NEW FROM FMEP
FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 23, 2025 (Lara Friedman)
- Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
GAZA
‘A Drop in the Ocean’: UN Says Gaza Aid Still Lacking as Trucks Arrive, Bakeries Reopen (Haaretz 5/23/25)
“After 80 days of siege, the first trucks carrying food and other aid reached residents of the Gaza Strip Thursday night. However, UN officials stressed that this was just “a drop in the ocean” and that many Gazans wouldn’t feel any improvement anytime soon. Since Thursday night, 100 trucks have gone through the Kerem Shalom border crossing and reached distribution sites in Gaza, mainly in the territory’s south. The trucks carried flour, baby food and medical products.” See also Netanyahu says ‘minimal’ aid will go to Gaza to preserve U.S. support (WaPo 5/19/25)
Gaza: Starvation and Exile (Sari Bashi//NYRB 5/18/25)
“The Israeli government has announced plans to make civilians in the Strip accept further displacement as a condition of receiving food—and eventually to push them out of Palestine altogether.” See also Aid workers feel helpless as Israel’s blockade pushes Gaza towards famine (AP 5/19/25); 29 in Gaza die from starvation says PA; UNICEF warns 9,000 children malnourished (Al Monitor 5/22/25);; Israeli attacks kill at least 60 people in Gaza as aid agencies warn of famine (The Guardian 5/23/25); Children and elderly are dying from starvation in Gaza, says health minister (The Guardian 5/22/25); Trump administration working on plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya (NBC News 5/16/25)
UN chief says Gaza war in ‘cruelest phase’ as aid trucks looted (Al Monitor 5/23/25)
“The United Nations chief said Friday that Palestinians were enduring “the cruelest phase” of the war in Gaza, where more than a dozen food trucks were looted following the partial easing of a lengthy Israeli blockade. Aid was just beginning to trickle back into the war-torn territory after Israel announced it would allow limited shipments to resume as it pressed a newly expanded offensive aimed at destroying Hamas…UN chief Antonio Guterres said “Palestinians in Gaza are enduring what may be the cruelest phase of this cruel conflict”, adding that Israel “must agree to allow and facilitate” humanitarian deliveries…”In any case, all the aid authorised until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required,” he added in a statement.” See also Gaza aid trucks looted amid ‘hunger, desperation, and anxiety,’ U.N. says (WaPo 5/23/25)
Israel-backed food aid group admits it won’t be able to reach most vulnerable in Gaza (Guardian 5/17/25)
“The organisation backed by Israel to take over food distribution in Gaza as famine looms has admitted it would not be able to feed some of the most vulnerable civilians from the militarised compounds it plans to set up. Aid groups and the United Nations have already refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a Swiss-registered organisation led by a former US marine. They say it does not have the capacity to end hunger in Gaza and would make it harder to get aid to civilians caught up in other wars by undermining their neutrality.” See also Israel says it will allow a ‘basic quantity’ of food into Gaza to prevent starvation (NPR 5/19/25)
I Tried to Donate Blood to Help Gaza’s Wounded. I Was Too Anemic and Malnourished (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 5/19/25)
“Since Israel banned the entry of any and all aid into Gaza on March 2, I haven’t tasted red meat, chicken, or eggs. Like everyone else in Gaza, my body has been deprived of basic protein and vitamins. The only things on sale in the markets are falafel made from the remaining lentils and chickpeas, and a meal called duqqa, which is a mixture of ground wheat, sumac, and salt. What we eat is not enough to silence the hunger. While most foods have vanished, there are a few types of vegetables available for purchase from the little local agriculture still left in Gaza. Potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers are all on sale in the markets, but their prices have skyrocketed 20, 30, or even 40 times more than from before the war, making them inaccessible to most people in Gaza who no longer have a source of income. I’ve lost about 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in weight. I suffer from constant fatigue, persistent joint pain, and hair loss. Even when I write my journalistic stories, I need to take brief moments of rest as I suffer pain in the joints of my hands.” See also One Day, Three Diaries From the Brink of Famine in Gaza, Where Even Rotten Food ‘Feels Like a Victory’ (Nagham Zbeedat & Rawan Suleiman//Haaretz 5/19/25)
“Nothing Left in Jabaliya”: Endless Catastrophes in a Besieged Refugee Camp (Drop Site 5/20/25)
