1. New from FMEP

2. Gaza

3. Region/Global

4. River to the Sea

5. U.S. Scene + Activism & Repression

6. Perspectives//Long Reads

NEW FROM FMEP

Israel’s UNRWA Ban: What it means for Gaza, the UN and the World (Webinar 11/1/24)

On Monday, despite warnings by the international community against such a step, Israel’s Knesset voted overwhelmingly to adopt two laws that effectively ban the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN agency that has served the needs of Palestinian refugees since 1949, from operating in Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories (West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem). Since Israel’s war on Gaza began more than a year ago, UNRWA has been the primary provider of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza, where 2 million people face catastrophic humanitarian conditions, including mass starvation and disease. Numerous governments from across the world, including the Biden administration, have warned that ending UNRWA operations would have far-reaching and disastrous humanitarian consequences, particularly in Gaza. To address the background to and implications of Israel’s UNRWA ban — for Palestinians, the wider region, and UN/humanitarian interventions worldwide — the Middle East Institute (MEI) and Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) are pleased to invite you to join a virtual panel discussion featuring Roland Friedrich, Director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank; Mona Jebril, Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge; Alexander Smith, JD/MPH/MA, former USAID official (resigned May 2024); and Moderated by: Khaled Elgindy, Middle East Institute &  Lara Friedman, Foundation for Middle East Peace.

FMEP Legislative Round-Up October 25, 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: October 25, 2024 (Kristin McCarthy)

1. Three New (Violent) Outposts Reported; 2. Nachala Movement, Ministers Prepare for Gaza Settlement & Call for Expulsion of Palestinians; 3. IDF Recruits, Pays Settlers in Reserves to Guard Outposts; 4. Settlers Continue to Terrorize Palestinians & Hamper Olive Harvest; 5. Bonus Reads

Holding Israeli Media Accountable: Incitement to Genocide is a Crime (new podcast episode)

FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with Israeli human rights attorney Alon Sapir about the legal complaint he recently filed, together with other Israeli attorneys, accusing Israeli media Channel 14 of incitement to genocide against Palestinians and other grave crimes. As Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza continues, intensifying especially in northern Gaza where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians face mass displacement and forced hunger, the legal effort Alon describes represents one concrete attempt to hold promoters of genocide accountable for their speech and actions.

Israel’s Plans for a “New Order” in the Middle East (new podcast episode)

FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Mouin Rabbani about Israel’s war on Gaza, its offensive in Lebanon, and how these and other developments fit into Israel’s broader objectives in the region, most notably with respect to Iran. Mouin is widely published analyst and commentator on Palestinian affairs, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the contemporary Middle East.

GAZA

‘Entire population of north Gaza at risk of dying,’ warns UN’s top humanitarian official (UN News 10/26/24)

““What Israeli forces are doing in besieged north Gaza cannot be allowed to continue,” said Joyce Msuya, acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, in a statement posted on the social media platform X. Hospitals have been hit, health workers detained and first responders prevented from rescuing people trapped under the rubble, she noted. “Shelters have been emptied and burned down…families have been separated, and men and boys taken away by the truckload,” she added. According to reports, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since Israeli security forces renewed their offensive in northern Gaza earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced again. “The entire population of north Gaza is at risk of dying,” Ms. Msuya warned. “Such blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war must stop.”’ See also Gaza war’s ‘darkest moment’ unfolding in north, UN says (BBC 10/25/24); People in northern Gaza running out of means to survive, U.N. says (WaPo 10/24/24)

Gaza aid falls to lowest level since start of war despite US warning to Israel (FT 10/29/24)

“Aid to Gaza has fallen to its lowest level since the war began, despite the US warning Israel that military assistance could be at risk if conditions did not improve. US secretary of state Antony Blinken and secretary of defence Lloyd Austin wrote to the Israeli government on October 13 giving Israel 30 days to “surge all forms of humanitarian assistance” in the strip and “end isolation of northern Gaza” immediately. But humanitarian officials say conditions have deteriorated still further since the leaked letter was sent two weeks ago, with aid entering Gaza at a lower rate in October than in any month since the start of the war a year ago…Gaza’s north remains largely cut off from aid and under heavy bombardment, with tens of thousands of residents displaced under forced evacuation orders.” See also The Aid Workers Who Risk Their Lives to Bring Relief to Gaza (Dorothy Wickenden//New Yorker 10/28/28)

