NEW FROM FMEP
After Nonviolence and What Comes Next in Palestine (Occupied Thoughts episode)
In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor and author Ben Ehrenreich cover a range topics reflecting Ben’s reporting and analysis on Israel/Palestine and U.S. policy, including West Bank Palestinians’ relationships to affecting change through nonviolent action, the Biden Administration and Democratic Party’s approaches to Palestine and Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, Zionism, and media complicity in genocide. They draw from Ben’s recent essays “After Nonviolence” (Harper’s, May 2025); “You Don’t Get Trump Without Gaza” (The Nation, April 2025); and his 2009 op-ed, Zionism is the Problem (LA Times).
FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 2, 2025 (Lara Friedman)
- Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements. See also How Pro-Israel Policy is Impacting Free Expression in the US (Lara Friedman interviewed by Lee Fang for System Update)
GAZA
Israel redraws Gaza map, limiting Palestinians to a third of the enclave (WaPo 5/1/25)
“In the six weeks since Israel resumed its war in Gaza, Israeli forces have dramatically altered its map, declaring about 70 percent of the enclave either a military “red zone” or under evacuation, according to the United Nations, and pushing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into ever-shrinking pockets.” See also Smotrich: Fighting won’t end until hundreds of thousands of Gazans leave, Syria partitioned (TOI 4/29/25); Israel Is Using Suicide Drones to Target Displaced Palestinian Families Sheltering in Tents (Sharif Abdel Kouddous & Hamza M. Salha//Drop Site 4/24/25)
“Deprivation by Design”: Israel Intensifies Mass Killing Campaign in Gaza With Starvation and Daily Strikes (Rasha Abou jalal and Sharif Abdel Kouddous//Drop Site 4/30/25)
“Since Israel resumed its scorched earth bombing campaign on March 18, Gaza has been transformed into a desert of death, in which rubble and ruin form the backdrop for an unceasing campaign of mass killing. The Israeli military has carried out multiple airstrikes and shelling across the enclave on a daily basis, pounding homes, displacement camps, cafes, hospitals, charity kitchens, so-called “humanitarian zones,” and other civilian sites. The scale of the attacks is almost impossible to track.” See also ‘We are breaking the bodies and minds of children of Gaza’, says WHO Executive Director (Reuters 5/1/25); 15 Family Members Killed in Israeli Strike on Gaza; Only Seven-year-old, His Mother Survived (Haaretz 5/2/25); With USAID shuttered, Palestine’s most vulnerable lose a lifeline (+972 Magazine 4/30/25);
Gaza on brink of catastrophe as aid runs out and prices soar, groups warn (The Guardian 4/27/25)
“Soaring prices of basic foodstuffs, diminishing stocks of medical supplies and sharp cuts to aid distribution threaten newly catastrophic conditions across Gaza, Palestinians and international aid officials in the battered territory are warning. Humanitarian organisations including the World Food Programme and Unwra, which supplies food and services to more than 2 million Palestinians across Gaza, have now distributed the last of their stocks of flour and other foodstuffs to the dozens of community kitchens in the territory that serve basic meals to those with no other option. Aid groups’ warehouses were filled during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect in mid-January and ended in early March. They are now empty.” See also Palestinian children face starvation under Israel’s total Gaza blockade (Al Jazeera 5/2/25); Unrwa says Israel has abused detained staff and used some as human shields (The Guardian 4/29/25); Gazans are again going hungry as Israel’s total siege nears two months (WaPo 4/30/25); World court opens hearings on Israel’s aid obligations to Palestinians (WaPo 4/28/25);
Six Deadly Minutes: How Israeli Soldiers Killed 15 Rescue Workers in Gaza (NYT 5/2/25)
“Israel’s military said it was reacting to an immediate threat when it killed 15 medics and first responders in Gaza in March. But eyewitness accounts and an analysis of videos, audio and autopsy reports show that multiple soldiers fired over the course of six minutes at unarmed emergency workers who never posed a threat.”