“Over the past several days, the Israeli military has launched a massive offensive with near-continuous airstrikes across the enclave, a ground invasion, and a full-spectrum blockade on food, fuel, and medicine that has brought hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation…The killing is so relentless that the health ministry, in its afternoon bulletin publishing the number of confirmed dead and wounded for the previous 24 hours, has also begun including the number killed since dawn that same day as it tries to keep up with the body count.” See also Israel kills five journalists, over 100 civilians in one night as ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ begins in Gaza (The Cradle 5/18/25); Israel Expands Ethnic Cleansing Operations in Khan Younis (Donya Abu Sitta//Drop Site 5/21/25); Days of terror in Gaza’s ‘Block 76’ (Ruweida Amar//+972 Magazine 5/21/25); Airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza, international criticism of Israel grows (Reuters 5/20/25); ‘Israel burned the ground under our feet’: Hundreds killed in intensified Gaza assault (Ibtisam Mahdi//+972 Magazine 5/16/25); Israeli army begins ‘extensive’ new ground operations in Gaza (The Guardian 5/18/25); Report: Body of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar found in Gaza tunnel struck by IDF (TOI 5/18/25); Israel launches major new offensive in Gaza as UN calls the situation for Palestinians ‘beyond inhumane’ (CNN 5/17/25); Gaza crisis ‘beyond atrocious’ as IDF operations intensify, UN chief says (ABC News 5/17/25)
Netanyahu lays out newest phase of Gaza war, view on Iran negotiations in press conference (JI 5/21/25)
““The world is telling us to end the war,” Netanyahu said, in the first press conference he has held in Israel since December. “I am prepared to end the war according to clear conditions: Hamas lays down its weapons, steps down from power, returns all the hostages, Gaza is demilitarized and we implement the Trump plan” to relocate residents of Gaza. “Whoever is calling for us to end the war is calling for Hamas to stay in power,”’ See also PM recalls top members of Doha negotiating team, citing ‘Hamas refusal’ of hostage deal (TOI 5/21/25); Hamas proposes releasing some hostages in fresh talks after new Israel offensive (BBC 5/18/25)
REGION/GLOBAL
Israel preparing to strike Iran fast if Trump’s nuclear talks break down (Axios 5/21/25)
“Israel is making preparations to swiftly strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if negotiations between the U.S. and Iran collapse, two Israeli sources with knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.” See also New intelligence suggests Israel is preparing possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, US officials say (CNN 5/20/25); U.S.-Iran nuclear talks show “some progress,” no breakthrough in 5th round (Axios 5/23/25); ‘It’d be suicidal’: Will Israel strike Iran’s nuclear sites without US support? (Al Monitor 5/23/25); Iran-US nuclear talks end with no agreement but ‘possibility of progress’ (The Guardian 5/23/25);
Israel allies threaten trade rupture over Gaza. Here’s what’s at stake. (WaPo 5/23/25)
“Several of Israel’s top allies and trading partners said this week that they would reconsider trade arrangements with the country over humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, amid an acute humanitarian crisis. Britain said Israel’s blockade on Gaza and new ground operation would prevent “advance discussions” on a new trade pact, without affecting its existing accord with Israel. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the 27-member bloc, Israel’s largest commercial partner, would launch a review of its trade deal with Israel. The full implications of the trade reconsiderations still aren’t clear. But the countries involved are some of Israel’s most important trading partners, accounting for around 31 percent of Israel’s exports last year and 37 percent of its imports, according to data from the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics.” See also Israel’s plans for Gaza draw rebuke, review of trade ties from allies (WaPo 5/20/25); As Israel starves and destroys Gaza, it’s turning into a global pariah (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 5/21/25); UK suspends trade talks with Israel and attacks ‘repellent’ extremism (The Guardian 5/20/25); Netanyahu accuses leaders of Britain, France and Canada of ‘emboldening Hamas’ (The Guardian 5/23/25)
Israeli troops fire ‘warning shots’ at 25 diplomats visiting occupied West Bank (The Guardian 5/21/25)
“Israeli troops fired “warning shots” towards a group of 25 diplomats visiting Jenin in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Wednesday, prompting a wave of outrage and calls for an investigation from world leaders and ministers. Footage shows a number of diplomats giving media interviews when rapid shots rang out nearby, forcing them to run for cover. The delegation comprised ambassadors and diplomats representing 31 countries, including Italy, Canada, Egypt, Jordan, the UK, China and Russia. The group was on an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority to observe the humanitarian situation there. The Israeli military said the visit had been approved but the delegation “deviated from the approved route” and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area…The IDF said it regretted “the inconvenience caused” and that senior officials would contact diplomats to inform them of the results of its internal investigation into the incident.” See also Israeli Soldiers Fire at Diplomats in West Bank (NYT 5/21/25)
