1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region//Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene

6. Activism//Lawfare//Redefining Antisemitism to Stifle Criticism of Israel

7. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

The Core Truths About Palestine and Israel (New Occupied Thoughts episode)

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with writer Ahmed Moor about why Israel/Palestine is not exceptional, why Palestinians turn to armed resistance, and why neither Palestinians nor Jewish Israelis will leave the land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea. Ahmed’s new essay, “The Palestine-Israel nightmare won’t end until we accept these basic truths” was published in the Guardian on July 8, 2024.

FMEP Legislative Round-Up July 19, 2024 (Lara Friedman)

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

Settlement & Annexation Report: July 19, 2024 (Kristin McCarthy)

1) Historic ICJ Advisory Opinion Says Israel’s Occupation is Illegal, Calls for Settlements to be Dismantled; 2) Israel Grants Itself Civilian Control of An Additional 3% of West Bank Land; 3) Settlers Enter Abu Nab House in Batan al-Hawa, Silwan As Shehadeh Family Faces 20-Day Eviction Notice; 4) Palestinians Blast IDF Closure of Courtyard in Ibrahimi Mosque Complex; 5) New Outpost Established East of Ramallah; 6) European Union Issues New Sanctions on Israeli Settlers, Orgs, and Outposts; 7) U.S. Sanctions Two More Individuals, Including First Military Target; 8) Further Reading on Silwan, Masafer Yatta & More; 9) Bonus Reads

GAZA

Israel bombards central Gaza, fighting rages in Rafah (Reuters 7/19/24)

“Israeli forces bombed parts of central Gaza on Friday, killing at least eight Palestinians in the Al-Nuseirat camp area, while fighting with Hamas militants raged in Rafah city in the south, where health officials said another five residents were killed. Into the tenth month of war, Israel’s aerial and tank shelling of central Gaza has intensified in the past week, killing dozens. Residents said the Israeli army blew up dozens of homes there in the past three days.” See also At least 60 people killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza Strip (Guardian 7/16/24); Gaza: Palestinian with Down syndrome ‘left to die’ by Israeli soldiers after combat dog attack (Middle East Eye); Israel’s war on Gaza live: Israeli attacks kill more than 80 in 24 hours (Al Jazeera 7/17/24)

Israeli strikes targeting Hamas military leader kill 90 in Gaza (WaPo 7/13/24)

“Israeli strikes on a stretch of Gaza filled with displaced residents killed at least 90 people on Saturday, according to the local health ministry, an attack Israel said had targeted top Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. It was not clear whether Deif, who heads Hamas’s armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in the strike…The strikes occurred in an area designated by Israel as a “humanitarian area,” according to the Post analysis of videos — an area where the IDF has touted the presence of hospitals, shelter, and “increased amounts” of supplies such as food and medicine…The [Israeli military] official did not deny that the area Israel struck was in the “humanitarian area,” but said it was struck “because we knew it was a Hamas compound.”’ See also from WaPo: Who is Mohammed Deif, Hamas military commander targeted by Israel?; These are Hamas’s top leaders; See also from Al Jazeera: Israel’s war on Gaza updates: 70 percent of UNRWA schools in Gaza bombed; Israel keeps bombing Gaza schools. Why do people still shelter there?

Highly infectious poliovirus found in Gaza sewage samples (The Guardian)

“The poliovirus has been found in sewage samples from Gaza putting thousands of people living in crowded displaced persons’ camps at risk of contracting the highly infectious disease that can cause deformities and paralysis. The Gaza ministry said tests carried out with the UN children’s agency, Unicef, “showed the presence of poliovirus” in the territory that has endured a devastating Israeli military offensive since the 7 October Hamas attacks…It highlighted “severe overcrowding” and “scarce water” that is becoming contaminated with sewage and the accumulation of rubbish. The ministry said Israel’s refusal to let hygiene supplies into Gaza “creates a suitable environment for the spread of different diseases”. “The detection of poliovirus in wastewater threatens a real health disaster and places thousands of people at risk of contracting polio.”’

