FMEP Legislative Round-Up September 20, 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:

1. Bills & Resolutions

Targeting Free Speech/Protest

  • (ENDORSING THE IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM) H. Res. 1449: Introduced 9/16/24 by Manning (D-NC) and Smith (R-NJ), “Condemning the global rise of antisemitism and calling upon countries and international bodies to counter antisemitism.” The purpose of this resolution is the endorsement/embrace of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, via the endorsement/embrace/promotion of the “The Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism.”  Those guidelines include: “In order to combat antisemitism, governments need tools to understand its various manifestations. The legally non-binding ‘International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism’ is an important internationally recognized instrument used by over 40 U.N. member states since its adoption in 2016. In addition, hundreds of sub-national public authorities, universities, sports bodies, NGOs, and corporations rely on it.” The resolution “calls upon states and international bodies to take action to counter antisemitism, including by endorsing and embracing the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism…”  Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also see: Manning, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Global Efforts to Counter Antisemitism; Bipartisan resolution calls on countries to embrace global ‘best practices’ on Jew-hatred (Jewish News Syndicate 9/18/24). NOTE: H. Res. 1449 is being fast-tracked — it is scheduled to be marked up (and for sure passed) by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on 9/25/24.

Supporting Annexation of the West Bank

(US MUST TREAT SETTLEMENTS AS PART OF ISRAEL – & NOT DOING SO IS ANTI-ISRAEL, ANTISEMITIC BDS) HR 5179: Introduced 8/8/23 by Tenney (R-NY), “To require the maintenance of the country of origin markings for imported goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza, and for other purposes,” aka, the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act.” On 9/18/2024, brought to the House floor and passed by a vote of 231-189, with all Republicans plus 16 Democrats voting in favor.  Full floor consideration is here. House Ways & Means press release & “fact sheet“. Also see:

  • Supporting HR 5179: Chairman Smith (R-MO) Opening Statement – Floor Debate on the Anti-BDS Labeling Act; Tenney press release on passage; floor remarks in support
  • Opposing HR 5179: Nadler (D-NY) – X-post w/ video – “Today, the @HouseGOP is once again using the Israel-US relationship as a political football to benefit a desperate former President just weeks away from an election. This bill isn’t about combatting BDS—it’s about attempting to green light Israeli annexation of Area C of the West Bank and undermining the Biden-Harris’ Administration’s delicate negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war.” See floor considerations for statements of opposition to the bill (many of which also condemn/oppose BDS) from Schneider (D-IL), Doggett (D-TX), Tlaib (D-MI), Nadler (D-NY),
  • Surreal-ly making the case that HR 5179 is actually about transparency in labeling (can’t make this sh*t up): Smith (R-MS)
  • REMINDER: From the 4/19/24 and 9/13/24 editions of the Round-Up: As has always been the case in this battle over how to label the place-of-origin of settlement products, the argument behind HR 5179 boils down to: (1) if people know that a product was produced in a settlement, some will likely choose NOT to buy the product, in a decision that reflects their personal opposition to Israeli occupation/settlements; (2) such an action by an individual consumer, as an expression of their own deeply-held values, is a form of BDS and as such is antisemitic, anti-Israel; (3) the U.S. government, as part of its support for its ally Israel, must implement policies that in effect establish special place-of-origin rules for Israel [i.e., hold Israel to a different standard than the rest of the world] that protect Israel/settlements; (4) These Israel-specific rules-of-origin must ensure that U.S. consumers who might want to make an informed decision with respect to purchasing or not purchasing settlement products are prevented from doing so — in this case, by depriving them of accurate place-of-origin data; and (5) Failure to implement/enact policies that in effect prevent US consumers making informed decisions with respect to whether or not they wish to purchase settlements products is antisemitic, anti-Israel, and a form of BDS.
  • Media: Sixteen House Democrats vote with Republicans to codify Israel product labeling policy (Jewish Insider 9/20/24); House Passes Bill to Label Products From West Bank Settlements “Made in Israel” –“Let’s be clear. A vote for this bill would further support the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,” said Rashida Tlaib. (TruthOut 9/19/24)

