NEW FROM FMEP
How Powerful Is Israel’s Lobby? (New Occupied Thoughts episode)
FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Eli Clifton and Ian Lustick, co-authors of the new book Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power. They discuss the priorities and mechanisms used by what the call the Israel Lobby and whether it always gets its way; how to talk about the Israel lobby without being a conspiracy theorist; and the possibilities for the Israel lobby’s future.
Settlement & Annexation Report: August 21, 2026 (Kristin McCarthy)
WEST BANK: E-1 Tender Published; Kadim Settlement Reestablished; Groups File Petition to Stop West Bank Land Registration; Ben Gvir Wants WB Powers; STATE-BACKED SETTLER TERRORISM: Qusra, Al-Mughayyir, Sa’ir; BONUS READS
FMEP Legislative Round-Up August 21, 2026 (Lara Friedman)
1. Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters & Reports; 3. Hearings & Markups; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
GLOBAL/REGION
After meeting Netanyahu, Kushner agrees Hamas disarmament precedes Israel’s withdrawal (Al Monitor 8/17/26)
“A four-hour meeting between US advisor Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Monday Israel’s request that any withdrawal from Gaza would only take place after the Palestinian militant group Hamas —that Kushner met officials from the day before— would disarm. Channel 12 reported that they agreed that the first step toward demilitarization would be for Hamas to hand over all its weapons for destruction under the supervision of the international stabilization force. The report added that Israel would be allowed to continue operations targeting Hamas militants who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.” See also Kushner Meets With Hamas to Advance Trump’s Gaza Plan (NYT 8/16/26); Trump Officials Move to Fund Gaza Peacekeepers Even as Peace Plan Falters (NYT 8/20/26)
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon kill 11 in worst toll since June truce (The Guardian 8/15/26)
“Eleven people have been killed, including three children, and 19 injured in two Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the worst toll since deals in June brought a lull in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.”
Syria blames Israel for strikes on military airport in Idlib (Al Monitor 8/18/26)
“A Syrian airport in the northwestern province of Idlib was hit by a series of airstrikes early Tuesday that Damascus blamed on Israel…The Abu al-Duhur base has also drawn attention amid Turkey’s expanding military role in Syria, with reports that Ankara has been involved in efforts to rehabilitate the facility.” See also Turkey seeks Interpol Red Notices for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla (Al Monitor 8/21/26); Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria (Al Monitor 8/20/26); Syrian foreign minister to Axios: Israeli bombing of airbase was unjustified (Axios 8/19/26); Turkey issues fresh ‘genocide’ arrest warrant for Netanyahu amid growing Syria tensions (TOI 8/21/26);
US sanctions International Criminal Court president, top lawyer (Al Monitor 8/18/26)
“The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions against the International Criminal Court’s president and a senior trial lawyer, deepening its confrontation with the tribunal it says is biased against the United States and Israel. The new sanctions target ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, a senior trial lawyer for the court. They follow Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement last month of a campaign to “systematically disable” the Hague-based court “brick by brick, if necessary.”…The Trump administration previously sanctioned ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who was removed from his post last month amid allegations of sexual misconduct. It also sanctioned Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, whom it accused of antisemitism and support for terrorism. The administration also announced last year it would be withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, citing UNESCO’s inclusion of Palestine as a member state.” See also US Treasury issues Hezbollah sanctions, labels group Iran-linked (Al Monitor 8/20/26)
UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada condemn Israel’s West Bank settlement project (BBC 8/20/26)
“Israel’s plans to open up tenders for the construction of some 1,200 settlement homes in a strategically important part of the occupied West Bank have sparked fresh condemnation by major Western powers. In a joint statement, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada called the decision “unacceptable” and urged Israel to “retract the plans immediately”. All settlements are illegal under international law and, under international pressure, Israel held off for decades on plans to build in E1 to the east of Jerusalem.” See also EU said readying cross-industry sanctions against Israel over E1 settlement project (TOI 8/21/26); Israel moves forward with internationally condemned settlement plan that could ‘bury’ two-state solution (CNN 8/20/26)
Eight Arab and Muslim countries condemn planned Israeli settlement expansion in E1(TOI 8/21/26)
“The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemn Israel’s settlement policies in the West Bank and say they categorically reject a planned settlement expansion in the controversial E1 area.”