UN rights office says ‘anarchy’ spreading in Gaza (Reuters)

“The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday warned that “anarchy” was spreading in the Gaza Strip, with rampant looting, unlawful killings and shootings as the population faces an acute humanitarian crisis. Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR for Gaza and the West Bank, described unlawful killings and looting in the absence of law enforcement linked to “Israel’s dismantling of local capacity to maintain public order and safety in Gaza”…Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for OHCHR, said the conditions in Gaza had “led to the predictable and entirely foreseeable unravelling of the fabric of society in Gaza, setting people against one another in a fight for survival and tearing communities apart.” “There is looting, mob justice, extortion of money, family disputes, random shootings, fighting for space and resources, and we see youths armed with sticks manning barricades,” he said.” See also US military shuts down problematic Gaza aid pier, shifts to Israeli port (Al Jazeera);

Israel Is Reviewing a Proposal to Install a “Moderate Muslim” Puppet Regime in Gaza (Yaniv Cogan//Drop Site)

“Israeli security officials praised the recent academic paper recommending the elimination of democracy in Gaza and the rebuilding of Gazan society into a “moderate Muslim entity” in the mold of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In the plan are several ideas for entirely remaking Gazan society, including razing refugee camps, banning “every existing” schoolbook, and establishing total control of the media. The proposal also calls for the elimination of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and shutting down the social and humanitarian programs run by Hamas and replacing them with an alternative Israeli-controlled structure…While some prominent Israeli political leaders and government officials have advocated a more extreme plan for Gaza that would entail a permanent military occupation or even the removal of the entire Palestinian population, the academics’ proposal opens a window into the range of options being contemplated at the highest levels of power in Israel…The paper, which you can access in full here, aggregates lessons from four different historical regime change operations—Japan and Germany after the Second World War, and Iraq and Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasions—and outlines recommendations for Israel’s current efforts to overthrow the democratically elected Hamas government in Gaza.” See also from Drop Site: Palestinian Islamic Jihad: “Oslo Is Over”

Why researchers fear the Gaza death toll could reach 186,000 (Mona Chalabi//The Guardian)

“Even if Israel’s bombing campaign were to stop, the death toll in Gaza is expected to soar. A letter published in the medical journal the Lancet claims that the final figure could eventually be about 186,000. Written by scientists who model how war affects health, the letter lays out the importance of an accurate count – and the difficulty of achieving one. For the past nine months, Israeli forces have waged an intense military campaign that has killed about 38,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Over time these numbers (acknowledged by the United Nations, the World Health Organization and Israeli intelligence services) have become more difficult to assess, with officials less able to keep pace with the killings. An additional 10,000 people are believed to be buried under the rubble in Gaza. They have not been counted among the dead. If a permanent ceasefire were declared today, you might think the death toll would stop there. But warfare doesn’t just kill people through direct violence. In recent years, epidemiologists who study the spread of disease during armed conflict have begun to count what they call the indirect casualties of war. These deaths are caused by factors such as malnutrition, lack of medication, and unsanitary living conditions – the reverberations of warfare, which follow inevitably and predictably from it. The number of indirect casualties often vastly exceeds direct ones.”

Searching for Gaza’s missing children (Ibtisam Mahdi//+972)

“Anas’ family are among thousands of Palestinians recorded as “missing” in Gaza since October 7, the majority of whom are thought to be trapped dead or alive under destroyed buildings and whose bodies have not been registered as arriving at hospitals. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received enquiries regarding more than 8,700 such cases; three-quarters of them remain unresolved. Gaza’s Health Ministry estimates the total number of missing persons to be even higher: around 10,000. This number is not incorporated into the ministry’s overall death toll from Israel’s bombardment, which currently stands at more than 38,000. With most of Gaza’s medical facilities no longer functioning as a result of being bombed or forcibly evacuated, the work of retrieving, identifying, and counting all of the victims is likely to continue for years to come.” See also We Volunteered at a Gaza Hospital. What We Saw Was Unspeakable. (Mark Perlmutter & Feroze Sidhwa//Politico); Nine Months of Israel’s War on Gaza: the Mental Health Impacts & the GCMHP’s Response — July, 2024 (Gaza Community Mental Health Programme); A Border Crossing Shuttered for Months Traps the Sick and Wounded in Gaza (NYT); Israeli PM blocks hospital for sick Gaza children in Israel (BBC)