(US MUST TREAT SETTLEMENTS AS PART OF ISRAEL – & NOT DOING SO IS ANTI-ISRAEL, ANTISEMITIC BDS) S. 5110: Introduced 9/19/24 by Rubio (R-FL), “A bill to clarify the country of origin of certain articles imported into the United States for purposes of certain trade enforcement actions.” Referred to the Committee on Finance. NOTE: As of this writing text is not online and Rubio has not issued a press release, but it is a good bet this is the Senate version of HR 5179, or something like that…

Re-Funding UNRWA

  • (RESTORE FUNDING TO UNRWA!) HR 9649: Introduced 9/18/24 by Carson (D-IN) and 62 cosponsors (all Democrats), “To restore funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also see: Reps. Carson, Jayapal, Schakowsky Introduce UNRWA Funding Bill [including very long list of organizations supporting the bill (please note that FMEP does NOT endorse/support/lobby any legislation)]

Targeting Lebanon

Further Sweetening the Abraham Accords Pot & More Support for Israel

  • (PROMOTE AI INTEGRATION AMONG US & ABRAHAM ACCORD ALLIES — WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?) S. 5058 (pdf): Introduced 9/16/24 by Ernst (R-IA) and Gillibrand (D-NY), “A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a strategy to improve cooperation between the Department of Defense and allies and partners of the United States located in the Middle East so as to improve use of partner-sharing network capabilities to facilitate joint defense efforts among the United States and such allies and partners, and for other purposes,” aka the “Artificial Intelligence Allied Collaboration for Crucial Operations, Research, and Development Act (AI ACCORD) Act of 2024.”  Referred to the Committee on Armed Services. Press release 9/18/24 – Ernst Equips Abraham Accords Nations With Access to Cutting Edge Technology; Ernst Discusses New Work Building Upon Abraham Accords. Also see: Ernst, Gillibrand introduce legislation to enhance tech sharing among Middle East partners (Jewish Insider 9/18/24 – note – JI frames this as an “exclusive” report on legislation that the sponsors are “set to introduce on Wednesday” – notwithstanding the fact that the bill was already introduced on 9/16/24 (Wednesday was just the day Ernst issued her press release…)
  • (EXPAND MILITARY BENEFITS FOR ABRAHAM ACCORD NATIONS) S. 5059: Introduced 9/16/24 by Ernst (R-IA) and Rosen (D-NV), “A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to design and implement a foreign military officer subject matter expert exchange program, and for other purposes,” aka the “Learning Integrated National Knowledge (LINK) Act.” Referred to the Committee on Armed Services. Also see press releases – Ernst Strengthens Strategic Military Partnership Between Abraham Accords Nations; Rosen, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Military Partnership Between Abraham Accords Nations; Ernst Discusses New Work Building Upon Abraham Accords
  • (EDUCATE THE WORLD TO LOVE THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS/PEACE THRU NORMALIZATION!) H. Res. 1476:  Introduced 9/19/24 by Schneider (D-IL) and 3 cosponsors (bipartisan), “Encouraging the Department of State and civil society to further the Abraham Accords by encouraging peace and tolerance in education.”  Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. [The resolved clauses – which seem totally divorced from the current reality in the region – are as follows:  the House “(1) encourages Israel and its Arab and Muslim-majority neighbors to continue to deepen and expand cooperation across the full spectrum of economic, security, and civilian issues, emphasizing collaborative efforts in peace and tolerance education; (2) encourages international organizations, including the United Nations, to improve and prioritize counter-incitement in its educational work throughout the region, as well as take steps to eliminate antisemitism across all United Nations bodies; (3) supports the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other countries to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region; (4) encourages the Department of State to proactively engage with countries in the region, supporting the goals of this resolution and the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021, to press for curricula reform in bilateral dialogues as a key agenda item to help facilitate the implementation of positive changes that promote regional stability, peace, and tolerance based on international standards; and (5) encourages civil society and partners across the United States to continue working together with governments across the world to make sure the next generation of children receives a quality, comprehensive peace and tolerance education…”]
  • (FURTHER EXPAND US BENEFITS FOR ISRAEL) HR 9713: Introduced 9/19/24 by Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), “To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to expand and reauthorize the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation program, and for other purposes.” Referred to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology; Foreign Affairs; and Homeland Security.
But what it they are applied to Israel?
  • (NO US $$ FOR GOVTS THAT SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH) HR 9700: Introduced 9/19/24 by Mace (R-SC) and Burchett (R-TN), “To prohibit bilateral economic assistance, including assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, to foreign governments that abridge the right to free speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes,” aka the “No Funds for Fascists Act.” Also see – Congresswoman Nancy Mace Introduces ‘No Funds for Fascists Act’ To End U.S. Aid to Governments Suppressing Free Speech. Notably if this bill were to pass into law, and if it was then implemented universally, it could require the US to cut off aid to Israel  — a country that systematically abridges free speech of civil society and especially Palestinians, both before (e.g., here, here, and here) and after (e.g., here, here, here) the 10/7/23 attack. Text is not yet available, so it remains to be seen if the bill is written to include an explicit or implicit Israel exception.
  • (BAR/DEPORT FOREIGN OFFICIALS OF GOVTS THAT SUPPRESS AMCITS’ FREE SPEECH) HR 9605: Introduced 9/19/24 by Issa (R-CA) and Salazar (R-FL), “To provide that any foreign government official who engages in censorship of American speech is inadmissible and deportable,” aka, “No Censors on Our Shores Act.” Issa’s press release makes clear that his bill is aimed at the president of Brazil (for dating to take on Elon Musk) but Issa notes: “…the free speech rights of Americans are also under attack all over the world, and in many nations that we might not expect…With the No Censors on Our Shores Act, foreign government officials will be put on notice: Deny our citizens their First Amendment rights, and this country will deny you entry to America or show you the door.” Notably if this bill were to pass into law, and if it was then implemented universally, it could require the US bar entry to/deport Israeli government officials — given Israel’s targeting of freedom of speech, which extends to Israeli-Americans and Palestinian-Americans, as well as American visitors (e.g., here, here, here. here, here, here, here, here, here). Text is not yet available, so it remains to be seen if the bill is written to include an explicit or implicit Israel exception.