UK, Canada, Australia slam Israel for closing probe into deadly World Central Kitchen strike (TOI 8/21/26)
“Britain, Canada and Australia condemn as “shameful” Israel’s decision to close an investigation into the deaths of seven aid workers killed in Gaza in 2024. The World Central Kitchen employees — three Britons, a dual US-Canadian national, a Pole, an Australian and a Palestinian — died in a drone strike on their vehicle convoy after overseeing the unloading of a food aid shipment. Israel’s military called the incident a “tragic mistake.”’ See also ‘Shameful’: UK, Australia and Canada criticise Israel over Gaza aid convoy killings decision (The Guardian 8/21/26); Australia summons Israeli ambassador over World Central Kitchen strike: What to know (Al Monitor 8/20/26);
US plans to again bar Abbas from going to NYC for UN address next month — official (TOI 8/20/26)
“For the second year in a row, US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to prevent Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York next month to speak before the United Nations General Assembly, a US official told The Times of Israel. The US refused to grant Abbas a visa to enter the US last year, claiming the PA had been taking steps that undermine prospects for peace. Washington didn’t elaborate on its specific grievances with Ramallah at the time, and the move was seen as part of an effort to undermine a conference that France and Saudi Arabia were hosting ahead of the General Assembly’s high-level week last year that was aimed at promoting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Arms sales to Israel are slowing. But that’s only half the story (Sahar Vardi//+972 Magazine 8/19/26)
“Since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza in October 2023, two dozen countries have announced plans to halt or restrict arms transfers to the occupying power. In the past year alone, even amid the so-called ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began in October 2025, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines have canceled deals with Israeli weapons companies. Yet while international scrutiny has largely focused on the foreign companies and governments supplying Israel with arms, far less attention has been paid to the flow of weapons in the opposite direction: Israel’s own military exports. Over the same period, the country’s defense industry has greatly expanded its sales abroad, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Israeli companies — and, crucially, for the state itself.”
Israeli PR wants to answer your ChatGPT questions (Politico 8/14/26)
“Israel has launched a new campaign to influence how large-language models like ChatGPT are answering questions about Gaza and the Israel Defense Forces amid declining public support for the country across the U.S. political spectrum.”
GAZA
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 17 Palestinians (Drop Site 8/19/26)
“Israel escalates its attacks on Gaza, killing 17, wounding 38 over the past 24 hours: An Israeli strike on a seaside cafe on Tuesday killed seven Palestinians and wounded 14, with Al Jazeera confirming at least one child was among those killed…At least nine Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on the Municipalities Police headquarters in Gaza City, according to Gaza’s Interior Ministry. The strike hit during a busy time in the middle of day and close to a crowded municipal park.”
94 Percent of Gazans Need Shelter and Housing Assistance, UN-backed Survey Says (Haaretz 8/20/26)
“Ten months after Israel and Hamas declared a cease-fire in Gaza, 94 percent of the Palestinian population in the enclave is still lacking proper shelter and housing conditions, according to a new report released Thursday. A report released Thursday, authored by the Shelter Cluster – coalition of humanitarian organizations that works on housing in Gaza – and led by the Norwegian Refugee Council and the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration surveyed nearly 2,000 participants living in Gaza, and found that 1.98 million Palestinians in Gaza, an overwhelming majority, live in tents, temporary shelters, or semi-destroyed buildings and need assistance with housing and basic equipment…According to the report, 54 percent of the surveyed households lived in tents, an additional 11 percent in makeshift shelters, and the rest in buildings, many of which are semi-destroyed due to erosion and war damage, posing security and health risks to inhabitants. The report also found 71 percent of all households experienced flooding this past winter…98 percent of respondents reported an environmental hazard within 10 meters of their residence, “including rodents, stray dogs, solid waste, rubble or sewage.” 89 percent also reported rodents were inside their shelters.”
