NEW FROM FMEP
FMEP Legislative Round-Up May 30, 2025 (Lara Friedman)
- Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
Settlement & Annexation Report: May 30, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)
- Israel Approves 22 New Settlements – “Dramatically Reshap[ing] the West Bank”; 2. East Jerusalem & Its Environs; 3. West Bank Settlement & Annexation News; 4. International News; 5. Israeli Politics
GAZA
In Emaciated Children, Gaza’s Hunger Is Laid Bare (NYT 5/30/25)
“The starvation of Gaza can be measured in the jutting ribs of a 6-year-old girl. In the twig-like thinness of her arms. In the pounds she and those around her have lost. In the two tomatoes, two green chili peppers and single cucumber a destitute child can buy to feed his family that day…With international alarm surging over its total blockade, Israel allowed in a drip of aid starting last week. That enabled some bakeries to reopen. But humanitarian officials said it did little to alleviate Gaza’s enormous needs and to stop the territory’s slide toward famine…In northern Gaza, cut off by Israeli troops from the rest of the territory, hundreds of thousands of people are reduced to waiting for hours for charity-kitchen food that runs out too soon and to digging boreholes for water to drink, unsanitary though it might be. There is never enough.” See also Israel Seeks to Clear Much of Northern Gaza, Warning of Dangerous Combat to Come (NYT 5/30/25); IDF strikes kill 72 Gazans, wound 278 since Thursday (Haaretz 5/30/25);
Israel’s Weaponized “Aid” Plan Forces Thousands of Palestinians to Trek Miles and Risk Their Lives for Meager Boxes of Food (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 5/28/25)
“The GHF distribution hubs are guarded by armed private security contractors working for a U.S. company and surrounded by chain-link fences channeling Palestinians into tight enclosures surrounded by sand berms. Veteran aid officials across the UN and other international humanitarian aid organizations have denounced the program, describing the conditions as resembling concentration camps or ghettos…The hungry crowds stormed the center and seized aid and equipment, including tables, chairs, and even small trees, which were uprooted to be used as firewood due to Israel’s ban on fuel and cooking gas. As the facility was overrun, forces opened fire on the crowd. “As people tried to leave with whatever they had taken, Israeli helicopters flew overhead and opened fire on the crowd, injuring dozens,” Salem said. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others wounded.” See also U.N. condemns U.S. aid system in Gaza after Israel opens fire on crowd (WaPo 5/28/25); How a US-backed body plans to handle Gaza’s food distribution and why aid groups oppose it (AP5/27/25)
Four people killed after starving Palestinians burst into UN food warehouse in Gaza (The Guardian 5/28/25)
“Four people have died as thousands of Palestinians burst into a United Nations warehouse in Gaza, tearing away sections of the building’s metal walls in a desperate attempt to find food. Two people were fatally crushed and two others died of gunshot wounds after the crowd forced its way into the World Food Programme warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday afternoon, health officials said. It was not immediately clear if Israeli forces, private contractors or others had opened fire.” See also Why a US-backed Gaza plan is sparking accusations of weaponizing aid (Al Monitor 5/29/25); New Aid Site in Gaza Brings More Scenes of Chaos (NYT 5/29/25);
New Gaza Aid Plan, Bypassing U.N. and Billed as Neutral, Originated in Israel (NYT 5/24/25)
“Throughout the war in Gaza, U.N. agencies and experienced aid groups have overseen the distribution of food aid in the territory. Now, Israel is set to transfer that responsibility to a handful of newly formed private organizations with obscure histories and unknown financial backers. Supporters of the project describe it as an independent and neutral initiative run mainly by American contractors…But the project is an Israeli brainchild, first proposed by Israeli officials in the earliest weeks of the war, according to Israeli officials, people involved in the initiative and others familiar with its conception, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak more freely of the initiative…The plan was designed to undermine Hamas’s control of Gaza, prevent food from falling into militants’ hands or the black market, and bypass the United Nations, which Israeli officials do not trust and have accused of anti-Israeli bias…U.N. officials pushed back, contending that the plan would restrict food aid to limited parts of Gaza, and warning that it could endanger civilians by forcing them to walk for miles, across Israeli military lines, to reach food. The U.N. also warns that the system could facilitate an Israeli plan to displace civilians out of northern Gaza, since the initial distribution sites would only be in the south.” See also New Aid Site in Gaza Brings More Scenes of Chaos (NYT 5/29/25); Israel’s New Gaza Food Plan: Military-Directed Starvation (Jonathan Kuttab//Arab Center DC 5/30/25); Gaza Humanitarian Foundation head resigns, casting more doubt on aid plan (WaPo 5/25/25); Head of US-backed Gaza aid group resigns, saying he will not abandon ‘principles’ (The Guardian 5/25/25)
