NEW FROM FMEP
FMEP Legislative Round-Up September 26, 2025 (Lara Friedman)
- Bills, Resolutions; 2. Letters; 3. Hearings & Markups; 4. Selected Members on the Record; 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
Settlement & Annexation Report: September 26, 2025 (Kristin McCarthy)
- Trump Says No to Israeli Annexation; 2. United Nations Adds 68 New Companies to List of Businesses Supporting the Settlement Enterprise; 3. Bonus Reads
UC Berkeley’s Betrayal of Academic Freedom in this Time of Genocide (New Occupied Thoughts episode)
FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with UC Berkeley Professor Ussama Makdisi, who was recently informed that UC Berkeley shared his name, along with those of 159 other Berkeley faculty & students, with the federal government for “alleged incidents of antisemitism.” Peter & Ussama discuss the absurdity of experience — the accused have not been informed of any details of the allegations against them — while looking at why UC Berkeley is not defending its faculty and students, how the Berkeley experience compares with how other universities have capitulated to the Trump administration, and whether academic freedom on campus will survive. Most urgently, they discuss how the attacks on universities are meant to distract from the genocide Israel is carrying out right now against Palestinians.
FMEP Fellows Peter Beinart & Ahmed Moor on Palestinian statehood & US politics (New Occupied Thoughts episode)
FMEP Fellows Ahmed Moor and Peter Beinart speak about the new developments with Palestinian statehood and their meaning and implications. They also discuss American politics and culture, discussing the shifts on the Right regarding Israel and the conspiracy theory that Israel was involved in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
GAZA
The Genocide in Gaza (Drop Site 9/26/25)
“Over the past 24 hours, at least 83 Palestinians were killed and 216 injured, according to Gaza’s ministry of health. Seven Palestinians were killed and 50 injured while seeking aid…The Israeli military on Thursday said its airforce struck more than 170 targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours and that it was intensifying its operations in Gaza City. At least 13 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded on Wednesday evening when Israeli forces bombed civilians gathered at Al-Nujoom Stadium in Nuseirat refugee camp, which was sheltering thousands of displaced people. Medical sources reported the victims were mostly women and children, with bodies arriving dismembered at Al-Awda Hospital. Israel carried out a deadly strike on a residential home north of Al-Zawaida in central Gaza, killing at least 11 Palestinians and wounding dozens more. The Israeli military said a soldier was killed by a Hamas sniper in Gaza City on Tuesday, bringing the Israeli toll in the current Gaza City offensive to two soldiers.” See also Israel kills 85 Palestinians in Gaza strikes (Al Jazeera 9/24/25); Gaza Officials Say 75 Palestinians Killed by IDF Fire, Four Died of Malnutrition in Past Day (Haaretz 9/21/25);
We Tried to Stay in Gaza City. There Are No Longer Any Means of Sustaining Life. (Rasha Abou Jalal//Drop Site 9/24/25)
“Last week, I was standing with several of my neighbors in our tent encampment in western Gaza City as we discussed the importance of remaining steadfast and staying in the city, despite Israel’s plan to seize control and empty the place of its residents. It was then that an Israeli airstrike landed nearby with deafening force, turning our gathering into a scene of overwhelming panic and fear. My six-year-old daughter, Hour, had been playing in front of our tent, but when I looked over, she had been hit by shrapnel and had blood pouring from her nose…Everyone in the area began dismantling their tents to flee to the south. Remaining here was not an option. There was no time left…We could not take most of our belongings with us, since we didn’t have any means of transporting them. We tried again and again to find any kind of ride, but drivers refused to enter western Gaza City due to the intensity of the bombardment. What was even worse was that, even if we could find transportation, we couldn’t afford it. The fare for a family to be taken to the south is now at least $1,500 for a journey; it used to cost $50 at most before the war. We had no choice but to flee on foot. My children carried backpacks containing water, food, and some clothing, while my husband and I carried a few blankets and mattresses, as well as our worn-out tent, which had become our portable home. The journey was extremely difficult. There was destruction and rubble lining both sides of the road, while trucks laden with belongings and displaced families clogged the middle. We walked for seven hours over 15 kilometers (about 10 miles)…There were hundreds of families like us, making the same trek to the south.” See also For fleeing Gazans, even renting a spot to pitch a tent can cost too much (WaPo 9/26/25); Gaza City hospitals close, patients flee as Israeli forces advance (WaPo 9/25/25); Doctors Without Borders Halts Medical Activities in Gaza City as Israel Continued to Pound (Haaretz 9/26/25); ‘We are at our limit’: Gaza’s last hospitals overwhelmed as thousands flee south (The Guardian 9/24/25)
Israel Is Flattening Parts of Gaza City (NYT 9/26/25)
“The Israeli military has razed block after block of Gaza City as part of a new ground offensive in what was once the territory’s largest urban center…Though much of the city is still standing, satellite images show Israeli forces are destroying whole areas as they sweep into Gaza City…The Israeli ground offensive has forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes in Gaza City, crowding into swelling tent camps in central and southern Gaza. This has exacerbated what was already a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with rampant hunger, mass displacement and a collapse of health care, schools and infrastructure.”