Israel admits its soldiers fired at car in which Hind Rajab was killed (The Guardian 8/21/26)
“The Israeli military admitted on Wednesday its troops had opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in 2024, saying it had ordered a criminal investigation into the killing. The killing of Hind and her family was one of the most high profile of a series of incidents involving civilian casualties during the first months of the Gaza conflict which prompted international outrage. Hind died after a desperate three-hour phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent on 29 January 2024 in which she pleaded for rescue. The family’s Kia Picanto car had been hit as they sought to flee a new Israeli offensive into Gaza City. All the other passengers were also killed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) repeatedly denied its troops had been in the area near the incident, but investigations by media and others found evidence that strongly suggested nearby Israeli tanks were responsible. Palestinian paramedics dispatched an ambulance to rescue Hind and stayed on the line until contact was lost, but the ambulance too came under fire, killing two medics. The bodies of the casualties were only retrieved 12 days later when Israeli troops withdrew. The IDF also admitted on Wednesday that troops had fired on the ambulance…Criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops over the killing of Palestinians rarely lead to convictions.” See also IDF to open criminal inquiry into Gaza’s Hind Rajab case, closes probe of World Central Kitchen deaths (TOI 8/19/26)
Ben Gvir: We should kill ’30 to 40′ of Israel’s enemies in Gaza every night, ‘they’re not worthy of life’ (TOI 8/17/26)
“National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for killing “30 to 40” people in the Gaza Strip each night, apparently referring to Hamas operatives and other enemies of Israel, in comments made in an interview aired Saturday and shared widely by Arab media outlets Sunday. The far-right lawmaker, who holds one of the most senior positions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, made the statement while speaking to former Palestinian Islamic Jihad hostage Rom Braslavski, in the inaugural episode of the ex-captive’s “October 8” podcast. “It’s no secret, I disagree with the prime minister,” Ben Gvir said of Israel’s scaled-back military operations against Hamas and other targets in Gaza amid an international push to move ahead with US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. “I think we should carry out targeted assassinations in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night,” he said. “Not just those who pose an immediate threat. No, there are people there who are not worthy of life,” he elaborated. “They shouldn’t live,” Ben Gvir continued. “They’re not even people.”’
RIVER TO THE SEA
The Torture Regime: How Israeli prisons went from centers of Palestinian resistance to machines of Palestinian death (Dikla Taylor-Sheinman//Jewish Currents Fall 2026 issue)
“These harrowing accounts testify to the ways in which, in recent years, Israeli prisons have become institutions not primarily of incarceration but of torture and death. The use of torture against detainees is, of course, not new; according to legal scholar Neve Gordon, Israeli intelligence officers have long used torture to extract information in initial interrogations. But “today, it’s very different,” Gordon told me. “The torture has metastasized. It has spread to the prison officers that are in charge of taking care of the prisoners in their cells. It is carried out through the prison and all its regulations.” Since taking office in 2022, far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has particularly devoted himself to promoting this metastasis, ensuring that “the conditions of detention” become “part of the punishment for Palestinians,” in the words of PHRI’s [Naji] Abbas. Before October 7th, this meant a rise in solitary confinement and daily beatings, the reduction of rations, and the denial of lifesaving healthcare. Afterward, these conditions worsened precipitously as Israel mobilized wartime emergency measures to swell its prison population while increasingly shielding itself from scrutiny for what happened behind bars. “The page turned in 2023,” the political theorist Shai Gortler told me. “The logic of the Israeli carceral system is now one of starvation, beatings, killings.”’