Children in Gaza Are Starving. Let the U.N. Do Its Job. (Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF//NYT 5/29/25);
“Before hostilities resumed, the United Nations operated a vast and effective aid delivery system inside Gaza. During the recent cease-fire, we were delivering assistance like essential vaccines and medicine, lifesaving nutrition services and access to clean water through more than 400 distribution points, including in sites close to shelters for displaced families. UNICEF and our partners went even further, delivering aid door-to-door, reaching malnourished children and pregnant women directly in their places of refuge. That extensive system is now sidelined, and our operations have been significantly curtailed. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is reportedly channeling aid through a few distribution points in southern Gaza that have security on site provided by private American contractors, and Israeli soldiers standing outside the perimeter. Having a limited number of distribution sites will force civilians to travel far from their homes, exposing them to violence…This plan cannot support a population of 2.1 million people, including over a million children. We believe this new mechanism is also incompatible with humanitarian principles, including neutrality, impartiality and independence, and fails to meet Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.” See also Here’s what to know about the controversial new aid program in Gaza (WaPo 5/30/25); U.N. condemns U.S. aid system in Gaza after Israel opens fire on crowd (WaPo 5/28/25);
Inside Trump’s New Gaza “Ceasefire” Proposal (Drop Site 5/29/25)
“A new proposal for a Gaza ceasefire spearheaded by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, includes a 60-day initial truce, a “redeployment” of some Israeli occupation forces, and an exchange of captives, including ten living Israelis held in Gaza. It would also require the “immediate” delivery of humanitarian aid, including by the United Nations and the Red Crescent. Drop Site obtained a copy of the document, labelled a “term sheet” by Witkoff. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that Israel had accepted the proposal, asserting it would allow Israel to continue its war of annihilation. “We agree to accept the outline that was conveyed to us tonight,” Netanyahu said. “We do not believe Hamas will release the last hostage, and therefore we will continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed, and we will not leave the Gaza Strip until all the hostages are in our hands.”’ See also Hamas reviews Gaza ceasefire proposal as U.S. expresses optimism (WaPo 5/30/25); Full text of Witkoff’s proposal for 60-day Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal (TOI 5/30/25); After Sanaa airport strike, Houthis say they’ll start targeting Israeli civilian planes (TOI 5/30/25); Israeli airstrike kills nine of Gaza doctor’s 10 children (The Guardian 5/24/25); The Massacre of Nine Children of the Al-Najjar Family (Drop Site 5/26/25);
REGION/GLOBAL
As Trump Seeks Iran Deal, Israel Again Raises Possible Strikes on Nuclear Sites (NYT 5/28/25)
“As the Trump administration tries to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been threatening to upend the talks by striking Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, according to officials briefed on the situation. The clash over how best to ensure that Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon has led to at least one tense phone call between President Trump and Mr. Netanyahu and a flurry of meetings in recent days between top administration officials and senior Israeli officials.” See also Trump confirms he told Netanyahu last week not to strike Iran (JI 5/28/25); Trump: I told Netanyahu striking Iran would be ‘very inappropriate,’ as deal is close (TOI 5/28/25); After Sanaa airport strike, Houthis say they’ll start targeting Israeli civilian planes (TOI 5/30/25); Saudi Arabia Warned Iran to Reach Nuclear Deal With Trump or Risk Israeli Strike (Haaretz 5/30/25);
Europe’s leaders are scolding Israel over Gaza, but will they go further? (WaPo 5/30/25)
