Chairman Smith: Ending Taxpayer Subsidies for Terrorist Organizations Shouldn’t Be Hard (11/20/24) [targeting the Alliance for Global Justice]
- (TRUMP ADMIN-IRAN LINKS) 9/28/26: Blumenthal Releases PSI Report Detailing how Lutnick-Linked Crypto Firm Tether Props Up Iran’s Shadow Banking System [includes letters sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Todd Blanche, in which Blumenthal referred PSI’s findings to the Departments and called for thorough investigations into Tether’s anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance practices.]
- (CONCERN FOR PALESTINIAN HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL) 9/24/26: Pocan Facebook post – “Rep. Quigley and I led a letter signed by 41 members of Congress calling on Secretary Rubio to work with Israel to ensure the release of Palestinian healthcare workers. They are arbitrarily being detained without formal charges or due process. The ongoing detention of Palestinian medical workers does further harm to Gaza’s already devastated healthcare, further eroding access to care in the West Bank. The doctors and healthcare workers are being held in deplorable conditions which threatens their own health and safety. Release these Palestinian medics now!” [pdf of letter embedded in FB post]. Also see: U.S. Reps. Pocan, Quigley: Lead 41 members calling for the release of detained Palestinian physicians and healthcare workers (WisPolitics 9/25/26)
3. Hearings & Markups
Jewish Insider 9/30/26: Senate Judiciary Committee cancels planned markup of buffer zone bill
NOTE: Due to travel, this week there is only a very abbreviated “members on the record” section.
Garcia (D-IL) 10/1/26: X-post – “Palestinians in al-Mughayyir – including relatives of my constituents – are being killed and condemned to lives of poverty, deprivation, and terror by Israeli settlers, police, and military. Today I led a letter to Ambassador Huckabee urging him to visit the village, meet with residents, and outline what concrete steps the U.S. will take with the Israeli government to stop these atrocities.”
Gottheimer (D-NJ) 10/1/26: Gottheimer Co-Leads Bipartisan House Intelligence Committee Trip to Lebanon [“Presses to Meet Obligations of Trilateral Agreement with U.S. and Israel; Fully Disarm Hezbollah, Remove Iran’s Influence, and Return Lebanon to the Lebanese People; Critical to Lebanon’s Long-Term Success”]
Khanna (D-CA) 9/25/26: X-post – “I am calling for the release of Marwan Bhargouti from Israeli prison”
Tlaib (D-MI) 9/25/26: X-post – “University of Michigan’s repression against anti-genocide student protestors is one of the most egregious infringements on academic freedom. The threat to free speech is not just coming from the White House. I stand with our brave students…”
Khanna (D-CA) 9/28/26: X-post – “I am opposing Section 219, that would integrate our military with Israel’s. The United States does not have this arrangement with any other country in the world. We need to stand up for American sovereignty and strip this provision from the final NDAA.”
Sanders (I-VT) 9/29/26: X-post – “Israel’s election committee banned both major Arab parties four weeks before the election. If it wasn’t already clear, Netanyahu and his far-right allies want an Israel where Palestinian citizens, 20% of the population, have no voice at all. NO MORE U.S. MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL”
Van Hollen (D-MD) 9/30/26: X-post – “Tonight, 47 Senators supported my resolution to get accountability for the 9 Americans killed on the West Bank & for Palestinians who face injustices daily. That’s more support than we’ve ever had in this fight. Republicans blocked us, but we won’t stop until we get justice.”
Tlaib (D-MI) 9/29/26: X-post – “US citizens murdered by the Israeli apartheid regime since 2022: Omar Assad | Shireen Abu Akleh | Tawfic Abdel Jabbar | Mohammad Khdour | Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi | Amer Rabee | Sayfollah Kamel Musallet |Khamis Ayyad | Nasrallah Abu Siyam | Meanwhile, our government keeps sending weapons. Enough. The Senate must pass Sen. @ChrisVanHollen‘s accountability resolution this week.”
Tlaib (D-MI) 9/30/26: X-post – “UPDATE: Naqaa Hamed, a journalist detained by the Israeli military, is free! This emotional video reminds us of what we’re fighting for: a Palestine free from apartheid. There are at least 38 other journalists still in Israeli detention who must be released. Welcome home, Naqaa.”
Ramirez (D-IL) 9/30/26: X-post – “Salah must be immediately released and returned to his community in Wisconsin! The immigration system and courts are being weaponized to persecute and target those who dare to dissent. While today’s court ruling was disappointing, we will continue to defend our constitutional rights, dismantle DHS, and protect our neighbors!”