Palestinian Teenager Killed After Israeli Settlers Enter West Bank Village (NYT 8/21/26)
“Saad Shlaldeh, the mayor of the village, called Sair, said a large group of settlers had attacked the village around 10 a.m., killing one person and setting fire to property.” See also Palestinian Teen Killed in West Bank Settler Raid; IDF Says ‘Security Official’ Opened Fire (Haaretz 8/21/26); ‘We Will Return to Gaza Too’: Netanyahu Ministers Inaugurate New Israeli Settlement in West Bank (Haaretz 8/20/26)
The Israeli Siege of Palestinian Families in Qusra Is Part of an Escalating Tactic (Zena Tahhan//Drop Site 8/20/26)
“For the 12th consecutive day, three Palestinian families, comprising 10 people, including two young children, have been trapped inside their homes in the occupied West Bank, besieged and terrorized by dozens of armed Israelis—both settlers and soldiers. The family members have been stuck in separate homes, unable to shelter together or attend to their basic needs, with food supplies running dangerously low and without access to cooking gas or a fridge. While the siege on the three families has garnered international media attention and statements of condemnation, the attack is not the first of its kind, but rather a more prominent example of a growing tactic by Israeli settlers and soldiers working in tandem to dispossess Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank. The attacks are increasingly focused on Palestinian communities in Area B, a designation under the Oslo Accords where the Palestinian Authority is nominally in charge of civil administration while Israel retains security control.” See also Palestinians say they’re still trapped in homes, 11 days after settler siege commenced (TOI 8/19/26); Anti-occupation Activist Barred by IDF From Closed Military Zone as Settlers Roam Freely in Qusra Near Soldiers (Haaretz 8/19/26); After Qusra, Jewish extremists establish outpost at military airfield used to evacuate casualties (yNet 8/20/26);
Palestinian-American raises US flag upon return to Qusra home besieged by settlers (TOI 8/17/26)
“The Palestinian-American owner of a house besieged by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank returned to the home in Qusra on Monday, raising an American flag, as he called for the US embassy to offer him protection. Louai Abu Ridi owns one of the three houses in Qusra, near Nablus, which settlers began surrounding more than a week ago in an apparent effort to force the residents to flee, trapping residents inside, and generating condemnation around the world. His brother, Qusai Abu Ridi, is stuck inside the house and has been relaying the situation of residents to the outside world.” See also Palestinian American returns to West Bank to defend his home under siege by Israeli settlers (AP 8/17/26); Inside the return of a Palestinian-American to home besieged by Israeli settlers in West Bank (NBC 8/17/26); ‘We will stand our ground until death’: Qusra families fear permanent displacement as settler siege drags on (New Arab 8/20/26);
Huckabee: Israeli Settlers Besieging Palestinian Americans’ Home Could Face Sanctions (Haaretz 8/20/26)
“U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has warned militant Israeli settlers in the West Bank not to steal property owned by Palestinian Americans, describing such behavior as “a violation of God’s law.” Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longtime supporter of Israel’s settlements, told Reuters in an interview that settlers found to have taken part in a siege of homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, including one belonging to Palestinian-American Loui Ridi, could be punished with U.S. sanctions.” See also US officials to reportedly tour West Bank town besieged by settler extremists (TOI 8/17/26);
Qusra is where Israel’s lies about settler violence hit a wall (Oren Ziv 8/18/26)
“Settlers have been besieging a Palestinian family for 10 days in an effort to seize their home. The army’s unwillingness to stop them tells the whole story.” See also As Army Fails to Protect Palestinians, Israeli Leaders Sympathize With Settlers (NYT 8/14/26); IDF Declines to Enforce Order Barring Israeli Settlers From Besieged Palestinian Land (Haaretz 8/17/26)
Israeli settler attacks shift focus to West Bank areas under direct Palestinian rule (The Guardian 8/21/26)
“Violent Israeli settler attacks in the two areas of the occupied West Bank under direct Palestinian rule have almost doubled since 2025, as settlers pursue a self-proclaimed “great settlement revolution” in the very heart of the territory earmarked for a Palestinian state. According to a report by the Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din, shared with the Guardian, data shows that almost two-thirds of incidents of settler violence so far in 2026 have taken place in the so-called Areas A and B – placed under Palestinian Authority governance in the 1995 Oslo accords.” See also IDF Marks Palestinian Detainees With Numbers as It Expands Northern West Bank Operations (Haaretz 8/18/26); Violent Israeli settlers want to provoke a Palestinian uprising (The Economist 8/17/26)
Israel’s Ben-Gvir posts video of gallows site for hanging Palestinians (Guardian 8/20/26)
“Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has posted a gloating video of the construction of a gallows complex where Palestinians convicted of terror offences – but not Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes – will be hanged. Ben-Givr, who has previously attracted international sanctions and condemnation for his activities, said the new execution site would be equipped with viewing booths for families of victims to watch the hangings.”
How Israel’s Financial Chokehold Is Stifling the West Bank Economy (NYT 8/18/26)
“Israeli pressure on the West Bank has sent the occupied territory to the brink of financial collapse as severe restrictions have touched every part of daily life and caused an economic crisis…As an occupied territory, the West Bank is inescapably economically dependent on Israel, which controls who and what enters and leaves that territory and the Gaza Strip, including the money that flows in and out. The Oslo Accords in the 1990s reinforced that dependency, making the Israeli shekel the main currency in both territories and establishing links between Israeli and Palestinian banks. That has effectively given Israel control of a financial spigot that it can turn off.”