What to know about UNRWA, the U.N. organization banned by Israel (WaPo 10/30/24)

“It is hard to overstate the role of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip.The agency, long a major employer in Gaza, is a source of aid, but also social services, health care and education, fulfilling in practice what elsewhere would fall to the state. As the only U.N. agency dedicated solely to one group of refugees, UNRWA operates beyond Gaza in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Most of its 30,000 workers are Palestinian refugees. A pair of laws passed by the Israeli Knesset this week, however, could imperil its ability to work in Gaza. Here’s what to know about UNRWA.” See also What Will Israel’s UNRWA Ban Look Like for Palestinians? Experts Warn of ‘A Massive Ripple Effect’ (Haaretz 10/30/24); Israel has banned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. That could be devastating for millions (CNN 10/30/24); Western Countries Condemn Israel’s Ban on UNRWA, Warm of Worsening Crisis Without Alternative Aid (Haaretz 10/29/24)

Israeli strikes kill 95 Palestinians across Gaza, hospital targeted (Al Jazeera 11/1/24)

“At least 95 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip, mainly in the north of the enclave where a hospital was attacked, medical supplies were torched and operations were disrupted, health officials said. A vast majority of the victims in Thursday’s attacks were civilians in northern Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera. The Israeli military’s shelling of central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, the Nuseirat refugee camp and the az-Zawayda areas also left dozens wounded from attacks on Thursday night that continued into Friday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Most of those killed were women and children, Wafa reported, as medical sources confirmed that 47 bodies were taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah.” See also Israeli strikes reportedly kill more than 150 in northern Gaza and Lebanon (Al Jazeera 10/29/24); Plight of Gaza civilians ‘unbearable’ as Israel kills over 50 in a day (Al Jazeera 10/27/24); Israeli Strike on Hospital in Jabalya in Northern Gaza Kills 33, Including at Least 21 Women and Children (Haaretz 10/19/24); Israeli strike kills at least 73 people in northern Gaza, medics say (WaPo 10/19/24);

Inside the siege of northern Gaza, where ‘death waits around every corner’ (Mohammed R. Mhawish, Ola Al Asi and Ibrahim Mohammad//+972 10/23/24)

“Limbs scattered on the streets, shelters set ablaze, hundreds trapped inside hospitals: Palestinians detail the apocalyptic scenes of Israel’s latest campaign.” See also ‘I see my wife and son burning every time I close my eyes’ (Ibtisam Mahdi//+972 10/18/24); He Dreamed of Escaping Gaza. The World Watched Him Burned Alive. (NYT 10/21/24); Israeli strike on school sheltering displaced families in Jabalia kills 28 (Al Jazeera 10/17/24);

The Murderous Logistics of Israel’s Ethnic Cleansing Campaign in Northern Gaza (Sharif Abdoul Kouddous & Abubaker Abed//Drop Site News 10/23/24)

“For the past 19 days, the Israeli military has waged a concentrated campaign of extermination and ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, according to medical staff and eyewitnesses who have been speaking to Drop Site News. The IDF has besieged the area with troops, blocked roads, and constructed earthen barriers, while cutting off access to food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. From the air, it has targeted homes, shelters, schools and hospitals with relentless airstrikes. Quadcopters are shooting civilians in the streets. Amid shelling and demolitions on the ground, soldiers have rounded up residents, arresting hundreds and forcing tens of thousands to march south. “This is the first time since the beginning of the war that the occupation army has besieged an area and then begun a campaign of bombing, killing and starvation in such a complete way,” Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told the Palestinian press agency Safa. In one of the deadliest incidents, at least 87 people were killed or have been reported missing following an airstrike on a residential block in Beit Lahia on Saturday.” See also For Gaza’s schoolchildren, another year of destruction, loss, and uncertainty (Ruwaida Kamal Amer and Ibtisam Mahdi//+972 10/24/24); UN should consider suspending Israel over ‘genocide’ against Palestinians, says special rapporteur (Guardian 10/31/24)