Israeli Strike Kills Gazans Sheltering in Warehouse, Local Reports Say (NYT 9/24/25)
“An Israeli airstrike near a market in Gaza City killed nearly two dozen Palestinians on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense rescue service. The civil defense said six women and nine children were among at least 22 dead in the attack near Firas Market on the eastern side of the city. The Wafa news agency, which is linked to the Palestinian Authority administration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said all of those killed were seeking shelter in a warehouse that was hit by the strike. An Israeli military statement said the strike had hit “two Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip,” without providing further details about who they were.” See also More and More Evidence Shows – Most of the Gaza War Deaths Are Civilians (Haaretz 9/22/25); Civilian injuries in Gaza similar to those of soldiers in war zones, study finds (The Guardian 9/25/25);
REGION//GLOBAL
Trump says he ‘will not allow’ Israel to annex West Bank after lobbying from allies (The Guardian 9/25/25)
“Donald Trump has said he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, rejecting calls from some far-right politicians in Israel who want to extend sovereignty over the area and in doing so make impossible the establishment of a Palestinian state. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding “There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”…Arab and Muslim countries warned Trump about the grave consequences of any annexation of the West Bank – a message the US president “understands very well,” according to Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud.” See also By Ruling Out West Bank Annexation, Trump Called Netanyahu’s Bluff (Haaretz 9/26/25); As states recognize Palestine, Netanyahu seeks Trump nod on annexation (Al Monitor 9/24/25); Trump pitches 21-point plan for Middle East peace (Al Monitor 9/24/25); Washington backing plan for Tony Blair to head transitional Gaza authority (The Guardian 9/25/25)
Netanyahu vows to ‘finish job’ in Gaza during UN speech as delegates walk out (The Guardian 9/26/25)
“Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “finish the job” in Gaza and said that the recognition of a Palestinian state was “insane” as delegations walked out of his address to the United Nations. Just days after the UK, France, Canada, Australia, and other countries broke with the United States to recognise an independent Palestinian state, Netanyahu called a two-state solution “sheer madness. It’s insane, and we won’t do it.” “Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7 is like giving al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11,” he said. Now 157 of 193 UN member states recognise Palestine as an independent state. More than 100 diplomats from more than 50 countries walked out as Netanyahu entered the hall, according to a tally by the Washington Post….Thousands protested the speech on the streets of New York City, including at a main rally at Times Square across midtown.” See also Israeli loudspeakers broadcast Netanyahu’s speech to UN into Gaza (The Guardian 9/26/25); Netanyahu vows retaliation ahead of more Palestine recognitions at U.N. (WaPo 9/22/25); Defiant Netanyahu Denounces Palestine Recognition, to a Mostly Empty U.N. Hall (NYT 9/26/25); Netanyahu slams ‘weak-kneed’ Western leaders who ‘appease evil,’ dismisses false genocide accusations as ‘blood libels’ (TOI 9/26/25)
UK, Canada and Australia announce formal recognition of Palestine, with wave of Israel’s allies to follow (The Guardian 9/21/25)
“A wave of Israel’s allies are announcing their recognition of the state of Palestine, as part of a wider manoeuvre designed to ostracise Hamas and challenge attempts by the Israeli government to erase the chance of a Palestinian homeland. The UK, Canada and Australia formally declared their recognition of Palestinian statehood on Sunday in separate but coordinated statements. The move marks the first members of the G7 advanced economies to take the step. Portugal announced its move late on Sunday too…Other countries also joining the list of 147 UN states that recognise Palestine are Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Malta and possibly New Zealand and Liechtenstein.” See also Netanyahu calls UK’s Palestine recognition ‘absurd prize for terrorism’ (The Guardian 9/21/25); In UN speech, Trump slams allies’ Palestine recognition as ‘reward’ to Hamas (Al Monitor 9/23/25); Macron, saying ‘the time has come, says France formally recognizes a Palestinian state. (NYT 9/22/25); At UN, Ireland says Israel’s actions in Gaza ‘an abandonment of all norms’ (TOI 9/26/25);
These Countries Recognized Palestine, but Still Send Arms to Israel (The Intercept 9/25/25)