Israel’s Netanyahu gambles on Gaza cease-fire with new conditions (Al Monitor)

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to ramp up the pressure on Hamas, even as he faces growing calls to take a deal to free the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip…The prime minister has hardened some of Israel’s positions on what’s required for a deal, including by insisting that Israeli troops retain control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as well as the Philadelphi Corridor border area that Hamas has long used for smuggling. Netanyahu also called for a mechanism to prevent Hamas fighters from returning along with displaced residents to northern Gaza. The new conditions dim chances of a breakthrough before Netanyahu visits Washington next week, where he is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24.” See also Scoop: U.S., Israel, Palestinian Authority hold secret talks on Rafah crossing (Axios); How Netanyahu Has Systematically Foiled Talks to Release Hostages From Hamas Captivity (Haaretz)

October 7 Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes by Hamas-led Groups (Human Rights Watch)

“Hamas’ military wing – the Qassam Brigades – and at least four other Palestinian armed groups committed numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians during the October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Governments with influence over the armed groups should press for the urgent release of civilian hostages, an ongoing war crime, and for those responsible to be brought to justice…“Human Rights Watch research found that the Hamas-led assault on October 7 was designed to kill civilians and take as many people as possible hostage,” said Ida Sawyer, crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch. “The October 7 atrocities should spur a global call to action for an end to all abuses against civilians in Israel and Palestine.” Between October 2023 and June 2024, Human Rights Watch interviewed 144 people including 94 Israeli and other nationals who witnessed the October 7 assault, victims’ family members, first responders, and medical experts. Researchers also verified and analyzed over 280 photographs and videos taken during the assault and posted on social media or shared directly with Human Rights Watch…Across many attack sites, Palestinian fighters fired directly at civilians, often at close range, as they tried to flee, and at people driving through the area. The attackers hurled grenades, shot into shelters, and fired rocket-propelled grenades at homes. They set houses on fire, burning and choking people, and forcing out others whom they shot or captured. They took dozens hostage and summarily killed others…The armed groups committed numerous violations of the laws of war that amount to war crimes, including attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects; willful killing of people in custody; cruel and other inhumane treatment; crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence; hostage-taking; mutilation and despoiling bodies; use of human shields; and pillage and looting. The widespread attack was directed against a civilian population. Killing civilians and taking hostages were central aims of the planned attack, not an afterthought, a plan gone awry, or isolated acts. Human Rights Watch concluded that the planned murder of civilians and the hostage-taking were crimes against humanity.” See also Hamas rejects HRW accusation of war crimes in October 7 attack (Al Jazeera)

REGION/GLOBAL

Israel should evacuate settlements, pay reparations, ICJ says (WaPo)

“The International Court of Justice, the top judicial arm of the United Nations, said Friday that Israel should bring an end to its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, cease new settlement activity, evacuate existing settlements and pay reparations to Palestinians who have lost land and property. The court, based in The Hague, said Israel is responsible for “systematic discrimination” against Palestinians based on race or ethnicity and has breached the right of Palestinians to self-determination. “Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible,” said Nawaf Salam, the president of the court. The searing advisory opinion issued by judges is not legally binding, but the decision could have wide consequences in the international arena, including in trade and diplomacy. The court said member states should not recognize as legal the situation arising from Israel’s unlawful presence in occupied territory, nor should they render aid or assistance in maintaining it…The ruling marked the first time any international court has weighed in on the core issues related to the legality of Israel’s occupation of the territory it seized during the 1967 war with neighboring Arab countries.” See also Top UN court says Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and should end (AP) Top UN court says Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal (Reuters)