Mahmoud Abbas declares from Lebanon ‘era of weapons outside state’ over (Al Monitor 5/21/25)
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for a three-day official visit that is expected to focus on the issue of disarming Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, as the state seeks to extend its authority across the Lebanese territory.” See also Lebanon Moves to Disarm Palestinian Groups, a Test Run for Hezbollah (NYT 5/23/25); US set to unveil sweeping Syria sanctions relief (Al Monitor 5/23/25); EU to lift economic sanctions on Syria to aid recovery of war-torn country (The Guardian 5/20/25); Israeli Mossad retrieves entire archive of Eli Cohen from Syria: What we know (Al Monitor 5/19/25); Israel Recovers Troves of Documents Belonging to Its Most Famous Spy (NYT 5/19/25);
RIVER TO THE SEA
Israeli settlers force about 150 Palestinians to leave their West Bank village (The Guardian 5/23/25)
“Violent Israeli settlers including two under UK sanctions have forced about 150 Palestinians to leave their village in the occupied West Bank, through a five-day intimidation campaign carried out under the watch of the Israeli police and army. On Sunday morning, settlers established an illegal outpost, consisting of a basic shelter and a sheep pen, 100 metres from a Palestinian home in Mughayyir al-Deir, east of Ramallah. By Friday, dozens of villagers had already moved their flocks away, packed up their belongings and were dismantling the wooden and metal frames of their houses.” See also Settlers Build Outpost Adjacent to a Palestinian Village and Are Harassing Its Residents (Hagar Shezaf//Haaretz 5/20/25); Israelis Roam and Rampage, Palestinians Under IDF Curfew: A Night at a Jewish Holy Site in the West Bank (Hagar Shezaf//Haaretz 5/15/25); Violent Israeli settlers under UK sanctions join illegal West Bank outpost (The Guardian 5/22/25);
‘This Is Eternal War’: Netanyahu’s Shin Bet Chief Pick Reportedly Opposed Hostage Deals in Top IDF Forum (Haaretz 5/23/25)
“Israeli army general David Zini, who was tapped by Prime Minister Netanyahu to lead the Shin Bet security service, said in closed discussions with the General Staff that he opposed hostage deals, Israeli Channel 12 has reported. “I oppose hostage deals – this is an eternal war,” said Zini, according to the report.” See also Netanyahu Names New Domestic Spy Chief After Clash With the Last One (NYT 5/22/25); Outrage as opposition party leader Golan says Israel ‘killing babies as a hobby’ in Gaza (TOI 5/20/25); It’s Not a ‘Disgraceful Antisemitic Blood Libel’ to Say Israel Is Killing Babies in Gaza (Haaretz 5/21/25)
U.S. SCENE
Two Israeli Embassy staffers killed in shooting near Jewish Museum in D.C. (WaPo 5/22/25)
“A young couple who worked for the Israeli Embassy were shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington late Wednesday by a gunman who chanted “free, free Palestine” after the shooting, according to authorities. A suspect was in custody, D.C. police said. The victims were exiting the museum in Northwest Washington after attending an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee when the gunman opened fire, authorities said. See also Washington shooting suspect charged with murder, told police he ‘did it for Gaza’ (TOI 5/23/25); Affidavit: Suspect in D.C. Jewish museum shooting confessed to killings (WaPo 5/22/25); Pro-Israel leaders link anti-Israel radicalism to fatal shooting (JI 5/23/25)
Will the Capital Jewish Museum shooting lead Trump to crack down even more on pro-Palestinian activists? (Ron Kampeas//The Forward 5/23/25)
“Will the murder of the two Israeli embassy employees — by a gunman who allegedly said he “did it for Gaza” — prompt the president to intensify his crackdown? Some Republican officials and conservative pro-Israel activists hope so. “The fact of the matter is, the Palestinian cause is an evil one,” Rep. Randy Fine, a firebrand Jewish Republican from Florida, told Fox News…Across an ocean, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu adopted the same tenor, likening the attack, and the suspect’s slogan, to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack as well as Nazism…In the day since the shooting took place, a number of Jews have said the tragedy offers a grisly vindication to their warnings that chants such as “Free Palestine” and “Globalize the intifada,” common at campus encampments and other anti-Israel protests, could incite violence. “There is a direct line between demonizing Israel, tolerating antisemitic hate speech in the public square, and violent action,” William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said on social media. “We are now witnessing the deadly consequences of months of relentless antisemitic incitement.”
The Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crush the Pro-Palestinian Movement (NYT 5/18/25)
“In late April, the Heritage Foundation dispatched a team to Israel to meet with power players in Israeli politics, including the country’s foreign and defense secretaries and the U.S. ambassador, Mike Huckabee. The conservative Washington-based think tank is best known for spearheading Project 2025, a proposed blueprint for President Trump’s second term that called for reshaping the federal government and an extreme expansion of presidential power. Now the Heritage contingent was in Israel, in part, to discuss another contentious policy paper: Project Esther, the foundation’s proposal to rapidly dismantle the pro-Palestinian movement in the United States, along with its support at schools and universities, at progressive organizations and in Congress…Now, four months after Mr. Trump took office, Heritage Foundation leaders are taking an early victory lap. Since the inauguration, the White House and other Republicans have called for actions that appear to mirror more than half of Project Esther’s proposals, a New York Times analysis shows, including threats to withhold billions in federal funding at universities and attempts to deport legal residents.” See also Judge allows Mahmoud Khalil to hold newborn son for first time despite Trump administration objections (PBS 5/22/25); Judge temporarily blocks effort to ban Harvard from enrolling foreign students (WaPo 5/23/25); How Trump Defeated Columbia: The inside story of an unconditional surrender. (Nick Summers/New York 5/19/25); Mohsen Mahdawi, Released From ICE Custody, Graduates From Columbia (NYT 5/19/25); Trump administration says Columbia violated Jewish students’ civil rights (WaPo 5/23/25); GWU bans graduate from campus over Israel divestment call at commencement (WaPo 5/21/25);
Unpacking the Rift Between Trump and Netanyahu (Alex Kane//Jewish Currents 5/21/25)
“The president has sought to separate US interests from Israeli interests abroad, even as he represses Israel critics at home.” See also Scoop: Vance decided against Israel visit due to new Israeli operation in Gaza (Axios 5/19/25); World Jewish Congress President Applauds Trump for Withholding Funds From Elite U.S. Universities (Haaretz 5/19/25); Trump frustrated by Gaza war, wants Netanyahu to “wrap it up”: U.S. officials (Axios 5/20/25); US closes Office of Palestinian Affairs, dedicated channel to Washington (The Guardian 5/19/25); Rubio: Israel’s Gaza aid blockade hurt Israel’s security, standing (JI 5/21/25); Trump administration accepts jet from Qatar for possible use as Air Force One (The Guardian 5/21/25); DOGE Loses Battle to Take Over USIP—and Its $500 Million Headquarters (Wired 5/19/25)
Is Wikipedia a cesspool of antisemitism? Don’t trust the ADL’s answer. (Shira Klein//The Forward 5/16/25)
“Two dozen members of Congress recently accused Wikipedia of “antisemitism and pro-terrorist content,” citing a lengthy report by the Anti-Defamation League. To read that report, one would think that English Wikipedia is a cesspit of antisemitism…The ADL’s report is, dismally, riddled with errors, including in its manipulation of a peer-reviewed publication that I co-authored on Holocaust distortion on Wikipedia. The report inaccurately uses my research to uphold its allegations that antisemitism is running rampant across Wikipedia, amid the ADL’s ramped-up efforts to police public discourse about Israel…The attacks by the ADL and Congress on Wikipedia purport to protect Jews, but in fact have nothing to do with antisemitism, and everything to do with controlling the narrative about Israel.”
Most Senate Democrats sponsor resolution calling for ‘urgent delivery’ of Gaza aid (TOI 5/21/25)
“A Senate resolution calling for the “urgent delivery” of humanitarian aid to Gaza that was put forth last week has received almost unanimous support from Democrats, who affirmed their backing during a debate on Tuesday. The resolution calls on the US government to use “all available diplomatic tools” to release the hostages and end the blockade of food and aid to Palestinian civilians, as well as the overall conflict in Gaza. The resolution is co-sponsored by 44 Democrats and two Independents, according to a statement from the office of Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat who introduced the resolution last week. There are 45 Democrats in the Senate.” See also Van Hollen: The U.S. Is ‘Complicit’ in Starving the People of Gaza (Rolling Stone 5/18/25); ‘We didn’t negotiate with the Nazis’: US congressman calls for Hamas’ total surrender in Gaza (yNet 5/23/25 on Florida Rep. Randy Fine)
Microsoft Bans the Word “Palestine” in Internal Emails (Waqas Ahmed and Murtaza Hussain//Drop Site 5/21/25)
“Microsoft has quietly implemented a policy blocking employee emails containing the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” or “genocide” on its internal Exchange servers, according to No Azure for Apartheid, a group of pro-Palestine Microsoft employees. The automated filter, which silently prevents such emails from reaching recipients was first detected on Wednesday—just after Microsoft’s Build developer conference faced repeated disruptions by the activist group. Microsoft has been rocked by internal dissent over its collaboration with the Israeli military and government amid the ongoing assault on Gaza. The company has faced disruptions to its events, including protests from employees over its provision of cloud services and other critical infrastructure used by the Israeli military.” See also Microsoft employee interrupts CEO’s keynote with pro-Palestinian protest (The Guardian 5/19/25)
PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS
Gaza genocide: How Israel’s healthcare system became an instrument of state violence (Ghada Majadli//Middle East Eye 5/21/25)
“The blending of military and medical roles, along with the repression of the voices of Palestinian medics, exposes a deeply unequal system…n recent years, Israel’s defenders have increasingly pointed to the significant presence of “Arab Israeli” doctors and their integration into the country’s healthcare system as evidence against accusations of apartheid…In the interviews I conducted, doctors described a climate of fear and silencing, where even minimal expressions of grief for Palestinian victims are treated as support for “terrorism”.”