“The U.K., France, Canada, Luxembourg, and Australia have recently recognized Palestinian statehood but continue to send arms and military equipment to Israel.” See also Dockworkers from across Europe gather to plan trade squeeze on Israel (Politico 9/26/25);Disruption across Italy as tens of thousands protest against Gaza war (The Guardian 9/22/25); Italian prime minister condemns drone attacks on Gaza aid flotilla boats (The Guardian 9/24/25);
Abbas decries Israel’s ‘genocide’ and says Hamas will have no role in future Gaza government (The Guardian 9/25/25)
“Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, has decried Israel’s “war of genocide” and settlement expansion, while condemning Hamas and saying the armed group would hand over its weapons in any postwar settlement in a closely watched speech to the United Nations. Abbas addressed the gathering by video conference after his visa was revoked by the United States ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations general assembly.”
Microsoft revokes cloud services from Israel’s Unit 8200, following +972 exposé (Yuval Abraham//+972 Magazine 9/25/25)
“Microsoft has terminated the Israeli army’s access to technology it was using to store vast troves of intelligence on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza, the tech giant informed Israel’s Defense Ministry in a letter late last week, according to the Guardian. The decision followed an exposé last month by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and the Guardian revealing how Unit 8200, the Israeli army’s elite cyber warfare agency, was housing intercepted recordings of millions of mobile phone calls by Palestinians on Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure, creating one of the world’s most intrusive collections of surveillance data over a single population group. According to the joint investigation, this data has been used over the past two years to plan lethal airstrikes in Gaza, as well as to arrest Palestinians in the West Bank. As far as is known, this is the first time a major U.S. tech company has revoked the Israeli army’s access to any of its products since the start of its war on Gaza. Microsoft nonetheless continues to work with other Israeli military units that are longstanding clients…The unprecedented step comes amid growing protests against Microsoft and other tech giants whose services Israel has relied on for its two-year onslaught in Gaza, where civilians have made up the vast majority of those killed.” See also Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians (The Guardian 9/25/25)
The Consequences of New US Sanctions on Palestinian Human Rights Groups (Alex Kane//Jewish Currents 9/22/25)
“Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he was imposing sanctions on three prominent Palestinian human rights groups over their involvement in efforts to hold Israel accountable at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The targeted groups are Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al Mezan), and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), all of which document human rights violations against Palestinians, disseminate such information in reports, and work in legal forums to hold Israeli officials accountable. All three of the groups have filed evidence of Israeli war crimes with the ICC as part of their campaign to have the international court prosecute Israeli officials for abuses committed during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, as well as during Israeli military operations and settler activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The unprecedented sanctions bar Americans from donating to the groups, or even coordinating with them to hold Israeli officials accountable for war crimes. The sanctions mark the latest Trump administration attack on both Palestinian human rights organizations and the ICC…To discuss the implications these sanctions have for free speech and political organizing, and what they mean for the effort to use the ICC to hold Israel accountable, I interviewed Shayana Kadidal, a senior managing attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights.” See also Exclusive: US could hit entire International Criminal Court with sanctions soon (Reuters 9/22/25); For First Time, Israeli Prime Minister’s Plane Extends Flight Route to U.S., Avoiding European Airspace (Haaretz 9/25/25);
Spain imposes ‘total’ arms embargo on Israel over Gaza war: What to know (Al Monitor 9/23/25)
“The decree sets out four measures, according to Spanish reports. The first is a complete arms embargo on Israel, blocking all exports and imports of defense equipment, dual-use goods and technologies. The second bars shipments of aviation fuel through Spain if the material could be used by Israel for military purposes. The third is a ban on importing goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The final is a prohibition on advertising and marketing products or services linked to those settlements.” See also Spain Cancels Third Major Defense Deal With Israel as Trade Ban Takes Effect (Haaretz 9/25/25); UN blacklists another 68 firms over alleged role in Israeli settlement rights abuses (TOI 9/26/25);