Reactions to World Court Ruling | As Israel’s Leaders Seethe at ‘Antisemitic’ ICJ Decision, Palestinian President Says Justice Has Won (Haaretz)

“Israel’s prime minister, cabinet ministers, and lawmakers have categorically condemned the legal opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday. The opinion labeled the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories as “unlawful” and characterized it as “apartheid.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the Jewish people cannot be considered occupiers in their historic homeland…Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the court’s decision, calling it a “victory for justice.” Abbas stated, “The Palestinian presidency urges the international community to demand that Israel, as an occupying power, end the occupation and withdraw unconditionally.”…Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said that the ruling is “disconnected, one-sided, tainted by antisemitism,” and “serves only Islamic terrorism.”…Former IDF deputy chief of staff and the head of the newly formed left-wing party “The Democrats” Yair Golan took to X, saying that “Controlling millions of Palestinians is a real threat to Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state,” adding that the very idea “is a prescription for collective suicide.”…Arab lawmaker and leader of Ta’al party, Ahmad Tibi said that the court’s decision has “accurately captured reality, determining that the state of segregation and the application of Israeli law in the occupied territories is apartheid.”’ See also Why ICJ ruling against Israel’s settlement policies will be hard to ignore (Peter Beaumont//Guardian); ICJ’s Decision on the Occupation Goes Beyond Israel’s Worst Fears (Alon Pinkas//Haaretz); Palestinians urge world to end Israel’s illegal occupation after ICJ ruling (Al Jazeera);

Houthis claim responsibility for drone strike on Tel Aviv (Axios)

“At least one person was killed and seven others wounded in a large explosion that took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Friday. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the explosion was the result of “an aerial target which fell without an early warning.”…This is one of the most serious attacks on Tel Aviv since Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault. A spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the drone strike.” See also Drone attack on Israel’s Tel Aviv leaves one dead, at least 10 injured (Al Jazeera); Drone evades Israel’s vaunted air defenses in Tel Aviv strike (Axios); Israel shaken as fatal Houthi drone hits Tel Aviv after interception failure (Guardian)

Britain will resume funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA (Reuters)

“Britain’s new Labour government said on Friday it would resume funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA in the first major change in how it will approach the Israel-Palestinian conflict after winning power earlier this month. Britain was one of several countries to halt their funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following accusations by Israel that some agency staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. British foreign minister David Lammy told parliament he was reassured that the agency, which provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians, had taken steps to ensure it has the “highest standards of neutrality”, including improving vetting. Lammy said the UNRWA is the backbone of aid operations in Gaza helping feed about half of the territory’s population, and the government would provide 21 million pounds ($27 million) in new funding to the agency.” See also ‘Shocking’: UNRWA Chief Decries Israel’s Destruction of Agency Headquarters (Common Dreams); UK’s Labour ‘backtracks’ on decision to drop objection to ICC arrest warrants (Middle East Eye)

Hezbollah leader threatens new attacks on Israeli towns as tensions rise (WaPo)

“The leader of Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group threatened Wednesday to target new areas in Israel if its military does not stop striking civilians in southern Lebanon. Hasan Nasrallah delivered his televised speech marking Ashura, a Shiite Muslim day of mourning, amid an increase in exchanges of fire along the Israeli-Lebanese border and fears that the all-out war in Gaza might expand to other fronts…Israeli military leaders have been drawing up plans for a Lebanon offensive for months, but both sides have said they would like to reach a diplomatic solution, as the United States and other countries try to broker a truce. Hezbollah has long maintained that it will not consider ending its attacks until there is cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.” See also Hezbollah launches dozens of rockets at north; drone from Lebanon intercepted (Times of Israel 7/19/24)

RIVER TO THE SEA

With Gantz’s Backing, Israel’s Parliament Passes Resolution Opposing Palestinian Statehood (Haaretz)

