FMEP Legislative Round-Up October 25, 2024

Resource

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

New from FMEP:

  • New episode of FMEP’s Occupied Thoughts podcast 10/21/24 – Holding Israeli Media Accountable: Incitement to Genocide is a Crime, ft. FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin speaking with Israeli human rights attorney Alon Sapir about the legal complaint he recently filed, together with other Israeli attorneys, accusing Israeli media Channel 14 of incitement to genocide against Palestinians and other grave crimes.

1. Bills & Resolutions

(STAND WITH ISRAEL AGAINST EVIL UNITED NATIONS) S. XXXX [pdf of bill]: On 10/23/24, Sen. Risch (R-ID) issued a press release — Risch to Lead 27 Colleagues in Introducing Stand with Israel Act to Combat Israel’s Persecution at UN. The bill would cut off US funding to the UN itself, or any UN agency, etc., “that expels, downgrades or suspends membership, or otherwise restricts the participation of Israel such that it may not participate fully and equivalently with other Member States of the United Nations or the respective fund, program, specialized agency, or other related entity.” Risch notes in his press release (which includes equally enraged, juicy quotes from his GOP cosponsors): “Any attempt to alter Israel’s status at the UN is clearly anti-Semitic… That said, if the UN member states allow the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to downgrade Israel’s status at the UN, the U.S. must stop supporting the UN system, as it would clearly be beyond repair. I am disgusted that this outrageous idea has even been discussed, and will do all we can to ensure any changes to Israel’s status will come with consequences.” Also see: Also see: Senate Republicans threaten UN funding if global body sidelines Israel (Jewish News Syndicate 10/23/24)

(41 YEARS LATER, DESIGNATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1983 BEIRUT MARINE BARRACKS BOMBING A “NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE”) H. Res. 1551: Introduced 10/22/24 by Pence (R-IN) and Stefanik (R-NY), “Expressing support for the designation of October 23, 2024, as a national day of remembrance of the tragic 1983 terrorist bombing of the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

2. Letters

[PASS ANTI-ICC LAW] 10/24/24: Jewish Insider reports – Johnson pressures Schumer to bring up legislation sanctioning the ICC –  In a letter, the House Speaker expressed frustration about the bill being stalled in the upper chamber

[KUSHNER-KSA FARA VIOLATIONS?] 10/24/24: Wyden, Raskin Call for Department of Justice to Appoint a Special Counsel to Investigate Jared Kushner for Acting as an Unregistered Foreign Agent [letter text]. Also see: Exclusive: Democratic lawmakers request probe into Kushner after Reuters Saudi report (Reuters 10/24/24)

[DESTROY UNRWA!] 10/23/24: Cotton to Biden: Continued Support for the UNRWA Funds Terrorist Activities and Prolongs War [letter embedded in press release; link to pdf may be broken]. NOTE: One of the hooks for this letter is “Israel reportedly found a passport belonging to a UNRWA teacher on Yahya Sinwar’s body”. As I covered in a 10/24/24 X-thread, “…First: this is NOT AN UNRWA-ISSUED DOC. It is clearly a PA-issued passport that (among other things) lists the holder’s occupation as ‘UNRWA teacher’. Some UNRWA antagonists argue the passport proves one of Sinwar’s bodyguards, killed with him, worked for UNRWA. In fact, the passport belongs to a man who is alive & in Cairo, where he fled w/ his family in April (confirmed, incl by Israeli media). Some UNRWA antagonists suggest the ID proves Sinwar used UNRWA as cover to travel. In fact: – the document is INVALID: exp in 2017 & has holes punched across the bottom (done by authorities upon issuance of a new/replacement doc). So no way it could be used for travel. And – the person pictured in the document bears no resemblance to Sinwar & the date of birth on the document is for a man 22 yrs younger than Sinwar. So no way he could have been using it as an ID. These facts, plus the condition of the document (implausibly pristine, given that it was allegedly found at a scene of extreme destruction) have led to speculation that it was at some point obtained by Israel (after being left behind when its owner fled to Egypt)…and then placed at the scene of Sinwar’s killing for the purpose of igniting/fueling yet another round of attacks on UNRWA. Regardless of how you feel about such speculation, it is undeniable that this ID document – despite not being issued by UNRWA, offering zero value to Sinwar, & belonging to a real person displaced by Israel to Egypt – has indeed ignited/fueled a new round of attacks on UNRWA…“