REGION/GLOBAL
Syria calls Israeli air strikes on Damascus a ‘dangerous escalation’ (The Guardian 5/2/25)
“Syria’s new rulers have angrily denounced raids launched by Israel’s air force against unidentified targets near the presidential palace in Damascus, warning of a “dangerous escalation”. Israeli officials said the attacks were intended to send a message to the Syrian government after days of bloody clashes near Damascus between pro-government militia forces and fighters from the Druze minority sect. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and the defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a joint statement that the attack early on Friday, the second this week in Syria, was intended to deter the country’s new leadership from any hostile move against the Druze.” See also Israel says it carried out a warning strike in defense of Syria’s Druze community (Reuters 4/30/25); ‘We can reach him’: Israel strikes Damascus in warning to Sharaa over Druze attacks (Al Monitor 5/2/25); Syria Druze leader decries ‘genocidal attack’ as clashes leave 101 dead (Al Monitor 5/1/25); Israeli airstrike hits Beirut suburb despite ceasefire with Hezbollah (Guardian 4/27/25);
Gaza humanitarian aid ship ‘bombed by drones’ in waters off Malta (The Guardian 5/2/25)
“A ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists to Gaza has been bombed by drones and disabled while in international waters off Malta as it headed towards the Palestinian territory, its organisers have said. “At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters,” the group said in a statement. “Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull,” it added, blaming Israel.” See also Activist aid ship hit by drones on way to Gaza, NGO says (Reuters 5/2/25); Freedom Flotilla accuses Israel of alleged drone attack on Gaza aid ship (Al Jazeera 5/2/25)
At a Dubai Conference, Trump’s Conflicts Take Center Stage (NYT 5/1/25)
“A deal for a state-backed Emirati firm to use a Trump-affiliated digital coin was announced in a panel that included the president’s son and his business partner, who promised, “This is only the beginning.”’ See also New Mideast Project Is Latest Trump Company Deal Tied to a Foreign Government (NYT 4/30/25)
U.S. Military Says Its Air Campaign Has Hit More Than 800 Targets in Yemen (NYT 4/27/25)
“President Trump ordered a start to the strikes against the Houthis on March 15. Congressional officials say the campaign has cost well over $1 billion.” See also Britain Joins U.S. in Strike Against Houthis in Yemen (NYT 4/30/25); Missile Fired From Yemen Triggers Sirens Across Northern Israel (Haaretz 5/2/25); US Navy loses $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier (CNN 4/29/25);
U.S. strike killed scores of African migrants in Yemen, Houthis say (WaPo 4/28/25)
“Yemen’s Houthis said a U.S. missile strike hit a migrant detention center overnight, killing at least 68 African migrants and injuring dozens more…U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it was aware of the claims of civilian casualties. “We are currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims,” the statement said.” See also U.S.-Made Bomb Fragments Identified at Strike on a Migrant Facility in Yemen That Killed Nearly 70 (Drop Site 5/1/25); The Trump Administration Is Hiding American Casualties of War (The Intercept 5/2/25);
RIVER TO THE SEA
Hussein al-Sheikh, Abbas protege named Palestinian VP, draws mixed reactions (Al Monitor 5/1/25)