“Israel’s parliament voted on Thursday to affirm its opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The declarative proposal garnered support from 68 Knesset members, including those from Benny Gantz’s centrist National Unity Party. Nine Knesset members from Arab parties opposed the proposal, and members of the Labor Party not present at the time of the vote. The resolution, put forward by the right-wing opposition party New Hope-United Right faction, states that “the establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel would constitute an existential threat to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region.” Party chairman Gideon Sa’ar added that, “the resolution decision is intended to express the blanket opposition that exists among the [Israeli] people to the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would endanger Israel’s security and future. [The resolution] signals to the international community that pressure to impose a Palestinian state on Israel is futile.” See also Israel’s parliament passes bill rejecting Palestinian statehood (Middle East Eye)

“Any Second They Could Come” (Maya Rosen//Jewish Currents)

“Samira recognized these settlers; they often harassed the village’s residents, and had become bolder in the past weeks after the Israeli military demolished 11 structures in Umm al-Khair, leaving 38 people, including 30 children, homeless. Three days after the demolitions, the settlers arrived and forcibly entered Palestinians’ homes, demanding to be served coffee; two days after that, they carried out the attack Samira witnessed. During that incursion, Shimon Attia, a notoriously violent local settler, arrived with a gun and began shooting live fire into the air as his compatriots continued pepper spraying and beating the old women. When an ambulance eventually arrived to try to bring the six injured women and children to a hospital, the settlers blocked it, with Attia calling out in Hebrew, “come on, come on, to the grave, to the grave!” The attack on Umm al-Khair was one of hundreds that Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank have faced in the past months as the Israeli government has intensified its demolitions in the region and settlers have continued to rampage. The goal of such activities is clear: to make life untenable for Palestinians in these rural villages so as to facilitate the large-scale Israeli takeover of their land…Palestinian residents say that settlers often seize upon moments of crisis and despair following demolitions to escalate their violence. “Settlers think that once Israel has taken the step of demolishing our homes, we will lose hope of continuing to live in this community. So that is when they come to raise the pressure on the people,” Ali Awad—a journalist and community organizer from the nearby village of Tuba, whose family owns an orchard in Umm al-Khair—told me in an interview. In keeping with this trend, settlers began making near-daily trips to Umm al-Khair in the two weeks since the demolition, including one where Attia set up a tent inside the village and his sons shouted racial and sexual slurs at locals, and another where settlers cut the village’s only water pipe as the army stood by and watched, leaving Palestinian residents with no access to water even as temperatures approached the high 90s. “What the state and the Civil Administration can’t do by law against Palestinians, settlers do masked,” Awad told me.” See also Mounting home demolitions and settler attacks plunge a Palestinian village into crisis (AP); How Israeli settlements are taking over the West Bank as Gaza war rages (Al Jazeera); A Palestinian Mother Was Having Coffee in Her West Bank Home When She Was Killed by an Israeli Missile (Haaretz)

Israeli right-wing minister visits Temple Mount, showcasing influence (WaPo)

“Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, visited one of Jerusalem’s most contested holy sites on Thursday morning, the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, in a bid to inflame tensions and derail renewed talks for a cease-fire agreement with Hamas that he condemned as a “surrender” and a “reckless deal.” Ben Gvir’s visit to the compound, which is frequently a flash point of violence, came one day after an Israeli delegation landed in Cairo to resume negotiations through U.S. and Egyptian mediators. The talks have collapsed repeatedly since November, but momentum has grown over the past week amid signals from both Israel and Hamas that a deal is possible.” See also EU imposes sanctions on five Israeli individuals and three entities (Reuters)

In Fassouta (Fida Jiryis//London Review of Books)

“Fassouta, my village in the Upper Galilee, is three kilometres from the Lebanese border. We watch the rockets fly in both directions. Clouds of smoke fill the sky. Fighter planes roar overhead, and drones whirr for days on end. There is artillery fire all around. This has been our life since 7 October 2023, when Hamas carried out its attack outside Gaza and the Israeli counter-attack began. Hizbullah began to fire into Israel the next day. Most of the nearby Jewish communities, especially in the north-east ‘finger of the Galilee’, such as Metula and Kiryat Shmona, have been evacuated. ‘In 1948,’ my father pointed out, ‘the Jewish militias drove many Palestinians out of this region and brought in the Jews. Today, Hizbullah has driven so many of them out and we have stayed.’ We have stayed, in part, out of fear of losing our homes to another Nakba. ‘Leave where?’ asked one my neighbours, a young mother of two. ‘How do we know they won’t come in and take our homes?’”