Other issues

  • (CONGRESS <HEARTS> THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN) HR 9637: Introduced 9/17/24 by Phillips (R-MN) and Wilson (R-SC),  “To improve defense cooperation between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.” Referred to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Armed Services.
  • (INTERNET FREEDOM IN IRAN) S. 5076: Introduced 9/17/24 by Cardin (D-MD), “A bill to require periodic updates to the comprehensive strategy to promote Internet freedom and access to information in Iran, to authorize grants to support and develop programs in Iran that promote or expand an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet, and for other purposes.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Also see: Chair Cardin Introduces Iran Internet Freedom Act to Support the Iranian People Marking Anniversary of Woman, Life, Freedom Protests
  • (COUNTERING NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH ASSAD REGIME) S. 5095: Introduced 9/18/24 by Cardin (D-MD), “A bill to counter efforts to recognize or normalize relations with any Government of Syria that is led by Bashar al-Assad, and for other purposes.“Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  • (NO MORE “WOKE” INVESTMENTS!) HR 5339: Introduced 9/5/23 by Allen (R-GA) and Houchin (R-IN), “Protecting Americans’ Investments from Woke Policies Act.” Passed by the House 9/19/24 by a vote of 216-206, with all Republicans plus 3 Democrats voting “yes”. NOTE: Claims that ESG is intrinsically antisemitic and cover for BDS, based on the argument that, in effect, any adverse business decision or advice related to Israel can ONLY be a form of antisemitism or BDS, have been a key weapon (if not THE key weapon) used to attack ESG (and much of the anti-ESG legislation in various US states  — introduced and in some cases passed — has been modeled on anti-BDS legislation). That’s why this bill is included in the Round-Up.