“A rare rebuke of Israel by Germany this week underscored Europe’s growing willingness to pressure the Netanyahu government over its siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which is testing the tolerance of some of Israel’s staunchest allies. After a deadly Israeli strike on a Gaza school turned shelter this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the harm to civilians could “no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism” — a sharp departure from Germany’s blanket defense of Israel during the war. Merz cautioned Israel against doing “anything that at some point its best friends are no longer willing to accept.” Merz made his comments as the European Union launched a review of its trade ties with Israel after more than a year and half of war. The Netherlands, a stalwart Israeli ally, led the push for the 27-nation bloc to review trade relations…Some E.U. states are calling for a full suspension of trade ties…Their collective action has yet to go far beyond finger-wagging, though, and officials say that issuing punitive measures would be more difficult and could expose the bloc’s divisions.” See also Germany threatens ‘steps’ against Israel over Gaza, escalating criticism of war (TOI 5/27/25); Israel is losing almost all its allies as it forges on in Gaza (Axios 5/25/25); EU could partially suspend Israel’s association agreement within weeks: Sources (Al Monitor 5/27/25); U.K. Weighs Sanctions on 2 Israeli Cabinet Ministers as Gaza Crisis Worsens (NYT 5/29/25); Macron warns France could harden stance on Israel if it continues to block Gaza aid (TOI 5/30/25); German minister: future weapons deliveries to Israel depend on Gaza situation (Haaretz 5/30/25);
UN gears up for landmark Palestine conference (Al Monitor 5/30/25)
“The United Nations headquarters in New York is gearing up for a major meeting to discuss the Palestinian situation and several countries including France have indicated that they are considering recognizing Palestine at the event. The conference, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, will take place on June 17-20, as called for in Resolution 79/81, and produce a document outlining a “peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-state solution.” The “action-oriented” plan will “chart an irreversible pathway towards the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution.”’ See also Israel warns Europe that Palestine recognition may be met with West Bank annexation (TOI 5/27/25); Foreign Ministry says Macron on ‘crusade against Jewish state,’ wants to ‘reward jihadists’ (Haaretz 5/30/25);
Performance, Punishment or Policy: What Would Recognizing Palestine Really Mean? (Dahlia Sheindlin//Haaretz 5/28/25)
“Nearly 150 countries have already recognized Palestinian statehood, with more in train. Opposing them are Israelis who dream of annexation, and even some Palestinians tired of symbolic declarations. Can the new French-Saudi two-state initiative break the mold?”
RIVER TO THE SEA
It’s time for Israel to halt its war of devastation in Gaza (Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert//The Guardian 5/30/25)
“What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: the indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. We’re not doing this due to loss of control in any specific sector, not due to some disproportionate outburst by some soldiers in some unit. Rather, it’s the result of government policy – knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated. Yes, Israel is committing war crimes. First, starving out Gaza…I believe the government of Israel is now the enemy from within. It has declared war on the state and its inhabitants…And while all this mess is going on, we keep on slaughtering Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, too.” See also Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes (Ehud Olmert//Haaretz 5/27/25)
Israel confirms plans to create 22 new settlements in occupied West Bank (The Guardian 5/29/25)
“Israel has said it will establish 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalisation of outposts already built without government authorisation, after a security cabinet vote held in secret last week…[Israeli Defense Minister Israel] Katz said the settlement decision “strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria”, using the biblical term for the West Bank, “anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism”.’ See also Israel announces biggest West Bank settlement expansion in decades (JTA 5/29/25); In a single week, a new settler outpost erases an entire Palestinian community (Oren Ziv//+972 Magazine 5/26/25); They are trying to cut us off from the world (Humans of Masafer Yatta)
Yes to Transfer: 82% of Jewish Israelis Back Expelling Gazans (Shay Hazkani & Tamir Sorek//Haaretz 5/28/25)