“The future of Hussein Sheikh, the newly elected vice-chair of the PLO’s Executive Committee and vice president of the State of Palestine, remains uncertain. These roles effectively position him as a likely successor to Mahmoud Abbas, placing him in the line of leadership even as questions loom over whether Sheikh — a figure entangled in controversies and generally viewed with skepticism by large swaths of the Palestinian population — can succeed in leading the Palestinian cause in the long shadows of former President Yasser Arafat and, to a lesser extent, Abbas. Unlike many prominent figures in the Palestinian leadership, Sheikh, a native of the occupied territories and a former prisoner in Israeli jails, is not a typical homegrown leader and may represent a new generation following Arafat and Abbas, both of whom grew up outside the occupied territories. Sheikh spent roughly ten years, from 1978 to 1988, in an Israeli prison as a young man — an experience that shaped both his political worldview and his reputation among Palestinians. It is unclear why he was imprisoned or whether he was charged with any crime…In political terms, Sheikh embodies many of the positions associated with Abbas: moderation, a rejection of armed struggle and a heavy reliance on negotiations. His relative youth — he’s 64, while Abbas will turn 90 this November — fluency in Hebrew and understanding of Israeli political dynamics may give him an edge over previous leaders. However, despite these attributes, Sheikh does not seem to fit the mold of the local leadership many Palestinians hope for. He is not a figure like Marwan Barghouti — a Palestinian leader currently serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli prison — or even Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah’s Central Committee. Sheikh’s tenure as head of the Civil Affairs Ministry, which saw him manage crucial coordination with Israeli authorities, led to perceptions that he was too closely aligned with Israel, and allegations of corruption during his time in office have tainted his reputation.” See also Palestinian president names Hussein al-Sheikh vice-president of PLO and his likely successor (Guardian 4/26/25); For Israel, al-Sheikh appointment as Palestinian VP signals continuity, pragmatism (Al Monitor 5/1/25)
Breaking new records, Israel sees unprecedented spike in media censorship (Haggai Matar//+972 Magazine 5/2/25)
“In 2024, military censorship in Israel reached the most extreme levels since +972 Magazine began collecting data in 2011. Over the course of the year, the censor completely banned the publication of 1,635 articles and partially censored another 6,265. On average, the censor intervened in about 21 news reports per day last year — more than double the previous peak of about 10 daily interventions recorded during the last war in Gaza in 2014 (Operation Protective Edge), and over three times the non-war-time average of 6.2 per day. These figures were provided by the military censor in response to a joint request from +972 Magazine and the Movement for the Freedom of Information in Israel, ahead of World Press Freedom Day. While the military censor does not disclose the reasons behind each intervention, Israel’s ongoing war of destruction in Gaza, as well as its conflicts in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, is likely the main reason behind this record surge in censorship…When the censor intervenes, media outlets are forbidden from indicating that censorship has taken place, meaning most of its activity remains hidden from the public. No other self-described “Western democracy” has a comparable institution.”
Israel’s Shin Bet security chief says he will resign after Netanyahu row (The Guardian 4/28/25)
“Ronen Bar, the director of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service, has said he will resign in less than two months, after weeks of tension with Benjamin Netanyahu, who has tried to fire him, bringing Israel to the brink of a constitutional crisis…Last week, in a 31-page affidavit to the supreme court, Bar, 59, alleged that Netanyahu had tried to fire him for refusing to pledge his loyalty to the prime minister over the courts and tried to use the agency to spy on anti-government protesters. Netanyahu filed his response with the court on Sunday, rejecting Bar’s accusations. He has repeatedly referred to a “deep state” in Israel that he alleges seeks to thwart democratically elected leaders and undermine elected governments.”