COMING SOON

–>TARGETING THE ICC: On 9/25/24, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider HR 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. As a reminder, the House passed HR 8282 on 6/4/24 by a vote of vote of 247-155 — with ALL Republicans voting “Yes”, except for 2 voting “present” (Davidson, R-OH and Massie, R-KY),  joined by 42 Democrats. The Biden Administration has issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) opposing HR 8282; the ACLU also sent a letter to House members opposing HR 8282 (and likely will do so again with the Senate). For full background see the 6/7/24 edition of the Round-Up. Also see: Senate Foreign Relations Committee to vote on International Criminal Court sanctions (Jewish Insider 9/17/24)

–>ANTISEMITISM AWARENESS ACT: Jewish Insider 9/18/24: Schumer ‘trying to figure out the best path forward’ on Antisemitism Awareness Act; Jewish News Syndicate 9/18/24: Testy Senate hate-crimes hearing could ‘ironically’ help get legislation on Jew-hatred passed; The Forward 9/16/24: Senate to advance contentious bill to crack down on anti-Israel activity on campus [per Gottheimer (D-NJ)] — The Antisemitism Awareness Act would mandate the Department of Education use the a controversial definition of antisemitism; Representatives hold press conference on Antisemitism Awareness Act at Kraft Center [“The bipartisan bill would compel the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in its Title VI investigations.“] (Columbia Spectator 9/19/24). NOTE: For background on the campaign of pressure on Schumer to pass the AAA, notwithstanding the across-the-political-spectrum opposition sparked by House passage of this massively controversial bill in April, see the 8/15/24 and 9/6/24 editions of the Round-Up.

–>DISAPPROVING OF ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL:  9/18/24: Sanders Announces Intention to File Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to Block Arms Sales to Israel; 9/18/24: Sanders Delivers Speech on his Intent to File Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to Block $20 Billion Arms Sale to Israel (video of remarks; transcript); AP 9/18/24: Bernie Sanders preparing resolutions to block $20B in US arms sales to Israel; Times of Israel 9/18/24: Bernie Sanders pushing longshot bid to block $20B in US arms sales to Israel; Jewish News Syndicate 9/19/24: Sanders’s move to block Israel aid ‘plays into strategy’ of Iranian proxies, says Jewish group [DMFI]

–> TARGETING THE HOUTHIS: HR 9564, introduced 9/12/24 by Issa (R-CA) and Phillips (D-MN), “To authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to the Houthis, and for other purposes,“ is being fast-tracked — it is scheduled to be marked up in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on 9/25/24.

–> MANDATING US ADOPTION OF “JUDEA & SAMARIA” TERMINOLOGY??: Israel Hayom 9/16/24: US bill to abolish term West Bank in official documents [“‘My bill will mandate referring to Judea and Samaria as the historic homeland of the Jewish people, not the ‘West Bank.’ We will persist in advocating for your historical roots,’ Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney says.“] NOTE: Tenney (R-NY) is talking about HR 7552, which she introduced back on 3/5/24 and on which, as of now, no action has been taken (and at least as yet there has been no public indication given that it is set to move — from the article it seems more like Tenney mentioned the bill in her recent meeting with Israeli settlements leader Yossi Dagan, and that mention has been leveraged into a non-news story).

2. Letters

Targeting free speech/protest/academia & celebrating anti-Palestinian racism

West Bank Violence, incl Killing of Amcit

  • 9/13/24: Ramirez, 20 Members of Congress Press Blinken on Actions to Stop Settler and Escalating Violence in the West Bank [letter text]
  • 9/13/24: Rep. Adam Smith’s Letter to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Attorney General Garland  [letter text posted by Americans for Peace Now]. Excerpt: “We request a written explanation provided to the family and the undersigned members to the following questions no later than October 4, 2024: 1. What does the U.S. government currently know about the circumstances surrounding Ms. Eygi’s killing? 2. Will the U.S. government conduct an independent, thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into the killing of Ms. Eygi? 3. What would be the proposed timeline and plan for such an investigation? 4. How will the U.S. government seek accountability if the Israeli government refuses to cooperate with such an investigation?” [not indicated who else is included in the “we” referenced in the letter]