‘”Our Job Is to Flatten Gaza. No One Will Stop Us”: Inside One Israeli Battalion’s Yearlong Mission Of Destruction” (Younis Tirawi and Sami Vanderlip//Drop Site News 10/22/24)

“Journalists Younis Tirawi and Sami Vanderlip have managed to find and archive all the Instagram stories and daily posts shared by the soldiers of one key unit, Israel’s 749 Combat Engineering Battalion. They’ve mapped out the structure of the unit and identified the individual soldiers and officers involved, along with their various roles in operations. They have tracked the activities of each company in the battalion, including what they were doing, when, and where, as the force shred their way through Gaza. The mission is nothing less than a systematic, concerted, and deliberate effort to erase the intellectual, cultural, and social future of the Palestinian people. “Our job is to flatten Gaza,” the soldiers of the official D9 company of the battalion wrote on their Instagram page. They added, accurately: “No one will stop us.”…The following is a thorough account of the acts committed by the 749 battalion, complete with the evidence they post themselves. These are not just isolated events, but represent a pattern that runs through the very heart of the Israeli military—a sadistic attitude toward the civilians of Gaza, whose futures they have been tasked with blowing up or flattening. If sadistic sounds harsh, read through this dispatch and ask yourself if it’s not, in the end, too soft of a description.” See also Fears for six Palestinian journalists after Israel names them as targets (Al Jazeera 10/24/24); Al Jazeera rejects Israeli claim that its journalists have militant links (WaPo 10/24/24)

A Cartography of Genocide: Israel’s Conduct in Gaza since October 2023 (Forensic Architecture)

“Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, Forensic Architecture has been collecting data related to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure by the Israeli military. Our analysis of this conduct reveals the near-total destruction of civilian life in Gaza. We have also collected and analysed evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military directing Palestinian civilians to areas of Gaza designated as ‘safe’. These orders have resulted in the repeated, large-scale displacement of the Palestinian population across Gaza, often to areas which subsequently came under attack. The patterns we have observed concerning Israel’s military conduct in Gaza indicate a systematic and organised campaign to destroy life, conditions necessary for life, and life-sustaining infrastructure…The platform and report present a comprehensive mapping of military conduct in Gaza since 7 October 2023. They deploy spatial and pattern analysis to observe the ways in which Israel’s military operations entailed widespread civilian harm.”

Will there be a future for newborns in Gaza? (Bilal Irfan, Abdallah Abu Shammala, Khaled Saleh//The Lancet 10/23/24)

“Our teams, comprising international physicians working in tandem with local Palestinian health-care workers, have witnessed first-hand the collapse of Gaza’s health-care infrastructure during medical missions. People are being left to navigate an impossible situation: the once-celebratory event of childbirth has now become a matter of survival. Prenatal care is virtually non-existent in Gaza. The rise in premature labour is staggering, often triggered by the chronic stress of displacement, malnutrition, and the trauma of witnessing air strikes. As hospitals struggle to keep up with mass casualties, maternity wards are becoming non-functional. In some cases, women have had to deliver babies outside, in unsanitary conditions, without the assistance of midwives or doctors. This reproductive violence is not just a consequence of the military assault—it is a deliberate outcome of policies that restrict access to health care.”

REGION/GLOBAL

Israel has damaged or destroyed nearly a quarter of buildings in Lebanon’s south (WaPo 10/31/24)

“Nearly a quarter of all buildings in 25 Lebanese municipalities near the Israeli border had been damaged or destroyed as of Saturday, according to an analysis of satellite data by The Washington Post — illustrating the far-reaching toll of Israel’s land and air war against Hezbollah…The vast majority of the damage — almost 80 percent — has occurred since Oct. 2, the day after Israel launched its ground invasion. Since then, the destruction has continued at a rapid pace, roughly doubling every two weeks, even as Israeli officials signal they are willing to begin negotiations to wind down the war.” See also Israel pounds Beirut’s southern suburbs after US truce push (Reuters 11/1/24); Israel Demolished Hundreds of Buildings in Southern Lebanon, Videos and Satellite Images Show (NYT 10/30/24)

Leaked document outlines Lebanon-Israel cease-fire, might be reached in ‘hours or days’ (Al Monitor 10/30/24)

