1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings
4. Israel/Palestine in 2024 Elex/Politics
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

A day early….

1. Bills & Resolutions

Going into and continuing through this summer recess, efforts are ramping up to try to force Sen. Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats into passing the massively controversial Antisemitism Awareness Act. This bill, which AIPAC and others have been trying to get Congress to pass for years, would enact into law and enforce the IHRA definition of antisemitism, including its examples. Why do they want to pass the IHRA definition so badly? Because thanks to those examples, the IHRA definition shifts the focus from combating hatred/threats/discrimination/violence against Jews because they are Jews, to delegitimizing, suppressing, and if possible criminalizing criticism/activism/opinions challenging the state of Israel and the political ideology of Zionism. See:

• Jewish Insider 8/15/24: Where are Senate Democrats on antisemitism? [“Even as House Republican hearings on campus antisemitism have drawn widespread attention, Senate Democrats haven’t pursued major legislative action or oversight”]
• Jewish News Syndicate 7/14/24: Announcement of Schumer book ‘warning’ about Jew-hatred draws ridicule, criticism [“‘Is this an autobiography?’ wrote David Friedman, former U.S. ambassador to Israel.”]
• Jewish Insider 7/31/24: New ad campaign accuses Schumer of obstructing antisemitism bill
• Standard-Examiner (Utah) 7/23/24: Guest opinion: Senate – and Mike Lee – should get behind antisemitism bill
• The Forward 7/16/24: Will the Senate quietly approve a controversial antisemitism definition?

Also pending and likely to be focus of lobbying/pressure when Congress returns for the countdown to the end of session: the Countering Antisemitism Act (S. 4091/HR 7921):

• The Center Square 8/12/24: House floor vote sought for Countering Antisemitism Act
• Reminders about this bipartisan/bicameral — yet still controversial — legislation: analysis from the Round-Up; letter from the Arab American Institute (AAI) to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee laying out concerns and objections the CAA; AAI’s superb, comprehensive analysis of the threats posed by the CAA, as well as a handy (and excellent) FAQ summarizing key concern.

2. Letters

• 8/15/24: Cotton Reiterates the Demand for Answers Regarding Harris’ National Security Advisor’s Communications with Iranian Influence Operation [letter text] – “Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a second letter to Vice President Kamala Harris to express his concern about her National Security Advisor, Philip Gordon, and his connections to senior Department of Defense official Ariane Tabatabai. Ms. Tabatabai was reportedly involved in an Iranian government operation to expand Iran’s influence in the United States.” Also see his 7/31/24 letter, sent jointly with Stefanik (R-NY) and previously reported in the Round-Up, demanding answers to a list of [ahem] extremely leading questi0ns, including this gem (which defies satire): “As the Vice President what specific actions will you take to address the issue of Iranian sympathizers, aside from yourself, within the Administration?“
• 8/13/24: Sen. Cruz Leads Probe into Park Service Failures With Pro-Hamas Riot at Union Station [letter text]
• 8/13/24: Ranking Member Cassidy Seeks OIG Investigation into Colleges Using Federal Funds to Promote DEI [letter text]. Excerpt from the press release, “While colleges have invested significant time and resources into promoting DEI policies, Jewish students are actively being discriminated against on campus in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7^th massacre in Israel.” Excerpt from the letter – requested information includes: “For each college and university currently under investigation by the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights for antisemitism, provide any and all documents and materials used in staff training, freshman orientation programming, and classes required for graduation that refer to Jewish people or the state of Israel, including, but not limited to, labelling Jewish people as ‘oppressors’ or a similar characterization.“
• 8/12/24: Barrasso Blasts Haaland for Failure to Address Criminal and Violent Acts on Federal Property [letter text, dated 8/9/24]. Also see: Senator urges boosting resources for US Park Police to protect federal property from protesters (Jewish News Syndicate 8/13/24)
• 8/12/24: Tillis, Colleagues Demand Biden-Harris Administration End Israel Arms Embargo [letter text]

3. Hearings & Markups

None. 