Iran

Other stuff

3. Hearings & Markups

September 26, 2024: The House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold what promises to be a super-fun show-trial/witch hunt (sorry, I mean “hearing”) entitled, Desecrating Old Glory: Investigating How the Pro-Hamas Protests Turned National Park Service Land into a Violent Disgrace.  No witnesses have been announced as of this writing (but fasten your seatbelts…)

September 19, 2024: The Senate Judiciary Committee held a business meeting, during which marked up a number of pieces of legislation, including  S. 2082: Introduced 6/21/23 by Cornyn (R-TX) and 19 bipartisan cosponsors, “A bill to make technical corrections relating to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act,” aka, the “Ensuring Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.” Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Reminder: Cornyn’s press release re: S. 2082: “The Ensuring Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act makes three technical corrections to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) that would: Clarify that injured plaintiffs can sue foreign state defendants for aiding and abetting terrorism and ensure that liability may be asserted as to any person or entity that aids or abets terrorism; Ensure that plaintiffs, if they obtain on a JASTA claim, can collect their judgement; and Clarify that all U.S. citizens injured in their person, business, or property may recover under JASTA.“

September 19, 2024: The House Foreign Affairs Committee held hearing hearing entitled, Israel and the Middle East at a Crossroads: How Tehran’s Terror Campaign Threatens the U.S. and our Allies. Witnesses were: Elliott Abrams, former official serving in several Republican administrations who in 1991 was convicted of unlawfully withholding information from Congress (statement);  Kirsten Fontenrose, Former Senior Director for the Gulf at the NSC (statement); Carrie Fillipetti, the Vandenberg Coalition (statement); and Jonathan Lord, Center for a New American Security (statement). Also see: hearing video

September 17, 2024: The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled, A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America (I’m linking to this video, because it includes a transcript). Witnesses were: Maya Berry, Executive Director, Arab American Institute & Co-Chair, Hate Crimes Task Force, The Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights (testimony); Kenneth S. Stern, Director, Bard Center for the Study of Hate (testimony); and Mark Goldfeder, Director, National Jewish Advocacy Center (testimony – which focused on urging Congress to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act).

  • NOTE: This hearing was, not unexpectedly, a sh*t show. Most Republican members of the Committee made clear their unhappiness (indeed, self-righteous outrage – see Ted Cruz, R-TX) that the hearing was dealing with any kind of hate crime other than hate crimes targeting Jewish Americans (defined by them to focus on campus protest for Palestinian lives/rights). It is thus unsurprising that most used their time to grandstand and ask questions designed to transform the hearing into one ONLY about campus protests of Israel/Zionism (see Grassley, R-IA, press release with video clips; Cruz notably compared protesters for Palestinian lives/rights with the Ku Klux Klan and denounced US campuses, the FBI, and the federal government for failing to target/prosecute/punish protesters – and promised that if Republicans take control of the Senate, this will change) — and calling on the Republican witness, Mark Goldfeder, to validate their views. At the same time, their unhappiness over the hearing covering other kinds of hate found expression in the form of some committee members — most notably Graham (also see press release) and, most appallingly, Hawley, R-MO and Kennedy, R-LA — launching attacks, including personal attacks, against the sole Arab and Muslim witness on the panel, Maya Berry (and then turning to the Republican witness to validate the attacks). In effect, the subjected her to treatment that amounted to racist, vituperative Islamophobic bullying and defamation — i.e., HATE SPEECH (at a hearing on hate crimes, which yes, really says it all). Really, everyone should watch Kennedy’s questioning of Berry – and her powerful responses.
  • Chairman Durbin (D-IL) opening statement; Durbin Questions Witnesses During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Stemming The Rise Of Hate Crimes; Durbin 9/17/24: X-post (with video) – “A Senate Republican told an Arab American civil rights leader that ‘you should hide your head in a bag.’ We will not amplify that horrible clip. But we WILL amplify the witness’s powerful response calling it out.”
  • Other member press release: Cornyn (R-TX); Welch (D-VT)