“A leaked document, purportedly of the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire proposal drawn up by senior US presidential advisor Amos Hochstein, was published by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Wednesday.
The document emerged as Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Naijb Mikati, expressed optimism that a cease-fire could be reached “hours or days” after speaking on the phone with Hochstein…The document, dated Oct. 29, outlines a multiphase process, the first phase being a 60-day implementation period during which the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will deploy to the Lebanon-Israel border and work to disarm Hezbollah. Israel’s military will withdraw from Lebanon within seven days of a cessation of hostilities and be replaced by the LAF. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers will aid in the transition.” See also What Naim Qassem’s ascension as Hezbollah leader means for Iran, Lebanon (Al Monitor 10/29/24); Tyre, Lebanon’s ancient city, bombarded by Israeli airstrikes (Al Monitor 10/28/24)

What visuals reveal about the impact of Israeli strikes on Iran (WaPo 10/29/24)

“Israeli airstrikes on Iran last week damaged the country’s missile production capabilities and air defenses, an analysis of satellite imagery showed, in an attack that analysts said will limit Tehran’s ability to retaliate and set Iranian deterrence policy back years. Though Iran downplayed the extent of the impact, satellite imagery analyzed by The Washington Post shows damage to two radar sites associated with Iran’s air defenses and at least three sites associated with missile production.” See also Israel met ‘all its objectives’ in strike; Iran vows response (WaPo 10/27/24); Israel strike crippled Iran’s missile production, sources say (Axios 10/26/24); Iran preparing major retaliatory strike from Iraq within days, Israeli intel suggests (Axios 10/31/24); Pentagon denies role in Israel’s Iran strikes after warning against nuclear targets (Al Monitor 10/28/24)

Saudi-Israel normalization ‘off table’ until Palestinian statehood, FM says (Al Monitor 10/31/24)

““I would say certainly normalization with [Israel] is not just at risk. It is off the table until we have a resolution to Palestinian statehood,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan told the Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh.“I would say that it is not just the issue of normalization with the kingdom that is at risk; I would say that the security of the region as a whole is at risk if we do not address the rights of the Palestinians,” he added.” See also CIA director floated month-long Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal in Doha (Axios 10/28/24); Hamas rejects any hostage deal that doesn’t end war, despite mediators’ efforts (Times of Israel 10/31/24)

RIVER TO THE SEA

Israeli forces killed 165 Palestinian children in West Bank over past year: UN (New Arab 10/25/24)

“Israeli forces have killed at least 165 children in the West Bank  over the past year, the UN has said. Of those killed, at least 129 were killed by Israeli live ammunition “mostly in the upper body and head”, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said, while 36 were killed by air strikes. The latest child to be killed was 11-year-old Abdullah Jamal Hawash, who was shot during a raid in Nablus on Tuesday.”

‘Copy-paste the West Bank to Gaza’: Hundreds join Gaza resettlement event (Oren Ziv//+972 10/22/24)

““We came here with one clear purpose: to settle the entire Gaza Strip.” That was the declaration of Israeli settler leader Daniella Weiss at a gathering of hundreds of right-wing Israelis near Gaza on Monday, where they celebrated the Jewish festival of Sukkot by calling to erect settlements inside the besieged enclave. This was not the biggest event of the past year to promote that demand…But this well-organized, calm, and joyous gathering — which was approved and held against all logic in a closed military zone near the border, and was attended by several senior figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party — marked a new step in the effort to mainstream the idea of resettling Gaza with Jewish Israelis. And while the Israeli government has repeatedly denied to U.S. officials that the army is implementing the so-called “Generals’ Plan” to besiege, starve, and expel the residents of northern Gaza before annexing the territory to Israel, it was evident that participants in Monday’s event were counting on such a plan to cleanse the area for Jewish settlement.” See also ‘The Arabs will disappear’: emboldened Israeli settlers eye return to Gaza (Guardian 10/31/24)

Red Alert: Mapping a Year of 28,000 Rocket, Missile and Drone Attacks on Israel (Haaretz 10/15/24)