U.S. SCENE

Middle East takeaways from Trump’s Republican convention speech (Al Monitor)

“Former US President Donald Trump demanded the return of Americans held in Gaza and vowed to sanction Iran during his speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night and warned that amid raging wars in Europe and the Middle East, the world is “teetering on the edge of World War Three.”…Trump said that there will be a “very big price” if the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are not returned, though he did not directly mention the Palestinian armed group. “And the entire world, I tell you this: We want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office or you will be paying a very big price,” he said to chants of “bring them home” in the crowd…Trump praised Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, noting its performance during Iran’s April attack on Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in the attack and most were intercepted by Israel, the United States and other regional partners. “Why should other countries have this and we don’t? No, we’re going to build an Iron Dome over our country. We’re going to be sure that nothing can come and harm our people,” he said…Trump alluded to more placing sanctions on Iran if reelected, saying the Islamic Republic was “broke” during his presidency. Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on the country, including its energy industry. The 2015 accord had removed some sanctions on Iran in exchange for the scaling down of its nuclear program.” See also Republican platform a preview of Trump’s Middle East agenda (Al Monitor); Trump Vows to ‘End the War Caused by the Attack on Israel,’ Blames Biden for October 7 (Haaretz)

Biden faces ridicule for saying he’s been ‘very supportive’ of Palestinians (Al Jazeera)

“After the Israeli military bombed a school housing displaced people in central Gaza on Tuesday, a young man stood at the chaotic scene with a rocket fragment in his hand. “This is an Israeli American missile,” he said…After air raids in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis killed at least 90 Palestinians last week, the Gaza Government Media Office blamed the US directly for the attack. But US President Joe Biden has a different view of Washington’s role in the war. “I’m the guy that did more for the Palestinian community than anybody,” he said in an interview that aired online on Monday. “I’m the guy that opened up all the assets. I’m the guy that made sure that I got the Egyptians to open the border… I’m the guy that’s been able to pull together the Arab states to agree to help the Palestinians with food and shelter.” He added, “I mean, I’ve been very supportive of the Palestinians.” The US president’s assertion was met with ridicule by Palestinian rights advocates, who stressed that Biden’s unconditional support for Israel is fuelling a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.” See also Biden: Without Israel, Every Jew in the World Would Be at Risk (Haaretz); US-made munitions used in Israeli strike on Gaza school that killed 22, experts say (CNN);

A Palestinian American raises more than $1 million to feed his family and others in Gaza (NPR)

“Hani Almadhoun says that for months he felt guilty after the war began between Hamas and Israel in early October. He was living safely in the Washington, D.C., area, while his family in Bait Lahia, in northern Gaza, was being bombed…He is a Palestinian who came to the United States in 2000 on a college scholarship and is now a U.S. citizen. Almadhoun is a professional fundraiser. He’s the director of philanthropy at UNRWA USA, an American nonprofit that raises private sector funds and supports the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, commonly known as UNRWA….After several phone calls with a younger brother, Mahmoud, who along with their parents and two sisters live in Bait Lahia, they agreed that setting up a food kitchen was key for their survival and the survival of their neighbors, especially children, Almadhoun says. He created a GoFundMe in February. He set a goal to raise $25,000. Today, people are still giving, and so far he’s raised more than a million dollars.”

The True Cost of Biden’s Unconditional Support for Israel (Annelle Sheline//New Republic)

“I resigned my State Department position over the administration’s position on Gaza. Biden’s unflagging support for Israel now risks a wider regional war, and could cost him the presidency.”