Also see:

4. Israel/Palestine in 2024 Politics/Elex

5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

[lots of tweets this week, mainly from Republicans, celebrating the anniversary of the Abraham Accords – check members’ X accounts – not gonna include them here]

UNGA Votes Against Israeli Occupation

  • Calvert (R-CA) 9/18/24: X-post – “After granting the terror-sponsor Palestinian Authority a seat at the General Assembly, the UN is further delegitimizing itself by approving the PA’s anti-Israel resolution. This resolution gives legitimacy to the terrorists who continue to threaten the existence of Israel.”
  • Diaz-Balart (R-FL) 9/18/24: X-post – “Today, the UNGA again demonstrated that it has forgotten the reason it was created. Israel is facing an existential threat of terrorism from multiple directions, and the world should stand unequivocally with #Israel. So when asked why I denied funding in the House bill to corrupt, misguided UN entities and the UN itself, here’s just the latest reason. U.S. taxpayers should not underwrite an institution that works against our values and interests to bolster our adversaries.“
  • Rubio (R-FL) et al 9/17/24: Rubio, Colleagues Condemn Palestinian Effort Targeting Israel at UN

Israel Operations in Lebanon

  • Jewish Insider 9/20/24: Democratic senators support Israel’s pager attack against Hezbollah, amid AOC criticism
  • Bowman (D-NY) 9/19/24: X-thread: “Israel’s pager attacks in Lebanon have injured thousands and led to the death of innocent civilians, including multiple children. This attack not only falls in clear violation of international law but also further escalates a brewing regional conflict. Protecting civilians and de-escalating must be a priority. Israel must be held to account for their pervasive violations of international humanitarian law, and we need immediate answers as to whether any US assistance or aid went into the development of this lethal technology.“
  • Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) 9/18/24: X-post – “Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon detonated thousands of handheld devices across of a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians. This attack clearly and unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines US efforts to prevent a wider conflict. Congress needs a full accounting of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any US assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology.“
  • Feenstra (R-IA) 9/18/24: X-post – “Israel is taking terrorists to task and making the world a safer place.”
  • Hagerty (R-TN) 9/18/24: X-post – “Israel’s actions against Hezbollah are well within their right to defend themselves from terrorism.“
  • Hagerty (R-TN) 9/18/24: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Balance of Power to Discuss Looming Government Shutdown, Trump Tax Policy, Potential Fed Rate Cut, Attack on Hezbollah [“It certainly amazes me that our State Department spokesman will only name Israel and says ‘other parties.’ They won’t talk about the fact that Iran is behind all of this. He didn’t mention Hezbollah that has basically displaced 50,000 Israelis right now in Northern Israel. This is in retaliation for actions that have been taken by Hezbollah, if indeed it is Israel that’s behind it, and I think what it does demonstrate is the resourcefulness of whoever put this in place because they’ve been able to get into the supply chain and get directly into the minds, I think, of the people that are there. This should have an incredible deterrent effect if indeed Israel is behind it.“]
  • Sherman (D-CA) 9/17/24: X-thread – “Let’s be clear – in its strategic attack on #Hezbollah, #Israel used innovative methods to carry out a precise military operation, maximizing the elimination of terrorists while minimizing harm to civilians by targeting military communication devices. (1/3) #Iran‘s Ambassador must explain why he had a Hezbollah military communication device, given Iran’s long history of using its ‘diplomats’ to carry out terror. This includes a plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the US & target dissidents abroad, especially in Europe. (2/3) In war it’s impossible to fully prevent harm to civilians – especially when #Hezbollah operates in Beirut’s densest civilian areas. Some impacted by this operation may be civilians due to #Hezbollah‘s use of civilians as human shields and their use of soldiers when age 18. (3/3)“

Antisemitism/Free Speech/Right to Protest

Other stuff