“The map of alerts below documents all of the sirens heard in Israel warning of imminent rocket, missile and drone attacks. The map lists all alerts heard in every month, in every Israeli community (the greater the number of alerts, the bigger the point marker), and is constantly updated with every additional attack. The map shows how, as the weeks and months have gone by, fire from the northern front (principally Hezbollah) has intensified, while fire from the south (Hamas) has weakened. The map is automatically animated and you can click to view a specific month….The map of alerts below documents all of the sirens heard in Israel warning of imminent rocket, missile and drone attacks. The map lists all alerts heard in every month, in every Israeli community (the greater the number of alerts, the bigger the point marker), and is constantly updated with every additional attack. The map shows how, as the weeks and months have gone by, fire from the northern front (principally Hezbollah) has intensified, while fire from the south (Hamas) has weakened. The map is automatically animated and you can click to view a specific month.” See also 7 people killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks, marking deadliest day in months for north (Times of Israel 10/31/24);

From attack dogs to prison time, this is how Israel is trying to thwart my activism (Sami Huraini//+972 Magazine 10/24/24)

“This is not the first time I have been arrested, humiliated, and tortured by the Israeli army. In fact, this latest incident is one part of an ongoing and targeted campaign of harassment against me, which began over three years ago, and against my community for decades…Even before this legal persecution began, it was clear that the Israeli army uses these tactics — arbitrary arrests, beatings, perpetually delayed legal proceedings, and long jail sentences — to make an example of human rights activists, to discourage and frighten Palestinians from exercising their basic right to protest the occupation and theft of their land. It is something my family members have dealt with for generations.

On Israeli TV, Extremism Reigns and the Gaza Horror Is Completely Screened Out (Haaretz 10/22/24)

“As the war in Gaza and Lebanon rages, Israel’s news broadcasters go morally bankrupt: Palestinian victims and the destruction in Gaza are nonexistent, Arab commentators are excluded, and the army spokesperson has almost absolute control over the coverage.” See also ‘They Only Understand Force’: The Deadly Racism Behind Israel’s Policy Toward the Palestinians (Dahlia Scheindlin//Haaretz 10/22/24); Israel’s Most Beloved TV Journalist Blew Up a Building in Lebanon. Israelis Didn’t Blink (Haaretz 10/27/24)

We, Israelis, are calling for global pressure on Israel to force an immediate ceasefire – Open letter (Guardian 10/24/24)

“We, Israeli citizens residing in Israel and abroad, call on the international community – the UN and its institutions, the United States, the European Union, the League of Arab States, and all states around the world – to intervene immediately and implement every possible sanction towards achieving an immediate ceasefire between Israel and its neighbors, for the future of both peoples in Israel and Palestine and the peoples of the region and for their rights to security and life…We are motivated by our love for the land and its residents, and we are concerned for their future…The state of Israel is on a suicidal path and sows destruction and devastation that increase day by day…Please, for our futures and the futures of all of the residents of Israel and the region, save us from ourselves and use real pressure on Israel for an immediate ceasefire.” See also ‘He got out of Gaza, but Gaza did not get out of him’: Israeli soldiers returning from war struggle with trauma and suicide (CNN 10/21/24)

Israeli Soldiers Attacked Military Police at Gunpoint for Arresting Comrades Over Sde Teiman Abuse (Haaretz 10/15/24)

“Israeli soldiers from Force 100, which guards Palestinian detainees at the Sde Teiman detention camp in Israel, attacked military police investigators in July when they came to arrest their colleagues on suspicion of abusing and sodomizing a Gazan detainee, according to investigative military policemen involved in the arrest. The soldiers seized the suspects from the investigators at gunpoint and barricaded themselves with the suspects in another building at the base. Even though the military police has witness testimonies to the assault, it has not investigated, on the grounds that the assaulted soldiers are afraid to officially complain even though in its aftermath, some of the investigators involved stopped fulfilling operational roles, and one stopped showing up for reserves duty.” See also Beatings, Humiliation and Torture: The IDF’s Night of Terror at a Palestinian Refugee Camp (Haaretz 10/25/24); Israeli Settlers Recruit Reservists to Guard West Bank Outposts and Help Form New Ones (Haaretz 10/20/24)