The Jerusalem Wildfires Are No Surprise, but Israel Ignored All Warnings (Nir Hasson//Haaretz 5/1/25)
“There was nothing particularly surprising about the wave of wildfires that raged on Wednesday in the Jerusalem area. Israel’s Meteorological Service had been warning for several days that Wednesday would be a day of wildfires…As usual, the politicians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, right-wing Channel 14 and online discourse all focus on the question of arson, and as always – this is not the right question…The fire and rescue service, perhaps the only government authority that takes climate change seriously, prepared and deployed forces, and published an order that bans lighting fires in open areas. But other relevant bodies – police, army, emergency services, the Foreign Ministry – did not take any special precautions in case of fires.” See also Jerusalem hills wildfires under control after nearly 30 hours; no major injuries (TOI 5/1/25); Appoint Clowns, Expect a Circus: Jerusalem Fire Exposes Core Flaws in Netanyahu’s Government (Haaretz 5/2/25);
Residents of This Palestinian Hamlet Look Around, and See No Way Out (Haaretz 4/26/25)
“The face of the land tells the story. A tiny shepherd community, its homes and tents touchingly well tended, is fenced in from all sides. The wire was put up by settlers, some of whose homes abut the hamlet, even as they choke it, in order to mark the living space which for this pastoralist community is the dying space. The fences mark the “blue line” that demarcates “state lands.” For the occupation authorities and the settlers, who are interchangeable in this part of the country – the South Hebron Hills, in the cluster of hamlets known collectively as Masafer Yatta – everything that is considered state land is the private preserve of the settlers, where they can do as they please, including attacking anyone who dares venture onto it. It’s heart-wrenching to see the hamlet being suffocated by wire on the threshold of its homes…This week we returned to Umm al-Kheir to see what the distant war in Gaza had wrought even in this small community of shepherds amid the battered landscape, which gained world fame when the documentary film “No Other Land” won an Oscar last month…The next expulsion is on the way.” See also Settlers and Soldiers Unite to Deny Palestinians Water in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley (Haaretz 4/28/25); PHOTOS: Besieged by settlers, Palestinians race to harvest wheat early (+972 Magazine 4/28/25)
Arabs in Israel Face a Stark Choice: Arm Themselves or Pay Protection Money to Criminal gangs (Haaretz 4/28/25)
“Crime and homicide rates continue to soar in Israel’s Palestinian communities, with trust in the police at an all-time low. ‘People feel like there’s no one to turn to – and worse, that the very institution meant to protect them is a source of fear,’ says one activist.” See also Nakba Day March in Northern Israel Canceled After Police Ban Palestinian Flags (Haaretz 4/29/25); Border cop convicted of assaulting Palestinian woman gets police certificate of merit (TOI 4/29/25)
Far-right Mob Storms Reform Synagogue in Ra’anana Screening Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony (Haaretz 4/29/25)
“Dozens of right-wing activists protested outside a screening of the joint Israeli-Palestinian ceremony marking Israel’s Memorial Day at the Beit Samueli synagogue, which houses a Reform congregation in the city of Ra’anana, on Tuesday. Some of the protesters broke into the synagogue, and eyewitnesses reported they hurled stones, threw objects and set off fireworks near the synagogue…The activists reportedly chased viewers of the screening, shouting “May your village burn” and “Go to Gaza.”…In video footage, the mob can be seen yelling chants like “Death to terrorists,” “Not in our country” and “All Arabs are whores.”’ See also Ra’anana Rabbi Says People ‘Feared for Their Lives’ as Far-right Mob Stormed Reform Synagogue (Haaretz 4/30/25); Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony Dares to Defy the Cycle of a Bloody Reality (Haaretz 4/29/25); Against all odds, Israelis and Palestinians mark 20th joint Memorial Day ceremony (+972 Magazine 4/29/25);
‘We’ve killed so many children — it’s hard to argue with that’ (Oren Ziv//+972 Magazine 5/1/25)
“On Saturday, April 26, hundreds of demonstrators in downtown Tel Aviv stood together in complete silence, holding portraits of Gazan children who have been killed since Israel shattered the ceasefire on March 18. The vigil coincided with the weekly anti-government protests, and as thousands made their way to the scheduled rallies at Hostages Square and Begin Bridge, they passed by the quiet display…At first glance, the silent display of photos — a simple act to make space to mourn Gazan children — would seem unremarkable. But in light of the Israeli public’s general indifference to the destruction of Gaza, these vigils, which have been held since March 22, have managed to begin to crack the wall of apathy. They also stand out against the backdrop of a near total absence of images from Gaza in Israeli media and the public space over the past year and a half.” See also Israelis protest against Gaza war with rare outcry over Palestinian casualties (The Guardian 4/25/25); Israel’s anti-war protests avoid Gaza. These women are changing that. (WaPo 4/21/25); I Was a West Bank Settler. This Is Why I Refused to Serve in the IDF (Aharon Dardik//Haaretz 4/28/25)