4. Israel/Palestine in 2024 Politics/Elex

General

• Townhall 8/14/24: Supporters of Far-Left, Anti-Israel Groups Are Funding Democrats [“Specifically at issue is Alisa Doctoroff of the UJA-Federation of New York, who has donated to far-left groups like the New Israel Fund (NIF), as well as vulnerable Democratic incumbents. They include Reps. Don Davis of North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, Susan Wild of Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.”]
• Jacobin 8/14/24: The Death of the Squad Has Been Greatly Exaggerated [“Just a week ago, the media said the Squad faced an ‘existential threat’ from AIPAC. Ilhan Omar’s landslide win should remind us the lobby is only as invincible as it makes us believe it is.“]
• Capital B 8/13/24: How Unseating Ilhan Omar and the Squad Would Affect Black Voters [“Black voters see the progressive agenda threatened by pro-Israel groups aiming to reshape the Democratic Party’s priorities.”]
• Politico 8/13/24: Progressives face an existential threat from AIPAC. And there’s nothing to stop it. [“AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups spent a combined $25 million on ads to defeat Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush this summer. Liberals worry they’re just getting started.”]
• The New Republic 8/13/24: Ilhan Omar’s Primary Challenger May Have Broken the Law to [TRY TO] Beat Her — A consultant working for Don Samuels’s campaign was also coordinating with a group of donors to fundraise against Omar.
• The Algemeiner 8/12/24: Mark Pocan Rips AIPAC ‘s ‘Dark Money’ Group, Claims Netanyahu Plotting to ‘Destroy Gaza’
• Responsible Statecraft 8/12/24: AIPAC had some recent wins but it isn’t invincible [“One of the most outspoken critics of Israel in Congress won’t be challenged in her primary this week”]
• Al Jazeera 8/11/24: AIPAC is growing desperate [“The pro-Israel lobby is finding it harder and harder to confront a growing shift in American public opinion on Israel-Palestine.”]
• The Hill 8/11/24: Progressive anger with AIPAC rises over Bush loss
• Sanders (I-VT) 8/8/24: X-post – “AIPAC had to spend $8.5 million to get 51% of the vote to defeat Cori Bush. Billionaires buying elections is not what this country is supposed to be about. We have to end Citizens United and super PACs and move to public funding of elections.“

Missouri

• AIPAC video 8/9/24: Wesley Bell joins AIPAC to discuss his win over Cori Bush [seriously – that is the title AIPAC gave to their video on YouTube – can’t make this stuff up]. From the introduction delivered by the AIPAC interviewer: “This week was another major success for the pro-Israel community. Just six weeks after AIPAC members helped George Latimer defeat Squad member Jamal Bowman in New York another anti-Israel member of Congress, Cori Bush, was on the ballot in St. Louis. During her four years in office Cori Bush voted against Iron Dome. She voted against aid to Israel. She used her platform to spread malicious lies about our ally and just 9 days after October 7th she led a resolution demanding a ceasefire that didn’t even mention Hamas and didn’t mention the hostages. Wesley Bell, a pro-Israel progressive Democrat, was determined to change things and so were we. For months AIPAC members across the country helped mobilize and support of Wesley Bell, surging resources to the campaign through the AIPAC Pac while the AIPAC Super PAC, United Democracy Project, helped to educate voters in the district about all that was at stake in this race. And together we delivered. Now Wesley Bell is the Democratic nominee and Cori Bush is leaving Congress…”

Minnesota

• The Nation 8/15/24: Ilhan Omar’s Very Big, Very Important Win [“On Tuesday, Omar won renomination to her House seat over a prominent, amply funded opponent who made criticism of the representative’s outspoken advocacy for Palestinian rights a core part of his campaign. Notably, she did not just squeak by. Omar beat her rival, former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, by 14 points—a huge expansion of her winning margin from 2022, when Samuels came within two points of defeating her.“]
• USA Today 8/14/24: Ilhan Omar won her primary after fellow ‘Squad’ members Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman lost. Here’s why. [“One major factor: United Democracy Project, a super PAC with close ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, invested almost $24 million against Bush and Bowman, which helped make them the only House Democrats to lose their 2024 primary elections so far.”]
• Jewish Insider 8/14/24: Ilhan Omar prevails in primary rematch with Don Samuels – The progressive incumbent won by a 13-point margin in the Minnesota Democratic primary
• MSNBC 8/14/24: Rep. Ilhan Omar wins primary race after two ‘Squad’ members’ defeats [“As a candidate, Omar had fewer obvious vulnerabilities than Bush or Bowman. After narrowly winning her primary against Samuels in 2022, she stepped up her outreach to voters and spent more on ads. Another factor in her race was that AIPAC sat it out; in 2022, the United Democracy Project spent $350,000 trying to oust Omar.”]
• Politico 8/13/24: Ilhan Omar fends off challengers to win primary after AIPAC stays out of the race [“Omar defeated a challenger who had come just 2 points shy of ousting her in 2022.”]
• Haaretz 8/12/24: Why AIPAC Hasn’t Publicly Tried to Unseat Ilhan Omar [“Omar, like Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, remains popular with her constituents and does not carry the electoral vulnerabilities that empowered AIPAC to help unseat Bowman in New York and Bush in Missouri”]
• Jewish Insider 8/12/24: Ilhan Omar primary opponent gets a fundraising boost after Cori Bush defeat [“But strategists involved in the race are skeptical Don Samuels can pull off an upset“]
• Ilhan Omar 8/11/24: Rep. Ilhan Omar Releases Statement Condemning Opponent for Courting Republican Voters and AIPAC Support
• The Intercept 8/11/24: Inside the “Zionists for Don Samuels” WhatsApp Group Raising Big Money to Oust Ilhan Omar [“In AIPAC’s absence, a Samuels campaign staffer and pro-Israel super PAC donors strategize to oust another Squad member.”] Excerpts: “Along with [Ronn] Torossian, other participants in the “Zionists for Don Samuels” chat have supported Trump in the past. In the chat group, Sinensky, who has given donations to many Democrats in the past, justified his support for the far right on the national level. ‘The bottom line is and it’s a sad one, we need to be supportive ON PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL of the alt right Christian Neo Nazis at the moment (like Ukraine) to fight off the socialist, Marxist, anarchists who are supporting radical Islam,’ he said. ‘Nazis are better than Islamic terrorists at this moment in time FOR PRESIDENT. On state and city level it’s different as proof with us supporting Ritchie and fetterman,’ a reference to Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.” and “‘I’ve heard dozens of questions of where is AIPAC,’ Sinensky said in the chat. ‘We are fucking AIPAC now.’”
• Jewish News Syndicate 8/9/24: Pro-Israel groups tout Dem primary endorsee winners, but yet to target safer anti-Israel incumbents [“Neither DMFI nor AIPAC has supported Rep. Ilhan Omar’s challenger in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District.”]