Tlaib (D-MI) 10/1/26: X-post – “The Egyptian government’s arrest of these 6 journalists—the entire Matsadaash newsroom—is an unprecedented escalation in its attacks on press freedom. The Egyptian government must immediately release these journalists.”
5. Selected Media
NOTE: Due to travel, this week there is only a very abbreviated “selected media” section.
- Jewish Insider 10/1/26: Reps. Gottheimer, LaHood visit Lebanon, meet President Aoun [“The two lawmakers also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Farid Geagea”]
- The Keystone 10/1/26: Rep. Scott Perry compares Democrats to Nazis and Third Reich in radio interview – Despite Rep. Scott Perry’s (R-York) history of comparing Democrats to Nazis and sharing antisemitic memes, one Jewish organization is standing by the lawmaker after his latest comments. [because of his positions on Israel]
- Jewish Insider 9/30/26: Rising Jewish Democrat in Michigan won’t endorse El-Sayed [“State Rep. Noah Arbit said El-Sayed aligns with people who want to ‘purge the Democratic Party and American life of Zionists and, therefore, most Jews’”]
- Jewish Insider 9/30/26: Democrats would use ‘power of the purse’ to shut down Iran war if they win Senate majority [“Sen. Mark Kelly told JI Democrats could withhold funds for White House operations to put pressure on the president”]
- Jewish Insider 9/30/26: Gottheimer urges DOJ to investigate N.J. city for antisemitic discrimination [“The congressman alleged that Linden, N.J., may be engaged in rampant violations of law and the U.S. and New Jersey state constitutions”]
- LA Progressive 9/30/26: Can LA Insurgents Break AIPAC’s Grip? [“Gonzales-Torres, Dueñas and Hernandez bring grassroots challenges into the November 3 election.”]
- Mondoweiss 9/29/26: ‘They face an existential threat’: Eli Clifton on the past, present, and future of the Israel Lobby
- Legis1 9/29/26: AIPAC Reported Lobbying on Iran and Israel Defense Policy
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: Far-left California House challenger Mai Vang to campaign with Piker, insurgent DSA Dems [“Insurgent left-wing congressional nominees Melat Kiros, Adam Hamawy, Chris Rabb, Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez and Donavan McKinney are set to collectively endorse Vang, who is challenging Rep. Doris Matsui”]
- Times of Israel 9/29/26: Musing about AIPAC, Israel and the “Campaigns” Against Them
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: Troy Jackson: ‘Unfortunate’ that Jewish Mainers reject ‘genocide’ label for Gaza war [“The Maine Democratic Senate candidate said, ‘It’s unfortunate that there are people here in Maine that don’t like to use that term only because they’re Jewish and what that means to them, with the Holocaust’”]
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: Michigan state lawmaker, Jewish Dem leaders join call for El-Sayed to affirm commitment to Jewish safety [“Noah Arbit, one of the most vocal and visible Jewish elected officials in Michigan, joined the campaign laying out a series of demands for the state’s Democratic Senate nominee related to Jewish safety and Israel’s right to exist”]
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: Rosen, Lankford press Zuckerberg over antisemitic bot accounts on Facebook, Instagram [first they came for TikTok…]
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: DMFI launches $1 million ad campaign supporting Elaine Luria [“The digital ad targets Luria’s opponent, Rep. Jen Kiggans, over her support for Trump’s policies”]
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: GOP lawmakers criticize European sanctions against Israeli settlements [“Sen. Josh Hawley: ‘The European states have been anti-Israel forever, and I just think this is the latest iteration of that’”]
- Jewish Insider 9/29/26: Sounds of silence: Texas Dems decline to speak out against Piker before his UT event [“Only Rep. Henry Cuellar has spoken out against Piker’s upcoming appearance, saying that leaders shouldn’t remain silent ‘when someone has a history of hateful comments about Jewish Americans, 9/11, and Hamas terrorism‘”]
- Jewish Insider 9/28/26: Jewish letter in support of El-Sayed includes numerous fringe figures [with “fringe” apparently defined to mean Jewish people who are publicly critical of Israel]
- The Hill 9/25/26: Jewish Democrats contend with another glass ceiling: Their religion [Comment on X from Zaid Jilani – “Most popular Democratic caucus member: Bernie Sanders (Jewish) | Democrat who literally leads the party in the Senate: Chuck Schumer (Jewish) | Going to win in a landslide election in a state Trump won twice: Jon Ossoff (Jewish and a Democrat) Can we let this dumb narrative go?”]
- Drop Site News 9/25/26: Democratic Party Consultants Surround Troy Jackson with Pro-Israel Donors [“After two failed attempts to nominate a Maine candidate friendly to the party establishment, the consultant class is finding better success with its third approach, co-optation.”]