U.S. SCENE
Antisemitism Awareness Act’s future in question after committee postpones vote (JI 4/30/25)
“Senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee postponed a final vote on advancing the Antisemitism Awareness Act after approving four amendments that could jeopardize GOP support for the bill and leave its future passage once again in question…Sanders told reporters after the meeting that opposition to the legislation reflected “opposition and concern about this country moving toward an authoritarian society. You are seeing an understanding that speaking out and opposing [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s horrific war in Gaza, which has killed over 50,000 people, is not antisemitic, and that there is growing concern about what the Trump administration is doing in attacking our constitutional due process.” He said that the Trump administration’s actions, including detentions of college students with student visas, had helped build opposition to the bill. The meeting also featured a series of speeches from Paul as he made the case that the IHRA definition’s contemporary examples would violate free speech. He argued, at various points, that it is racist to describe Israel as a Jewish state, that Jewish comedians routinely employ stereotypes about Jewish people, that comparisons between modern political figures or governments and the Nazis are mundane and not problematic, that the Department of Education would send armed police to college campuses to suppress speech and that some, if not all, Jews held responsibility for the death of Jesus.” See also Progressive Jewish groups oppose Antisemitism Awareness Act ahead of Senate vote (JTA 4/30/25); Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statements (The Forward 4/29/25); Senate committee approves amendment to Antisemitism Awareness Act stating criticism of Israeli government isn’t antisemitic (JTA 4/30/25)
At Harvard, reports on antisemitism and anti-Palestinian bias reflect campus conflict over Israel (Arno Rosenfeld//The Forward 4/29/25)
“Harvard released two reports Tuesday that describe widely divergent views of campus life over the past two years, with students on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict describing incidents of discrimination and alienation at the nation’s most prestigious university. The highly anticipated report with findings from the school’s task force on combating antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias was released alongside a similar document on anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bias. Both reports described a polarized campus where students and faculty were afraid to voice their views about Israel and the war in Gaza, and faced retaliation when they did so. But the culprits differed: The antisemitism task force blamed the student body’s increasingly hostile views toward Israel, and an embrace of more strident and disruptive forms of activism, for the painful sense of social isolation many Jewish students described…In contrast, the anti-Palestinian bias task force reported that many Arab and Muslim students and staff felt that school administrators and official policies were deeply biased against them. “Ultimately, many feel that no one in leadership cares about them — that they have been abandoned,” the report stated.” See also 8 Takeaways From Harvard’s Task Force Reports (The Crimson 4/30/25)
Orders to Investigate Columbia Protesters Raised Alarms in Justice Dept. (NYT 5/1/25)
“A top Trump appointee in the Justice Department ordered an aggressive investigation in the last several months of student protesters at Columbia University, raising anger and alarm among career prosecutors and investigators who saw the demand as politically motivated and lacking legal merit, people familiar with the episode said. The demand for the inquiry into students who protested Israel’s conduct of the conflict in Gaza also prompted pushback from a federal magistrate judge, who believed some of the steps being sought by the official, Emil Bove III, were unjustified and might violate the First Amendment, the people said. The breadth of the investigation, conducted by the Justice Department’s civil rights division, has not been previously reported. The ensuing clash highlights the tensions roiling the department as administration officials seek to enact President Trump’s agenda. That bid includes redirecting the civil rights division away from its traditional approach of protecting the rights of minority groups to a new mission of fulfilling a campaign promise to crack down on student protesters amid accusations of rampant antisemitism on college campuses.” See also Anti-Defamation League says anger at Israel is now the driving force behind antisemitism in the US (AP 4/22/25)