A Palestinian Family Goes to Pick Up Olives. It Ends in an Execution by Israeli Soldiers (Gideon Levy//Haaretz 10/30/24)

“Hanan Abu Salameh, 59, was gathering olives with her family in their own grove near the West Bank village of Faqqua, near Jenin, when an Israeli military truck pulled over and a soldier opened gunfire, says her son Fares, 40. His father waved at the man to stop shooting but he went on. Trying to escape, the family ran to their tractor. Hanan fell down on her back. When Fares and Hossam hurried to pick her up, they saw a wound in her chest. They rushed her to the hospital, but it was too late. This is the family’s account of how their first harvest day ended last week. Although occupation authorities had explicitly permitted Faqqua farmers to pick olives, this harvest ended in bloodshed, killing a mother of seven and grandmother of 14. Hanan’s murderer is still walking free and might not even be held to account for her death.”

The Israeli task force deporting foreign activists from the West Bank (Oren Ziv//+972 10/31/24)

“Solidarity volunteers describe threatening interrogations, false charges, and swift expulsion orders by a new police unit established by Ben Gvir.”

U.S. SCENE + ACTIVISM & REPRESSION

U.S. inundated with claims that American arms killed Gaza civilians (WaPo 10/30/24)

“The Biden administration has received nearly 500 reports alleging that Israel used U.S.-supplied weapons for attacks that caused unnecessary harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip, but it has failed to comply with its own policies requiring swift investigations of such claims, according to people familiar with the matter…Yet despite the State Department’s internal Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance, which directs officials to complete an investigation and recommend action within two months of launching an inquiry, no single case has reached the “action” stage, current and former officials told The Washington Post. More than two-thirds of cases remain unresolved, they said, with many pending response from the Israeli government, which the State Department consults to verify each case’s circumstances.”

Arab American voters struggle to back Harris over U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza (PBS 10/29/24)

““I love this country, but I’ll tell you, we have never been so disappointed in this country as we are now,” said Nabih H. Ayad, chairman of the Arab American Civil Rights League. “We wanted to give the Democratic Party the opportunity to do something, and they haven’t.” “The one line we can’t cross,” Ayad said, “is genocide.”…If Harris loses Michigan and the presidential election next week, it’s conversations like this one that could explain why. The Detroit area has the country’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, and Democrats fear that Harris will pay a steep political price for U.S. support for Israel, which rejects allegations that its military operations in Gaza constitute a genocide. Community members who normally back Democrats said they face an impossible decision. Either they punish Harris for what they view as complicity in the deaths of at least 43,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, or they endure Donald Trump ‘s return to the White House, which they fear would revive discrimination toward their community.” See also Scarred by Trump and Biden, Palestinians remain pessimistic over US election (Al Monitor 10/30/24); Michigan’s Lebanese Americans Feel Abandoned by Democrats (Foreign Policy 10/28/24); On campaign trail for Harris in Michigan, Bill Clinton defends Israel’s war in Gaza (Times of Israel 11/1/24); Bill Clinton criticised for saying Israel ‘forced’ to kill Gaza civilians (Al Jazeera 10/31/24)

Former ADL chief Abe Foxman slams group for muted response to Trump’s MSG rally (JTA 10/30/24)

“When Jonathan Greenblatt used his platform as the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League on Monday to condemn a certain act of bigotry, his longtime predecessor atop the ADL, Abe Foxman, took notice — not just of what Greenblatt said but also of what he didn’t say that day. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Greenblatt joined a chorus of voices condemning a conservative commentator for implying on-air that a fellow guest on a CNN program was a member of Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Greenblatt was silent on the day’s much larger topic of discussion: Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, which many, including Foxman, saw as a grotesque spectacle of antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and misogyny. “I’m reluctant to criticize my successor, but, hello, he went after this guy on CNN yesterday, and couldn’t mention Trump, it’s a little bizarre,” Foxman, who led the ADL for decades and has endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency…Foxman also broadened his critique to a slew of major American Jewish organizations that he said have abdicated their duty by refraining from speaking out about Trump’s rally.” See also ‘America is for Americans and Americans only’: How Trump 2.0 evokes the Nazis (The Forward 10/28/24)