“A recent survey of Israeli Jews reveals a growing comfort with the idea of forcibly expelling Palestinians – both from Gaza and from within Israel’s borders. The poll also found that a signicant minority supports the mass killing of civilians in enemy cities captured by the Israeli army. These disturbing trends reect the radicalization of religious Zionism since Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, and the failure of secular Israeli Jews to articulate a vision that challenges Jewish supremacy…According to the results, 82 percent of respondents supported the expulsion of Gaza’s residents, while 56 percent favored expelling Palestinian citizens of Israel…Religious interpretations play a key role in shaping these views. Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents agreed that “when conquering an enemy city, the Israel Defense Forces should act as the Israelites did in Jericho under Joshua’s command – killing all its inhabitants.” Sixty-five percent said they believed in the existence of a modern-day incarnation of Amalek, the Israelite biblical enemy whom God commanded to wipe out in Deuteronomy 25:19. Among those believers, 93 percent said the commandment to erase Amalek’s memory remains relevant today…Some 66 percent of those under age 40 support expelling Palestinian citizens of Israel, and 58 percent want to see the army follow the path laid down by biblical Joshua in Jericho. A generational gap in political positions is not an unusual phenomenon, but in Israel, it has widened greatly since 2000.” See also Israeli Forces Said They Killed a ‘Terrorist.’ He Was 14 Years Old. (NYT 5/27/25); Netanyahu Intervened and Blocked Shin Bet Investigations Against Jewish Terrorism (Haaretz 5/29/25);
Jerusalem Day Flag March Reached a New Low: Mocking the Dead Children of Gaza (Nir Hasson//Haaretz 5/27/25)
“Hundreds of marchers on Jerusalem Day are not satisfied with singing hate songs and chanting racist slogans. They also engage in attacks on Palestinian property: breaking locks, stealing merchandise, smashing shop signs, beating on metal doors with flagpoles, plastering racist stickers by the hundreds, and more…The repertoire of racist songs shifted slightly this year. The dominant chants remained the familiar ones: “May your village burn,” “Muhammad is dead,” and “Avenge but one of my two eyes of Palestine, damn them” (a phrase that literally means “May their name and memory be erased,” with the final words shouted while flagpoles slammed against metal doors). But new songs were added to the mix, including: “There’s no school in Gaza, there’s no children left,” “Let the IDF fuck the Arabs,” and “Flatten Gaza.” Contrary to claims from religious-nationalist leaders, this hate is not the work of a small fringe. The true minority is composed of those who stick to songs of faith and Jerusalem. Once again this year, I struggled to find any group that refrained from racist chants. Im Tirtzu (IMTI), an organization affiliated with the Likud party rather than the far-right Otzma Yehudit, proudly displayed a giant banner at the entrance to the Old City reading “No Nakba, No Victory.”…It’s worth noting that all of this was funded by the Jerusalem Municipality, which allocated 700,000 shekels –without a public tender – to the organization behind the march.” See also Thousands to Take Part in Far-right, State-funded Jerusalem Day March Through Muslim Quarter (Haaretz 5/26/25); Thousands of Israelis join violent, racist march through Jerusalem’s Muslim quarter (The Guardian 5/26/25);
A Lost Battle for Human Rights: Throughout the War Israel’s High Court Has Denied All Requests to Protect Gazans (Haaretz 5/23/25)
“Indeed, since the start of the war, the High Court has given its seal of approval to all of Israel’s actions – withholding of medical treatment, the disappearing of people, denial of media access to Gaza, and above all, starving the population of Gaza.” See also Israel’s Justice System and the Genocidal War on Gaza (Nareman Shehadeh-Zoabi//Arab Center DC 5/30/25);
U.S. SCENE
How a controversial definition of antisemitism is making its way into state laws — from banning masks to training cops (Hannah Feuer//The Forward 5/29/25)
“The definition of antisemitism that governments rely on may seem like a semantic debate, but the recent flurry of state legislation shows its impact on how crime data is tracked, which incidents at public universities lead to discipline, and what is considered acceptable speech in the classroom. Those are the stakes behind a renewed debate over the IHRA definition, which continued to cement its dominance at the state level over the past two months, as Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee all passed bills or issued executive orders reiterating their support for it…“Once you’ve adopted the IHRA definition, there really isn’t any question. You’re going to shut down all sorts of free speech,” said Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. “You say ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine is free’ — done, you’re guilty of antisemitism. You say that Israel is a racist state — done, antisemitism.”’