[US MUST CONDEMN ERDOGAN FOR BEING MEAN TO ISRAEL]  Lawmakers call on State Department to publicly condemn Turkey’s Erdoğan (Jewish Insider 10/23/24) [letter text]

[END ARMS TRANSFERS TO ISRAEL] 10/22/24: Urging Congress to Pass Joint Resolutions of Disapproval and End Arms Transfers to Israel [signed by 110+ civil society organizations]

[STOP WITHHOLDING WEAPONS FROM ISRAEL] 10/22/24: Rep. Banks Calls on Biden Admin to Stop Withholding Weapons from Israel [letter text]

[INVESTIGATE ISRAELI ATTACK ON US JOURNO] 10/22/24: Sanders Leads Call on Biden, Blinken, Garland to Investigate Israeli Attack on American Journalist [letter text]. Also see: Sanders leads call for DOJ to investigate Israeli attack on journalists (The Hill 10/22/24), Sanders calls for review of IDF airstrike in Gaza that injured journalists (Jewish News Syndicate 10/23/24)

[BRIEF CONGRESS ON INVESTIGATION OF LEAK OF ISRAELI IRAN ATTACK PLANS] 10/22/24: Cotton to Biden: Brief Congress on Leak Investigation [letter text]. Also see: ‘Outrageous Betrayal of Trust’: Cotton Presses Biden-Harris Admin To Hold Biweekly Briefings on Explosive Leak of Classified US Intel on Israel (Free Beacon 10/22/24)

[TARGETING CRITICISM OF ISRAEL/ZIONISM] 10/22/24: Ranking Member Cassidy Urges EEOC to Investigate Antisemitism in the Workplace Following October 7, Requests Further Information [letter text]

[GIVE MEDIA ACCESS TO GAZA] 10/21/24: McGovern, 64 House Democrats Write to Biden Administration Urging Unimpeded Media Access to Gaza [letter text]. Also see: Democrats urge Biden to push Israel for press freedom in Gaza (The Hill 10/21/24)

[DESIGNATE HOUTHIS AS AN FTO] 10/21/24: Gottheimer Urges Senate Leadership to Redesignate Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization [letter text]

3. Hearings & Markups

None [Congress not in session]

4. Israel/Palestine in 2024 Politics/Elex

General

New York

Michigan

Maryland

  • MOCO 360 10/24/24: Hogan talks Israel, dines on matzo ball soup at Potomac deli
  • Jewish Insider 10/23/24: Alsobrooks: Trump responsible for ‘a lot of’ the current antisemitism across the U.S. [“Alsobrooks also referenced concerns about the safety of Jewish students on college campuses amid continued anti-Israel protests in Maryland and across the country… Asked about her positions on supporting Israel and deterring Iran, Alsobrooks referenced discussions with Cardin, a pro-Israel stalwart, on the issue…’The United States and Israel not only share common values, but also share common interests, and that relationship between the United States and Israel is a longstanding one,’ Alsobrooks said. ‘I might also add that the relationship has been supported on a bipartisan basis for many, many decades now. I think it’s important that it remains so, that this not become an issue that is a political issue. I think the relationship between the United States and Israel is solid. It’s an over 80 year relationship.‘”]

New Jersey

  • Jewish Insider 10/23/24: Appointed Sen. George Helmy boasts good relations with New Jersey Jewish community [“‘Through the years, Senator Helmy has been involved in many meetings with community, faith, education, and business leaders to discuss the prosperity and protection of the Jewish and Israeli American population in the state,’ the spokesperson said. ‘And with the concerning rise in antisemitism over the past few years, Senator Helmy has supported the Governor, Attorney General, and other law enforcement agencies in their efforts to protect those within the Jewish and Israeli American population in their homes, schools, places of worship, and beyond.’”
  • Jewish Insider 10/22/24: Citing North Korea threat, Andy Kim says he has ‘empathy’ for Israelis and Jewish Americans [“The New Jersey Democratic congressman and Senate candidate, whose family lives in South Korea, connected his parents’ immigrant experience to his support for the Jewish state”]

California

  • Politico 10/23/24: AIPAC goes in for Jimmy Gomez [“The pro-Israel group is boosting Gomez against another California Democrat in the November election.“]

Maine

Alabama

5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Normalization Is Coming!