In largest strikes yet, IAF jets bomb Houthi military sites in Yemen after drone attack (TOI 9/25/25)
“The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Thursday against Houthi military sites in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on Israel, including a drone attack on Eilat a day prior. The Israel Defense Forces said it struck seven targets belonging to the Houthis’ “security and intelligence apparatus” and army, including a top military headquarters. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the “powerful” strikes killed “many dozens of Houthi terror operatives, and destroyed stockpiles of UAVs and weaponry.” Hours later, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that set off sirens across central Israel, sending hundreds of thousands of people to bomb shelters. The military said it successfully intercepted the missile.” See also At least 20 people reported injured after drone strike on Israeli city of Eilat (The Guardian 9/24/25) Children among 5 killed in Israeli drone ‘massacre’ in southern Lebanon (Al Jazeera 9/21/25);
Italy and Spain deploy ships to help Gaza aid flotilla targeted in drone attack (CNN 9/24/25)
“Italy and Spain say they are sending vessels to help a flotilla that was targeted by drones while trying to deliver aid to Gaza, with activists claiming that Israel was behind the strikes. Volunteers from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) – an organization trying to get aid into the besieged enclave using ships setting sail from ports across the Mediterranean – say that some of their vessels were targeted by drones. The organization claimed the attacks are part of a sustained Israeli campaign of intimidation.” See also Gaza aid flotilla hit by drone attacks and explosions, activists say (Al Jazeera 9/24/25); On the Global Sumud Flotilla Heading for Gaza (FMEP Podcast with Peter Beinart & David Adler 9/18/25); We are sailing to Gaza. Here’s why (David Adler//The Guardian 9/25/25)
Where Mideast Envoy Pitched Peace, His Son Pitched Investors (NYT 9/26/25)
“As Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, conducted delicate cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas this year, his son Alex was on another mission. He was quietly soliciting billions of dollars from some of the same governments whose representatives were involved in peace talks with his father.”
RIVER TO THE SEA
‘They intended to kill us’: Masafer Yatta reels from bloody settler assaults (Basel Adra and Mohammad Hesham Huraini//+972 Magazine 9/26/25)
“A series of pogroms in four West Bank villages left residents and solidarity activists hospitalized with head wounds, broken bones, and internal bleeding…Since the murder of our friend and activist Awdah Hathaleen in his village of Umm Al-Khair on July 28, settlers have carried out at least four bloody attacks across Masafer Yatta, leaving dozens injured and entire communities traumatized. These are not “rogue mobs”: they are one violent arm of Israel’s state policy of systematically driving Palestinians from their land. Masafer Yatta today is a microcosm of Palestine as a whole: villages under siege, lands stolen, people targeted simply for resisting their erasure. Yet despite the bloodshed and the destruction, we remain. On this land, passed down to us by our grandparents, we resist with our very existence. Masafer Yatta bleeds, but we are still here.” See also Israeli Police Didn’t Actually Investigate the Settler Incident, but Still Made a Firm Conclusion (Haaretz 9/26/25)
Palestinians Say Israel Shut West Bank’s Main Crossing to Jordan Over State Recognition (Haaretz 9/25/25)
“Palestinian officials told Haaretz that Israel’s closure of the West Bank’s main border crossing to Jordan amounted to “collective punishment” intended to apply political pressure after several countries recognized a Palestinian state. “Israel is trying to remind the world that it exclusively controls Palestinians’ movement, even after the international community recognized their right to a state,” said one source. He added that the total closure prevents the movement of patients who need urgent medical care outside the West Bank, as well as the movement of goods and businesspeople…The Allenby border crossing is the sole transit point between the West Bank and Jordan and other countries, and it only resumed full operations early this week, after it closed following a terrorist attack that killed two IDF soldiers. It has now been closed again indefinitely.”