U.S. SCENE
These Protesters Were Charged With Terrorism. Who’s Next? (Rozina Ali//NYT 8/18/26)
“Earlier this summer, a federal judge sentenced a group of eight anti-ICE activists to a collective 450 years in prison after what has become the first “test case” for the Trump administration’s crackdown on left-wing activism…The decades-long sentences in the Prairieland case were only possible because prosecutors brought forth an unusual charge: “material support” for terrorism. This law, which has been used to prosecute primarily Muslims in the years after 9/11, is being broadly applied under the Trump administration against people President Trump characterizes as his political enemies. Who and what constitutes “terrorism” could have broad implications for our civil liberties. If Mr. Trump’s statements are any indicator, what happened at Prairieland is not likely to be an isolated incident…This law has not only been used against individuals; prosecutors have also turned it against nonprofits, ultimately shutting down a major Muslim charity and complicating the work of others.” See also U.S. Citizen Who Deleted Phone’s Data Says His Prosecution Puts Privacy at Risk (NYT 8/21/26);
Whistleblower alleges political pressure, lack of evidence in antisemitism probes targeting schools (AP 8/18/26)
“A Trump administration task force created to combat antisemitism pushed for settlements with Ivy League universities despite government investigations that were rushed and incomplete or that failed to establish legal violations by the schools, a former Justice Department lawyer alleged in a whistleblower disclosure obtained by The Associated Press. The complaint alleges that the investigations into some of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions were designed to strong-arm the schools into cutting deals for political purposes. Outcomes of the investigations were “predetermined, without regard to the evidence” in a “politically mandated effort” to extract money from schools through settlement demands and funding freezes under the pretext of rooting out antisemitism, the complaint alleges.” See also Raskin claims administration’s campus antisemitism probes were ‘fake,’ schools were framed (JI 8/18/26);
Progressive Overcomes AIPAC Opposition to Win Race to Replace Swalwell (NYT 8/20/26)
“Aisha Wahab, a progressive Democratic state senator, defeated Melissa Hernandez, a moderate Democrat, in a special election to replace Eric Swalwell in California, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Swalwell abruptly resigned in April amid accusations of sexual misconduct. Ms. Wahab was widely seen as the front-runner to represent California’s 14th Congressional District, after she won the June primary for the race with 43 percent of the vote. But this week’s election results were far tighter, and the race was too close to call for two days as local officials continued to count ballots until Thursday. In the closing days of the race, several super PACs — including two with ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — spent millions on advertisements on television and social media targeting the district’s voters in the suburbs east of San Francisco. United Democracy Project, AIPAC’s super PAC, spent roughly $2.5 million, primarily denouncing Ms. Wahab.” See also AIPAC-backed Hernandez loses to progressive Wahab in California special election (JI 8/21/26); At Massachusetts Senate debate, Markey touts early call for blocking Israel arms sales (JI 8/21/26);
Overturning Anti-BDS Laws is the Next Fight for the Pro-Palestine Left (Mari Cohen & Alex Kane//Jewish Currents 8/20/26)
“In 2015, Illinois was one of the first states to pass legislation cracking down on the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement under pressure from pro-Israel groups. Now, as Israel’s popularity plummets, legislators in Springfield are looking to make their state one of the first to repeal its anti-BDS law. Their campaign is one of five nascent state-level efforts to repeal anti-BDS laws…Despite the change in the political winds on Israel, however, the obstacles to these repeal efforts remain significant. Since 2015, 38 states have put anti-BDS measures on the books. These measures—a mix of laws, executive orders, and resolutions—differ in their details from state to state. Some, like Illinois’s, block state pension funds from investing in companies that boycott Israel; some require companies that contract with the state to sign declarations saying they won’t boycott Israel; some simply condemn BDS. The measures passed quickly with bipartisan support, and have inspired lawmakers to pass similar laws aimed at squelching divestment efforts against fossil fuel and gun companies.”