ACTIVISM//LAWFARE//REDEFINING ANTISEMITISM TO STIFLE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL

Student Organizing & Change-Making on University Campuses (Samer Alatout//Al Shabaka)

“This commentary offers key insights into this new wave of student mobilization. It details student demands and places them within the historical legacy of US student organizing. The commentary also examines the relationship between university administrators, students, and faculty, and finds hope in the kinship emerging between the latter two groups at this critical moment.” See also UC unveils steep price tag for handling campus protests: $29 million, most for policing (LA Times)

Adidas Apologizes for Bella Hadid’s 1972 Munich Olympics Shoes Ad, Is ‘Revising’ Campaign (The Wrap)

“Adidas apologized on Thursday for running an ad featuring vocal Israeli critic Bella Hadid in a shoe campaign for retro sneakers referencing the 1972 Olympics, the tragic year when terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes in the Munich Olympic Village. In a statement shared to social media, the company wrote, “We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events – though these are completely unintentional – and we apologize for any upset or distress caused. As a result we are revising the remainder of the campaign.“ “At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, 12 Israelis were murdered and taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September. For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is acceptable. We call on Adidas to address this egregious error,” the American Jewish Committee said in a statement issued before the sports wear company’s public apology.” See also Adidas removes Bella Hadid from ad campaign after criticism from Israel (The Guardian)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

A Legal Justification for Genocide (Nicola Perugini and Neve Gordon//Jewish Currents)

“Over the past nine months, this pattern has been repeated hundreds of times, with Israel bombing and raiding Gaza’s hospitals, refugee camps, clinics, houses, apartment buildings, children’s pools, schools, universities, mosques, cemeteries, and agricultural lands, all of which it has claimed Hamas was using as a “human shield.” According to the laws of armed conflict, the warring party that uses human shields, rather than the party that kills them, tends to be guilty of a war crime. By casting all the protected sites and people it has bombed as “shields,” Israel thus seeks to shift the responsibility for its mass killings of civilians and sweeping destruction of civilian infrastructure onto Hamas—absolving itself of blame and legal accountability…Parties alleging the use of human shields have typically restricted the charge to limited territorial areas; in contrast, Israel has cited Hamas’s underground tunnel system to cast every square inch of Gaza as a human shield. This apparently endless multiplication of the human shielding accusation has functioned to erase the possibility of Palestinian civilianness altogether…This deadly logic has already justified unprecedented carnage…Furthermore, by deploying the shielding allegation at scale, Israel has created a way to use international humanitarian law—which is technically meant to regulate war and make it more humane—to the opposite effect, essentially carving out a legal justification for genocide.”

Explosive Remnants of War in Gaza: A Long-Term Threat to Palestinian Life (Yara Asi//Arab Center DC)

“Explosive ordnance refers to military weapons and ammunition used in war. The term “explosive remnants of war (ERW)” refers to ordnance that fails to detonate upon use or is left behind—either exposed or, more dangerously, hidden under rubble or underground after active conflict ends…When a permanent ceasefire is reached and the rebuilding of Gaza can begin, the international community must prioritize clearing debris to ensure safety of the general population and the workers tasked with reconstruction. It is one thing to clear piles of rubble—a painstaking process that takes years but is not typically deadly. Identifying, removing, and destroying thousands of ERW is another problem entirely—not just difficult, but extremely dangerous. Unexploded bombs may be buried underground or under piles of rubble and may inadvertently detonate during clearing or reconstruction…In just the first three months of the current Gaza war, it is estimated that Israel dropped at least 45,000 bombs on the enclave, between 9 and 14 percent of which may have failed to detonate. This suggests there are at least thousands of UXO [unexploded ordnance] throughout Gaza—one expert guessed that the number reaches “high tens of thousands.” This shocking figure does not even include grenades or other munitions that Israeli soldiers abandoned as they occupied Palestinian homes, schools, and other infrastructure after forcing civilians to evacuate…The risk of explosion is the most acute, but explosive ordnance poses many environmental threats even if it is not detonated. The shells are usually made of heavy metals that can contaminate soil, water, and air, leading to disorders like anemia and cancer and harming animals and plant life. Explosive residues can also cause contamination that can last for years, meaning that people who were unaffected by initial bombing can still suffer years later because they ate or drank from contaminated sources.”