Israeli settlers blamed for attack on Palestinian mayor as West Bank roils (Al Monitor 9/24/25)
“The Israeli military recently laid siege to Tulkarm, a center of militant activity, as Palestinian officials report daily attacks by settlers. The Palestinian Authority said settlers attacked a mayor on Wednesday, shortly after a Palestinian teen was killed in an Israeli military raid near Jenin, as violence continues to escalate in the West Bank. The PA’s WAFA news agency reported that the settlers assaulted Beita Mayor Mahmoud Barham and a member of the town’s municipal council.”
U.S. SCENE
Trump signs memo targeting ‘domestic terrorism’ amid fears of crackdown on the left (The Guardian 9/26/25)
“At a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, the memorandum was presented as aimed at “establishing a comprehensive strategy to investigate, disrupt and dismantle all stages of organized political violence and domestic terrorism”…Surrounded by members of his cabinet, Trump said the goal was to target “the funders of a lot of these groups”, some of whom he claimed to know. But he was vague when asked which groups he meant or who the funders were…“This is the first time in American history that there is an all-of-government effort to dismantle leftwing terrorism, to dismantle antifa, to dismantle the organizations that have been carrying out these acts of political violence and terrorism,” [White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen] Miller said. The joint terrorism taskforce, a unit inside the FBI, would be “the hub” of the effort, he added.”
Justice Dept. Official Pushes Prosecutors to Investigate George Soros’s Foundation (NYT 9/25/25)
“A senior Justice Department official has instructed more than a half dozen U.S. attorney’s offices to draft plans to investigate a group funded by George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor whom President Trump has demanded be thrown in jail…Mr. Soros began his global grant network, now known as the Open Society Foundations, decades ago to fund democratic initiatives around the world, particularly in communist and formerly communist countries. In the 1990s, the organization expanded its work to the United States. It provides grants to groups that work for human rights, democracy and equity, but Mr. Trump and some Republicans contend, without providing evidence, that it is a shadowy network promoting civil unrest, violent protests and property destruction. Liberals say the assertions are falsehoods aimed at stifling dissent.”
Democrats in Congress are breaking with Israel like never before (Axios 9/25/25)
“Some of Israel’s staunchest Democratic supporters on Capitol Hill are wavering like never before as progressives grow more emboldened in their defense of the Palestinian cause…The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza has soured U.S. public opinion on Israel, and while members of Congress have been something of a lagging indicator, they are now shifting as well…A staggering 178 of House Democrats’ 212 members signed onto a Thursday letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying they are “deeply opposed” to Israeli annexation of territory in the West Bank…The letter, led by staunchly pro-Israel Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), was signed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic Caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.)…It’s not just centrists and establishment Democrats shifting. Progressives are growing more and more strident in their demands for the U.S. to support a Palestinian state…A progressive House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity said there are “more people who are thinking about” publicly calling the war a genocide because it has been “excruciating to watch.” “And there are definitely people who won’t say genocide but will tell you, ‘I know you’re right, but I can’t use that word,'” the lawmaker said.” See also House Democrats to send letter to Trump on Friday urging US to recognize Palestinian statehood (The Guardian 9/25/25); The Last Two New England Democratic Senators Unconditionally Supporting the Gaza Genocide (Drop Site 9/23/25)
NYC mayor meets Netanyahu, thanks him for ‘defending the Western world’ (TOI 9/26/25)
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, after Netanyahu delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly…“That is why, of all the world leaders we have greeted this week, I was particularly proud to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his address to the United Nations, to thank him for defending the Western world and our way of life,” Adams says.”