Mamdani is fueling antisemitic violence, Jewish federation chief says (yNet 8/18/26)
“Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that his statements about Israel and Zionism are contributing to a rise in violence against Jews. “There is no question that his statements and behavior contribute to the increase in violence,” Fingerhut told ynet. “His statements and actions have incited and contributed to incitement to violence.”’ See also Israeli envoy likens Mamdani’s rhetoric to Nazi Germany (JTA 8/14/26); Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens Mamdani to leaders of Iran and Hezbollah (The Guardian 8/17/26);
PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS
How Far Will the Trump Administration Go to Deport Mahmoud Khalil? (Andrew Marantz//New Yorker 8/17/26)
“Khalil, a legal permanent resident, protested Israel when he was a student at Columbia. Now the Trump Administration is trying to kick him out of the country…The majority opinion, by the two Republican appointees, came down on a Thursday morning in January. It stripped Khalil of his previous legal protections, making him vulnerable to deportation. And it went further, narrowing the right to habeas corpus, which protects people from unlawful detention. “We game-planned for five scenarios—one to five, from best to worst,” one of Khalil’s lawyers told me. “We’re in Scenario 5. ” For decades, both left- and right-leaning judges had taken for granted that constitutional rights like habeas corpus applied to everyone on American soil, citizen or not. But now the Trump Administration was calling such long-standing principles into question, and some judges seemed inclined to follow its lead. (“The writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion, so that is an option we’re actively looking at,” Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s senior advisers, had told reporters.) When I spoke with Khalil, he said, “I did nothing illegal, so of course I will do whatever I can to stay.” And yet, he added, “it isn’t shocking, in my life and in the stories I grew up hearing from my relatives, this concept that, one day, you might be forced to leave.”’
We’re stitching our future back together in Gaza, one English word at a time (Said Alsaloul//+972 Magazine 8/20/26)
“In March, I founded a community called “Gaza English Corner.” I chose the name deliberately: I wanted something rooted in Gaza, a “corner” that belonged to us. I initially created it to help English learners improve their speaking and communication skills. But it quickly became something much larger — a space for learning, connection and survival amid destruction…In Gaza, where families are rationing food and calculating the cost of every basic necessity, spending that much money to practice English is an extraordinary sacrifice. Yet people continue to come because English has become more than a language skill. It can mean access to scholarships and education abroad, while the meetings themselves offer something increasingly rare here — a place to speak, grieve, connect, and imagine a less bleak future.”
What American Doctors Saw in Gaza (The Intercept 8/21/26)
“A new documentary follows three physicians facing the odds: limited medical supplies, Israeli bombing, and upon returning home, media bias and indifference.”
Gaza’s Teachers Struggle to Fill the Void of a School System Decimated by Israel (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 8/18/26)
“Before the genocide, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank had one of the highest literacy rates in the world, reaching over 97% in 2020, despite Israel’s brutal occupation. Yet for nearly three years in a row now, close to 700,000 Palestinian children have been deprived of formal in-person schooling in Gaza, according to UNICEF. Nearly 98% of school buildings in Gaza were damaged and over 93% of them (526 out of 564) require major rehabilitation or full reconstruction to be functional again. Any classrooms that remain usable have been converted into displacement shelters. Over the course of the war, some 20,000 school-age children and over 530 teachers in Gaza have been killed by Israel, according to Monir Abu Zaiter, the director of education in East Gaza. Tens of thousands more have been wounded, many with life-changing injuries. The “ceasefire” has not stopped the slaughter, with at least 300 children killed by Israel since the agreement came into effect in October, an average of one child killed every day. According to Abu Zaiter, some 19,500 students have also left Gaza since the beginning of the war. “Beyond missed school days, the crisis is driving severe learning loss: without regular instruction and practice, children’s foundational literacy and numeracy skills are eroding, making it harder to re-enter schooling and progress at age-appropriate levels,” UNICEF said in an April report.”
Israel is secretly surveilling its teachers. No prizes for guessing which ones (Gil Gertel//+972 Magazine 8/21/26)
“The Education Ministry is monitoring teachers online, searching not only for ‘incitement’ but mere criticism of the state — and 3 out of 4 targeted are Arab.”
In Jerusalem’s Mamilla Cemetery, an entire heritage is being erased (Tawfik Da’adli//+972 Magazine 8/20/26)
“With an ancient pool slated for renovation, the Israeli authorities are more concerned about disturbing toads than centuries-old Muslim graves.”