The ‘Nonprofit Killer Bill’ Could Rise Again (Chronicle of Philanthropy 5/27/25)
“The legislation would have allowed the U.S. Treasury Department to strip the nonprofit status from any group it believes supports terrorists. It was included as a late addition into the massive tax bill on May 14, right before it cleared the House Ways and Means Committee; and it was then excised from the bill on the House floor, just hours before passage eight days later. The anti-terror measure raised alarms among nonprofits because it would have let the Trump White House — and future administrations — characterize a nonprofit’s actions as supporting terrorist groups, while giving the accused nonprofit a very limited ability to challenge that determination. [Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace:] “When this [bill] was first introduced, it was explicitly about going after people, organizations that support Palestinian lives and rights. It was explicitly about shutting down organizations engaged in work in support of Palestinian lives and Palestinian rights and critical of Israel and what it’s doing in Gaza. That was explicit. Then people began to say, “This is great. We can use this to go after Soros and the Open Society Foundations.” It was recognized as a weapon of mass destruction against groups with disfavored political viewpoints. This piece of legislation is sort of ripping the mask off. There’s no pretense. Initially, it was clearly focused on Palestinians. The intent behind this law is to make it easier to simply strip away the 501(c)(3) status of organizations for disfavored political views and speech.”’
Israel is losing Americans’ support. Will the Democrats listen? (Halah Ahmad//+972 Magazine 5/28/25)
“In recent months, multiple new public opinion surveys have illustrated the extent to which Israel has lost Americans’ support. In early April, a poll from the Pew Research Center attracted widespread attention when it revealed that more than half of U.S. adults now express an unfavorable opinion of the Israeli state — an increase of over 10 percent since March 2023. And this month, after Israel launched a new military operation to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, a new poll from Data for Progress showed that 76 percent of U.S. voters support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and 51 percent think that U.S. President Donald Trump should demand one. These dramatic shifts come alongside several recent polls demonstrating that Gaza played a definitive role in the Democrats’ loss in the November U.S. presidential election. In February, a YouGov poll from the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project found that the genocide was the leading reason cited by former Democratic voters who did not cast a ballot for former Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil’s detention ruled likely unconstitutional (WaPo 5/29/25)
“A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist whom the government is seeking to deport, was likely to prevail in his argument that his detention was unconstitutional. But he declined to issue a preliminary injunction in the case, so Khalil will remain in detention — unlike several other high-profile cases of international students targeted for deportation by the Trump administration because of their pro-Palestinian activities.”
Trump pauses student visa interviews, weighs social media vetting for applicants (Axios 5/28/25)
“The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and considering a social media vetting requirement as its immigration crackdown extends to people who want to study in the U.S…Since March, consular officers have been required to conduct social media reviews looking for support for purported “terrorist activity or a terrorist organization.” Such activity could be as broad as showing support for Palestinians, according to an earlier cable obtained by The Guardian.” See also Top Middle East, Israel and Iran officials pushed out of NSC (JI 5/25/25)
PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS
The MAGAfication of Israel: How America’s Heritage Foundation Plans to ‘Convert’ the Jewish State (Nettanel Slyomovics//Haaretz 5/25/25)
“The right-wing organization that prepared the American blueprint for dismantling liberal democracy in Trump’s second term is ‘making aliyah,’ cozying up to Netanyahu’s government through like-minded groups, such as the powerful Kohelet Policy forum.” See also Spotlight on the “Kohelet Policy Forum”: How a Far-Right-Wing, U.S.-Funded Israeli Think Tank is Working to Shape Policy & Law in the US & Israel (FMEP webinar 4/4/23)
The Group Forging a “Judeo-Christian” Zionism for the New MAGA Age (Ben Lorber//Jewish Currents 5/21/25)
“Israel365’s decades of outreach to Christian Zionists has made it a power player from the World Zionist Congress to the White House.”
For more Israelis, calling out war crimes is no longer taboo (Meron Rapoport//+972 Magazine 5/29/25)
“Recognition of the army’s atrocities in Gaza has moved into mainstream Israeli discourse. This alone cannot end the war — but it’s a profound shift.” See also Families of hostages stage protests on 600th day of Israel-Gaza war (The Guardian 5/28/25); ‘Killing People Needs to Have Some Justification’: Why IDF Reservists Are Choosing Jail Over War (Haaretz 5/26/25)
Why do so many Americans join the Israeli military? (Ahmed Moor//The Guardian 5/29/25)
“The Washington Post reported in February 2024 that “an estimated 23,380 American citizens currently serve in Israeli ranks”…To be sure, the phenomenon of Americans joining foreign armies is not unique to Zionists or Israel. NPR reports that hundreds of Americans are fighting alongside Ukrainians in their war against the Russian occupation. But hundreds is not the same as tens of thousands, and fighting occupation is the opposite of investing in and propagating it. Now, with the genocide in Palestine, we’re faced with a reality in which tens of thousands of Americans are actively involved in war crimes.”