5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Celebrating the resignation of Columbia’s president (yes, the university president who shamelessly pandered to Hill critics, failed to defend free speech on campus, and called in the police to target students on campus — but they STILL hate her)

• Cassidy (R-LA) 8/15/24: Ranking Member Cassidy Reacts to Resignation of Columbia University President, Renews Call for HELP Hearing to Address Antisemitism; also see – Cassidy urges Sanders to hold antisemitism hearing after Columbia president’s resignation (Jewish Insider 8/15/24)
• Stefanik (R-NY) 8/14/24: Stefanik Statement on Resignation of Columbia University President [“THREE DOWN, so many to go.”]
• Hagerty (R-TN) 8/13/24: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Biden-Harris Administration Appeasement of Iran, Kamala Harris Catering to Pro-Hamas Democrats

Other stuff

• McCaul (R-TX) 8/14/24: McCaul Calls for Immediate and Unconditional Release of American Journalist Austin Tice
• McCaul (R-TX) 8/14/24: Chairman McCaul Presses Biden-Harris Administration on Need for Robust Implementation of the Security Supplemental [“House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued the following statement expressing frustration towards the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to implement sanctions passed by Congress against an increasingly aggressive Iran.“]; also see: McCaul calls for ‘clear display of strength and resolve’ to deter Iran (Jewish News Syndicate 8/15/24)
• Risch (R-ID) 8/14/24: Risch: Biden-Harris Have Undercut Israelis in Time of Need; also see: Senator blames Biden-Harris policy for potential Iranian attack on Israel (Jewish News Syndicate 8/15/24)
• Politico 8/14/24: The Saudi Crown Prince Is Talking About An Assassination. His Own. [“Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, knows a thing or two about assassinations. Lately, he’s been telling U.S. lawmakers he’s at risk of one. The Saudi royal has mentioned to members of Congress that he’s putting his life in danger by pursuing a grand bargain with the U.S. and Israel that includes normalizing Saudi-Israeli ties.”]
• Foxx (R-NC) 8/14/24: Foxx on Columbia President’s Resignation [“During Shafik’s presidency, a disturbing wave of antisemitic harassment, discrimination, and disorder engulfed Columbia university’s campus. Jewish students and faculty have been mocked, harassed, and assaulted simply for their identity. Every student has the right to a safe learning environment. Period. Yet, flagrant violations of the law and the university rules went unpunished. Columbia’s next leader must take bold action to address the pervasive antisemitism, support for terrorism, and contempt for the university’s rules that have been allowed to flourish on its campus.”]
• Punchbowl News 8/14/24: Why the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s paralysis is worsening [“The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is at a standstill, with no end in sight to a partisan dispute that’s putting Democrats in a bind. One of the Senate’s most storied committees hasn’t been able to take up vital nominations and legislation for nearly four months amid a GOP effort to force the Democratic-controlled panel to consider an Israel-related measure. We first told you in June about the committee’s dysfunctional state and the reasons for it. It stems from Republicans’ demand that the panel vote on House GOP-drafted legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court. Senate Democrats want to pursue a different bill. The ICC’s top prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for top Israeli officials over the war in Gaza with Hamas…”] Also see: X-thread from Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio 8/13/24: “The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a mess. No markups since April. Nominations piling up. & no end in sight as R’s continue to deny markups til Dems agree to take up ICC sanctions bill | SCHUMER to @PunchbowlNews: ‘I’ve never seen this before’ | I asked Schumer whether it’s best to just mark up the House-passed ICC bill in order to break the logjam: ‘Ben [Cardin] is trying to get this done in a bipartisan way. He’s willing to compromise. I want to get something done on ICC. I’ve hated the ICC forever because I’ve always thought they’re vehemently anti-Israel.’ ‘I’ve never seen this before, these right-wing people hold up nominations and tie the government’s hands in knots because they don’t exactly get their way.'”
• Blackburn (R-TN) 8/9/24: Blackburn Op-Ed: Why Is Iran At The Olympics?