PERSPECTIVES//LONG READS
Performance over Progress (Yousef Munayyer//Arab Center DC 9/24/25)
“As more western nations recognize the state of Palestine this week, joining the vast majority of the world that largely did the same back in the late 1980s, it is fair to ask what if anything this recognition will do. While these proclamations are historic, they leave many Palestinians bewildered and bitter. Not only did these western nations wait years to catch up with much of the rest of the world, they recognized a Palestinian state at a time when many of them are actively enabling the continued genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel. Publics in these nations are outraged over the policies of their governments which have either directly contributed to the genocide or failed to challenge it. Instead of addressing the ongoing genocide and the continued daily killing of scores of Palestinians, these governments have instead chosen a more performative route, likely hoping to mollify domestic dissent. The right decision would be to immediately follow this recognition with an end to all support for Israel’s military until such time when it ends all violations of international law. Until then, these proclamations remain merely performative exercises than being paths toward progress.” See also Recognizing a Palestinian State as Gaza Still Burns (Susan Akram, Imad K. Harb, Khalil E. Jahshan, Laurie King, Yousef Munayyer, Isabel Ruck//Arab Center DC 9/24/25)
Gaza’s Medical Crisis and the US Visa Freeze (Yara M. Asi//Arab Center DC 9/25/25)
“In August 2025, the Trump administration suspended the visa process that organizations like HEAL Palestine had used to bring children such as Adam to the United States. After the far-right social media influencer Laura Loomer (who has described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and has called Islam a “cancer on society”) reportedly contacted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Department of State announced that the process required a “full and thorough review.” Loomer claimed that a video of Palestinian children arriving at American airports for medical care showed the United States “importing” Gazans as “Islamic invaders” and that groups like HEAL Palestine were connected to Hamas…For decades, Israel’s medical permit system for Gaza and the West Bank has been a mechanism of oppression—a blunt administrative barrier that routinely denies Palestinians—including infants, people with disabilities, and elderly adults—access to essential medical care that is unavailable in the under-resourced and heavily restricted Palestinian territories. The new restrictions on the United States visa process are built on the same foundations upon which Israel has built its own system: namely, the dehumanizing idea that Palestinians are inherently dangerous. Israel has used this same justification to devastate nearly the entire humanitarian system upon which Palestinians have been forced to depend for decades.” See also Under Trump, Palestinians seeking U.S. asylum face new hurdle, documents show (WaPo 9/20/25);
‘Tunnel vision’: how Israel is using archaeology to win US support for goals (The Guardian 9/25/25)
“When the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, visited Jerusalem this month, the itinerary his Israeli hosts laid on involved more archaeology than anything else. On his first day, Benjamin Netanyahu took Rubio underground to excavations near the Western Wall. On the second day, Israel’s prime minister gave his American visitor the honour of inaugurating a tunnel burrowed under a Palestinian district, along a Roman-era street nicknamed the Pilgrimage Road, in a “City of David” archaeological park established by an Israeli settler organisation. Both events were intended to emphasise Jerusalem’s Jewish roots and its status, Netanyahu stressed, as “our eternal and undivided capital”. While Rubio was on this tour of ancient Jerusalem, Israeli planes bombed the most important storage depot of ancient artefacts in Gaza City, pulverising three decades of archaeological work…Rubio’s tour was designed to underline a shared Judeo-Christian history focused on Jerusalem that binds the evangelical base of the Republican party to the state of Israel…To underpin the pursuit of absolute Israel conquest as the solution to the Middle East conflict, independent archaeologists say, Netanyahu and his US backers are seeking to construct a history shorn of all the complexities of a land that has been disputed and shared over millennia.” See also A Rush to Save Ancient Artifacts in Gaza Highlights All That Has Been Lost (NYT 9/21/25)
Collaborate or leave: Israel’s cruel ultimatum to humanitarian groups in Gaza (Lee Mordechai & Liat Kozma//+972 Magazine 9/24/25)
“In March, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism launched a six-month re-registration process for all humanitarian organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. The process — whose deadline has since been extended to the end of the calendar year — may sound mundane, but in fact it poses an existential threat to the activities of scores of international aid groups, many of which have worked to improve the lives of Palestinians under Israeli occupation for decades. As a condition of the re-registration, Israel is demanding that these organizations provide a list of all their staff members, including Palestinians…The aid groups know that giving Israel a list of their Palestinian employees could place them at risk of increased surveillance, pressure, and reprisals, particularly in Gaza. But refusing to do so and opting instead to protect their employees’ privacy and safety would jeopardize their ability to keep providing essential services to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This dilemma has deepened existing rifts within the humanitarian community — well in line with Israel’s longstanding divide-and-rule policies — and left aid organizations fearing for the future of their work. While Israel seemingly prefers to maintain the presence of some humanitarian organizations in Gaza for international legitimacy, the aim of the re-registration process is to expel the majority of aid groups and co-opt those that remain into the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) scheme — which, since May, has had a near monopoly over the distribution of aid in the Strip, with extremely deadly consequences. In doing so, Israel seeks to accelerate the dissolution of the needs-based model of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, replacing it with one that instrumentalizes aid flows in ways that align with the government’s broader agenda of ethnic cleansing.”