The Outcasts of Zion (Benjamin Balthasar//Boston Review 5/27/25)
“The manufacturing of Jewish Zionist consensus lies at the heart of American liberalism’s identity crisis.” See also How six months in the West Bank undid a lifetime of Zionist indoctrination (Sam Stein//+972 Magazine 5/30/25); See also We must face reality — the Gaza war is now a war of annihilation (Jay Michaelson//The Forward 5/28/25); Israel is becoming a pariah state. Here’s what American Jews must do (Daniel Sokatch//The Forward 5/29/25)
Staying in Motion (Arielle Angel//Jewish Currents 5/28/25)
“On the first Sunday afternoon in May, the final day of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) National Members Meeting in Baltimore, executive director Stefanie Fox took the stage to fortify the crowd for the work ahead. She laid out a lengthy list of threats to the movement for Palestine, many of them already on the tracks—from the potential revocation of nonprofit status and freezing of bank accounts to the criminal prosecution of activists—before switching into a personal register. Her voice softened as she spoke of a recent walk with her young son through an old growth forest near their home in Seattle. When they came upon a fallen tree, her kid began to tell her about “nurse logs,” relating how these felled giants became incubators for new growth, releasing nutrients and holding moisture in the soil so life could take root. “Look around,” Fox entreated the attendees, some of whom, after four days of nonstop workshops, lectures, performances, and organizing meetings, were spread out on the floor at the periphery of the audience, where they stretched, tended to children, or lay with heads resting on friends’ bellies. “This movement is an old growth forest. You can’t stop a forest from growing.” “What can we do,” she asked, “to ensure that no matter what they take from us, we are nurturing this movement forward?” This ominous image, implicitly likening the organization to a fallen tree, was a striking note on which to close—a reminder of JVP’s alarming vulnerability to repression even at a moment of unprecedented influence.”
Focus On: Global Solidarity with Palestine (Al Shabaka 5/27/25)
“As the US and its allies lead a sweeping assault on the global legal order to shield the Israeli regime from accountability for genocide, international outrage has sparked an extraordinary wave of pro-Palestine solidarity and organizing. Millions have taken to the streets in a broad-based protest movement that marks a profound shift in public consciousness. In addition, a growing surge of grassroots initiatives—from legal challenges by human rights groups to divestment campaigns and organizing by students, academics, and labor unions—has solidified Palestine as a central pillar in the global struggle for justice. Al-Shabaka’s latest Focus On offers a multifaceted exploration of how solidarity with Palestine is expanding and being reimagined globally. It also highlights the significant challenges facing the movement amid a vicious crackdown on pro-Palestine activism. This collection brings together contributions from analysts working across advocacy, academia, and policy to examine the shifting landscape of global solidarity.”
What can the Joint List teach us about building Palestinian political power? (Rida Abu Rass//+972 Magazine 5/23/25)
“Ten years ago, Israel’s four Palestinian-majority parties achieved an unprecedented breakthrough by forming the Joint List — a historic electoral alliance that aimed to bridge the ideological gaps and interpersonal rivalries dividing the community’s fragmented leadership. While short-lived, this experiment ignited rare political enthusiasm among Israel’s Palestinian citizens who had long yearned for unity and influence. Within five years, the Joint List became Israel’s third-largest party and the most substantial challenge to mainstream Zionist politics…A decade after the Joint List’s promising start, Palestinian politics in Israel has fractured beyond recognition. The List’s unified leadership has splintered back into competing factions, paralyzed by ideological divides, strategic disagreements, and personal rivalries — some long-standing and others new. This disintegration fueled Palestinian citizens’ disillusionment with both the Israeli political system and their ineffectual leadership, with voter participation and parliamentary representation plummeting as a result.”