A Holocaust Scholar Meets with Israeli Reservists (Isaac Chotiner interviews Omer Bartov//New Yorker)

“Omer Bartov is one of the preëminent historians of the Third Reich. In the course of his four-decade career, he has written numerous books and articles examining Hitler’s regime, with a specific focus on how Nazi ideology functioned in institutions such as the German Army…Bartov: ‘[Jewish Israelis] feel so traumatized and so confused that they have no way of speaking about it. They don’t actually want to speak in a reasonable, analytical manner about what happened on October 7th. They don’t even want to speak about it at all. In a sense, they feel that your presence as someone who’s come from the outside is destructive to their understanding among themselves—that they have been terribly hurt and that somehow the only thing they can talk about is how they feel and what has happened to their society, what has happened to people they know. People were killed, people were displaced, and they have absolutely no ability to speak about people in Gaza. It’s absolutely striking.”

In the U.K. and France, There Was a Gaza Vote. And in the U.S.? (Matthew Duss, Daniel Levy//New Republic)

“Among Muslim voters and a slew of progressive and younger voters, positions on Gaza had translated into electoral choices. That had never happened before in U.K. politics. While some of it may have been a luxury vote, assuming an inevitable Labour win, Britain’s governing party is well aware of the consequences for maintaining its rule if this trend cannot be reversed. In sum, the evidence suggests that the narrative that Labour’s aggressively distancing itself from Corbyn-era criticism of Israel by aligning with the Sunak government on Gaza was an essential element of its success was not only wrong but precisely wrong, with that shift acting as a drag on the party in the current circumstances…What has helped close the enthusiasm gap for the left, whereby previously momentum, energy, and excitement were all on the right, was a set of commitments in the manifesto of the NFP alliance. Those included support for an immediate cease-fire and enforcement of the ICJ and ICC rulings, calls for an embargo on arms deliveries to Israel, and calls for French and other European sanctions vis-à-vis Israel for its human rights and international law violations….As for the United States, while foreign policy rarely determines elections, a July 2024 Century Foundation/Morning Consult poll indicates that 2024 might be an exception. According to the Century Foundation report, “Many core constituencies—including independents, swing state likely voters, and Democratic Party activists—are angry at Biden’s unqualified support for the Israeli assault on Gaza… Nationwide, nearly four in 10 voters (38 percent) say they are less likely to vote for President Biden because of his handling of the war in Gaza.”

For Palestinian parents, every day of this war provokes existential anxiety (Abed Abou Shhadeh//+972)

“For Palestinians in Gaza, it has been more than nine months of relentless bombardment. For me, a Palestinian in Israel, it has been more than nine months of constant anxiety about my daughter and her future. I have yet to become desensitized to the horrific videos: every image of a Palestinian father holding the lifeless body of his child reminds me of the danger my daughter faces here. If the war has taught me anything, it is the sad truth that our children’s lives are worthless, not only to Israeli society but to the world at large — a world where they are unwanted, that judges them by their skin color, religion, and nationality, and sees their existence as a “demographic problem.” How selfish and disconnected I must sound when I compare our situation to the magnitude of the disaster in Gaza, where parents are facing the worst nightmares imaginable. And we Palestinians in Israel and in the occupied West Bank have not taken to the streets en masse to protest the ongoing massacres — whether out of fear of persecution, or simply paralysis. This is a mark of shame we will have to live with. I cannot bring myself to criticize other Palestinians for staying in their homes, despite seeing the ruthlessness of the Israeli military and how these war crimes are justified in Israeli media. As parents, we all grapple with the same existential fears…For me and my family, as residents of Jaffa — the only Palestinian community amid some 4 million Jews in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area — we cannot help but wonder: what will they do to us? Maybe they’ll put us in a ghetto like they did after 1948? Maybe armed Jewish groups will organize to harm us like they did during the Unity Intifada of May 2021 — and as they do in the West Bank every day?”