ICE Expands Student Deportation Powers (Inside Higher Ed 5/2/25)
“The Trump administration issued plans earlier this week for a new policy that vastly expands federal officials’ authority to terminate students’ legal residency status, according to newly released court documents. The policy detailed in the filings asserts that immigration officials have the “inherent authority” to terminate students’ legal residency status in the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System “as needed.”…mmigration attorneys told Inside Higher Ed that if implemented, the new policy would enshrine broad permission for ICE to begin deporting students practically at will…The plan comes less than a week after the administration began restoring thousands of foreign students’ SEVIS statuses after a series of court decisions overturned hundreds of status terminations. [Immigration attorney Charles] Kuck said the plan seemed to be a way for ICE to get around those rulings.” See also Trump nominates Mike Waltz as U.N. ambassador (JI 5/2/25); On the Day He Was Fired as National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz Used an Israeli App to Archive Signal Messages (Drop Site 5/2/25); Far-right Israeli minister scores first meetings on Capitol Hill, none with Trump administration (JI 4/28/25)
PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS
What is the role of Israelis in the Palestinian liberation movement? (Fadi Shabita//+972 Magazine 4/25/25)
“Like many popular struggles for liberation throughout history, the Palestinian fight against Israeli apartheid is defined by a confrontation between two distinct sides: oppressor and oppressed. Yet, like in almost every other instance — from the South African anti-apartheid movement to Algerian resistance to French colonialism — some individuals from within the ruling side have blurred this divide, choosing to oppose the mechanisms of domination and disassociate themselves from the actions of their own society. This recurring phenomenon has consistently forced liberation movements to address difficult questions: Should they embrace dissenting voices from the oppressor’s camp or regard them with suspicion? Does active solidarity from the other side strengthen their movement or risk undermining it?…The crucial question is not whether there is room for joint struggle with Israelis, but what conditions must exist to ensure that such cooperation truly promotes liberation and equality.”
Israel’s False Paramedics Story Exemplifies Its Information War Against Palestinians (Yara Asi//Arab Center DC 5/1/25)
“Once the indefensible reality of the story became public, the Israeli narrative quickly changed. While admitting to making “mistakes,” the Israeli military pivoted to accusing six of the paramedics of being “linked to Hamas,” with no evidence. The mass grave? Simply to protect the bodies from wild animals. Nothing to see here! While it is impossible to quantify how often this type of incident occurs—the Israeli military killing Palestinians and then lying about the circumstances to justify the actions—many such event have come to light in just the past few years. It then becomes vital to interrogate how these narratives have been used to both obscure the (well documented) reality as well as to minimize outrage over harms against Palestinians.
I Can’t Believe Anyone Thinks Trump Actually Cares About Antisemitism (Michelle Goldberg//NYT 4/28/25)
“Trump’s treatment of L.G.B.T.Q. people should have been a lesson to anyone tempted to take his campaign against antisemitism seriously, when it is screamingly obvious that it’s just a pretext to attack liberal institutions. Trump and his allies, after all, have mainstreamed antisemitism to an astonishing degree. Elon Musk, to whom Trump has outsourced the remaking of the federal government, is perhaps the world’s largest purveyor of antisemitic propaganda, thanks to his platform X…Yet I’ve been astonished to learn that some people believe that when the administration attacks academia for its purported antisemitism, it’s acting in good faith…It seems to me that there’s another sort of derangement at play here, rooted in the way Israel’s defenders conflate all but the mildest criticism of Israel with antisemitism. There have certainly been incidents of crude anti-Jewish bigotry in the protests that followed Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But too many backers of Israel can’t seem to imagine a reason besides antisemitic animus for impassioned opposition to Israel’s merciless war on Gaza. This leads them to vastly overstate the scale of antisemitism on the left and, in turn, to rationalize away Trump’s authoritarianism as he attempts to crush progressive redoubts.” See also Trump Doesn’t Want to Protect All Jewish Students — Just Those on His Team (Peter Beinart//NYT 4/28/25);