Project 2025 Creators Have a Plan to ‘Dismantle’ Pro-Palestine Movement (Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain//Drop Site 10/29/24)

“The architects of Project 2025 at the conservative Heritage Foundation have drafted a plan to break the pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S., in anticipation of a victory by Donald Trump victory in next week’s presidential election. The plan, dubbed “Project Esther,” casts pro-Palestinian activists in the U.S. as members of a global conspiracy aligned with designated terrorist organizations. As part of a so-called “Hamas Support Network,” these protesters receive “indispensable support of a vast network of activists and funders with a much more ambitious, insidious goal—the destruction of capitalism and democracy,” Project Esther’s authors allege…To achieve its goals, Project Esther proposes the use of counterterrorism and hate speech laws, as well as immigration measures, including the deportation of students and other individuals in the United States on foreign visas for taking part in pro-Palestinian activities. It also advocates deploying the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law placing disclosure obligations on parties representing foreign interests, against organizations that the report’s authors imply are funded and directed from abroad…Project Esther’s authors envision their campaign unfolding in a series of stages: first, the purging of “propaganda” from school curricula, followed by an intimidation campaign to dissuade students from joining demonstrations, and restrictions on social media communication, gatherings, and other forms of coordination between pro-Palestinian groups. The end of the process leads to a moment when both the U.S. public and a “preponderance of Jewish community perceives HSOs”—short for Hamas Support Organizations—“as a threat to their safety.” These steps, Project Esther’s authors pledge, will break the pro-Palestinian movement in the United States “within 12 to 24 months.”’ See also ‘Project Esther’: The Right-Wing Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crack Down on America’s Pro-Palestine Movement (Prem Thakker//Zeteo 10/29/24); House Education Committee: University leaders ‘turned their backs’ on Jewish students (Jewish Insider 10/31/24); US and Canada impose sanctions,d blacklist pro-Palestinian group Samidoun (Al Jazeera 10/15/24)

Foundations leverage funding to suppress support for Palestine (Prism 10/21/24)

“According to workers from nonprofit organizations that spoke to Prism, over the last year, risk-averse funders and Zionist foundations have withdrawn hundreds of thousands in funding and canceled future grants for nonprofits that criticize Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Crushing power dynamics between foundations and nonprofits have long existed in the progressive funding space—and the genocide is illuminating the limits of foundations’ commitment to liberatory work. Even more troubling, many of the nonprofits that have had their funding slashed in recent months are led by women of color who serve communities of color.” See also 1000+ Authors Refuse Collaboration with Complicit Israeli Publishers in Mass Declaration (Palestine Festival of Literature 10/28/24); Top Law Firms Shrink From the Heat of the Mideast Conflict (NYT 10/25/24); Partners for Progressive Israel Becomes First U.S. Zionist Group to Call for Halt in Offensive Aid to Israel (Haaretz 10/30/24); Palestinian student stripped of UK visa after Gaza remarks wins human rights appeal (Guardian 10/30/24)

PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS

Why ‘From the River to the Sea’ still echoes across campuses one year into protests (Maha Nassar//The Forward 10/24/24)

“The debate over this phrase  reflects a larger generational divide in how Americans, including American Jews, view this conflict. Rather than demonizing young people who call for a free Palestine, or repressing free speech altogether, we should seek to understand why so many people — especially young people — are calling for a “free Palestine from the river to the sea.”… “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” encapsulates their desire for a region where everyone can live with freedom, dignity, and safety.”

Reimagining Palestine After One Year of Genocide (Yara Hawari//Al Shabaka 10/22/24)

“After a year of enduring relentless violence and devastation, Palestinians stand at a pivotal moment. This commentary reflects on the immense losses for the Palestinian people since October 2023 and the emerging opportunities to work towards a future free of settler colonial oppression. It argues that now is the time for the movement to shift from a reactive stance to one that defines its own priorities. As part of this transition, this commentary outlines three necessary steps: moving beyond a reliance on international law, deepening connections in the Global South, and dedicating resources to exploring radical visions of a liberated future.”