Suddenly Trump Is No Longer Buying What Bibi Has Been Selling (Mairav Zonszein//NYT 5/21/25)
“On almost every significant strategic and geopolitical issue that matters to Israel — from seeking a new nuclear deal with Iran to a cease-fire with the Houthis, from embracing the new Syrian regime to negotiating directly with Hamas on hostage release — Mr. Trump is not only bypassing Israel but also moving in a very different direction from what Mr. Netanyahu would have chosen. The U.S. administration has sidelined Israel again and again. In so doing, Mr. Trump and his team have managed to expose Israel’s policy of destruction and the failings of Israel’s leader, whose lone success has been staying in power through pursuing constant war. That doesn’t mean that there is an open crisis between Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu or that Israel has lost the United States as its most powerful ally or even that Mr. Trump will force Israel to stop the war in Gaza. Indeed, in Gaza the United States has mostly left the Netanyahu coalition to its own devices.”
The Radical Courage of Noor Abdalla (Aida Alami//New Yorker 5/21/25)
‘How the wife of Mahmoud Khalil has navigated becoming a new mother while fighting for her husband’s freedom.”
Remembering the Nakba while witnessing a genocide (By Dikla Taylor-Sheinman//+972 Magazine 5/19/25)
“As Israel destroys Gaza, Israelis and Palestinians gathered in Beit Jala not only to mark the catastrophe of 1948, but to elevate living Palestinian testimonies.”
‘Occupation From Within’: Legal Scholar’s Book Calls for the Razing of Israel’s Jewish Supremacy Regime (Haaretz 5/20/25)
“As Sfard puts it, “A society accustomed to wielding power over millions and systematically violating the most basic human rights – one that enshrines the supremacy of one group and the subjugation of another – can no longer break free.”…Or, in Sfard’s words, “Can a state defined as a Jewish nation-state not help but create an apartheid regime?”…To answer it, he turns to the writings of his grandfather, the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, who reflected on the legacy of Auschwitz. According to Bauman, Sfard writes, life after the Holocaust happens in a world forever stained by the possibility of a similar catastrophe taking place. Bauman argues that this anxious existence could become the Nazis’ final poison arrow against the Jewish people. While they failed to incite the world against the Jews, they can still incite the Jews against the world. For this reason, Sfard tells Peratis with sadness, “Zionism’s pluralistic path was blocked at Auschwitz,” meaning that the regime of Jewish supremacy was born in the extermination camp and was, tragically, unavoidable.”
We are Jewish students from universities Trump is targeting. He’s not protecting us (The Forward 5/21/25)
“Democracy, not deportations, protect Jewish students from antisemitism.” By Nikki Appel, Yarin Hagay-Nevel, Gabriel Freedman-Naditch, Celia Little, Elianna Perlman, Tova Kaplan, Alexander Fooy, Joseph Hillyard, Talia Winiarsky and Jennifer Nehrer.
Severed: The Story of a Boy From Gaza (Jen Marlowe//The Nation 5/22/25)
“At 18, Mohamad Saleh has survived five wars and lost his home, his family members, his leg. This new film, produced with The Nation, follows him as he tries to piece together his shattered life.” See also In ‘Severed,’ a Palestinian child pieces together the shattered fragments of his life (Jen Marlowe//+972 Magazine 5/22/25)
What Will It Take for Israelis to Acknowledge the Suffering in Gaza? (Dahlia Scheindlin//Haaretz 5/22/25)
“While Netanyahu’s ministers incite to genocide, Israeli grassroots protests over the deaths of Gazan children grow – and prominent domestic critics call Israel’s expansion of the war a ‘manifestly illegal order.’ So is the Israeli public nearing a tipping point on recognizing Palestinians’ right to life?”