Three Cheers for Israeli Military Action in Gaza & Lebanon!

Iran & Biden Admin on Iran

NOT ON-BOARD with Israel’s Actions in Lebanon &/or Gaza &/or West Bank

  • Tlaib (D-MI) 10/23/24: X-post – “The rogue Israeli apartheid regime is now burning UN peacekeepers with white phosphorus and our government is doing nothing to stop them. This is a war crime.” Linked to 10/24/24 Financial Times article, Israel launched a dozen attacks on UN troops in Lebanon, says leaked report – Confidential document says 15 peacekeepers injured by white phosphorus
  • Massie (R-KY) 10/23/24: X-post – “If Israel insists on destroying civilian targets in Lebanon, let them buy and build their own weapons. American taxpayers should not be funding this.” [commenting on video of Israel blowing up an apartment building in Lebanon – worth reading the replies, including Massie’s responses to at least one of the replies]
  • Van Hollen (D-MD), Shaheen (D-NH), Murphy (D-CT), & Kaine (D-VA) 10/21/24: Statement Expressing Concern About the Escalation of Violence in Lebanon
  • Pocan (D-WI) 10/19/24: X-post – “This week in Susya, a village in the West Bank, an illegal settler attacked community members harvesting olives & the @IDF of Israel did nothing to stop the attack. This is unacceptable, @Israel. I & several other members of Congress have visited Susya – and are watching.”

It’s Always a Good Day To Target UNRWA

  • The Hill/Asaf Romirowsky, SPME 10/23/24: Sinwar’s UNRWA ties show Congress was right to cut off funding — NOTE:  As I covered in a 10/24/24 X-thread, “…First: this is NOT AN UNRWA-ISSUED DOC. It is clearly a PA-issued passport that (among other things) lists the holder’s occupation as ‘UNRWA teacher’. Some UNRWA antagonists argue the passport proves one of Sinwar’s bodyguards, killed with him, worked for UNRWA. In fact, the passport belongs to a man who is alive & in Cairo, where he fled w/ his family in April (confirmed, incl by Israeli media). Some UNRWA antagonists suggest the ID proves Sinwar used UNRWA as cover to travel. In fact: – the document is INVALID: exp in 2017 & has holes punched across the bottom (done by authorities upon issuance of a new/replacement doc). So no way it could be used for travel. And – the person pictured in the document bears no resemblance to Sinwar & the date of birth on the document is for a man 22 yrs younger than Sinwar. So no way he could have been using it as an ID. These facts, plus the condition of the document (implausibly pristine, given that it was allegedly found at a scene of extreme destruction) have led to speculation that it was at some point obtained by Israel (after being left behind when its owner fled to Egypt)…and then placed at the scene of Sinwar’s killing for the purpose of igniting/fueling yet another round of attacks on UNRWA. Regardless of how you feel about such speculation, it is undeniable that this ID document – despite not being issued by UNRWA, offering zero value to Sinwar, & belonging to a real person displaced by Israel to Egypt – has indeed ignited/fueled a new round of attacks on UNRWA…” Learn more: What we know about the ‘UNRWA ID’ allegedly found among Sinwar’s belongings (FRANCE 24 English); UNRWA Staff Member: The Truth Behind the Passport Allegedly Found by the Occupation After Sinwar’s Death (Misbar); UNRWA Secretary General Philippe Lazzarini 10/17/24 X-post — “Once again, unchecked information is used to discredit @UNRWA & its staff. Earlier today, reports circulated on social & Israeli media that an UNRWA staff member was killed together with the Hamas head in Gaza. I confirm that the staff member in question is alive. He currently lives in Egypt where he traveled with his family in April through the Rafah border. Time to put an end to disinformation campaigns.”

Targeting Free Speech/Right to Protest

Other Stuff