Exile From Gaza (Jewish Currents)

“Jewish Currents spoke to four Palestinians who have been pushed out of Gaza in the past year: Zak Hania, who spoke to the magazine in February for our Rafah dispatches and who was separated from his family for almost nine months after he was arbitrarily prevented from leaving by Israel; Safa and Amal Al-Majdalawi, two sisters who made it to limbo in Cairo after their brother paid for their way out; and Mohammed Ghalayini, a British Palestinian scientist whose new life in the Gaza Strip was violently halted in its tracks. The interviewees describe the horrors they fled but cannot escape, the impossible choices they had to make in the process of leaving, and the halting process of trying to rebuild themselves from the rubble. These dispatches have been edited for length and clarity.”

What Was I Doing While Israel Was Killing civilians in Gaza? (Michael Sfard//Haaretz 10/28/24)

“Dresden pales in comparison to what we have done in Gaza. We have bombed indiscriminately, pulverized blatantly civilian targets and obliterated civilian infrastructure that makes life possible in the Gaza Strip, that became one huge Ground Zero. We have killed some two percent of its population, the vast majority of victims being civilians. And the worst thing is, we have grown used to that. Israelis do not bat an eye when they hear reports of dozens of children and women killed in a bombing. They just don’t care. These attacks, where dozens of human beings, who just like us love, dream, hurt, have family and friends – are slaughtered (I have no other word) by our military, became a routine. Any death of “innocent bystanders” used to be extensively reported, even raising public debate. Today, a year into the war, reports of displaced persons’ camps in which refugees were burned (and it is not a metaphor!) hardly make it to the fleeting war updates on news websites. We are exterminating, yes, e-x-t-e-r-m-i-n-a-t-i-n-g, life in the Gaza Strip. And the best HBO series keep appearing on our streaming platforms.”

With or without Sinwar, Netanyahu has no interest in ending the war (Meron Rapoport//+972 10/30/24)

“The Hamas leader’s death could make the return of Palestinian governance in Gaza more likely. For Israel’s government, that scenario must be thwarted.”

The Case for a New Arab Peace Initiative (Marwan Muasher//Foreign Affairs 10/29/24)

“The time has come for a fundamental shift in how the world approaches the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather than focusing on a two-state solution as the be-all and end-all of the dispute, international leaders should focus first on ensuring that Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights. Outside governments should, specifically, pressure both peoples to agree to common rules and principles—leaving the shape of the solution for later. And they should let Arab states lead the way in promoting a rights-based resolution to the conflict…Focusing on the rights of Israelis and Palestinians, not their governments’ dueling claims to sovereignty, will push the communities toward a solution in which both can live in peace and dignity. It is the only viable alternative for both communities. It fits within the framework of two states, one state, or even a federation. And it is the best way to end the carnage and promote security and stability in a tragically tumultuous region.”

If It Looks Like Ethnic Cleansing, It Probably Is (Haaretz Editorial 10/29/24)

“For three and a half weeks, Israeli forces have been besieging the northern Gaza Strip. Israel has almost completely blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, thereby starving the hundreds of thousands of people who live there. Information emerging from the besieged area is only partial, because ever since the war began, Israel has barred journalists from entering Gaza. But even based on the little that has been revealed to the public, two things can be said about the siege. First, the scale of the civilian casualties from the army’s daily bombings of towns and refugee camps in northern Gaza – children, women, elderly people and men who are innocent of any crime – is enormous. Moreover, medical and other aid facilities have largely collapsed, and other institutions are also collapsing. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of people are now at risk of starvation or are already suffering terrible hunger…Israel is sliding into ethnic cleansing; its soldiers are carrying out the criminal policies of the messianic, Kahanist right; and even the opposition on the center and center-left isn’t making a peep. This consensus behind ethnic cleansing is shameful, and every public leader who doesn’t demand an end to the de facto expulsion is supporting this crime and has become a party to it. If this process doesn’t stop immediately, hundreds of thousands of people will become refugees, entire communities will be destroyed and the moral and legal stain of this crime will cling to and pursue every Israeli.” See also Is Israel carrying out de facto ethnic cleansing? (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo 10/25/25)

Why the Democrats were Israel’s perfect partners in genocide (Tariq Kenney-Shawa//+972 10/29/24)

“By masking support for Israel with hollow humanitarian gestures and empathy for Palestinians, Biden and Harris have diluted pressure to end the war.”