President Joe Biden will head to Israel later today on a diplomatic trip to the Middle East.
He is slated to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Wednesday before heading to Jordan to meet with Jordanian King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It’s the first time a U.S. president has visited Israel while the country is at war.
“He’ll make it clear that we want to continue working with all our partners in the region, including Israel, to get humanitarian assistance in and provide some kind of safe passage for civilians to get out,” said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.
Israel appears to be planning an imminent ground invasion of Gaza, and Israeli media is reporting that it’s been delayed until after Biden’s visit. It’s expected to be the country’s biggest ground operation since it invaded Lebanon in 2006.
“The operation risks locking Israel into months of bloody urban combat, both above ground and in a warren of tunnels — a fraught offensive that Israel has long avoided because it involves fighting in a narrow and tightly packed sliver of land populated by more than 2 million people,” reports the New York Times.
Earlier this week Biden told 60 Minutes that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a “big mistake.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made two trips to Israel since Hamas’s October 7th attack. “[Blinken] returned today to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller yesterday. “The Secretary discussed his engagements with partners in the region and received an update on the situation on the ground.”
“The Secretary underlined his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’ terrorism and reaffirmed U.S. determination to provide the Israeli government with what it needs to protect its citizens,” Miller continued. “The Secretary discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu the United States’ close coordination with the UN and regional partners to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians. The Secretary also discussed our commitment to the safe and speedy release of those held hostage by Hamas.”
Times of Israel U.S. bureau chief Jacob Magid reports that the Biden administration has privately been pressuring Israel to flesh out its strategy if it completes its stated goal of eradicating Hamas.
On Twitter, Magid writes that a U.S. official told him that, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his inner circle have indicated to their Biden counterparts that Israel has not yet come up with such a strategy and instead are more focused on the immediate goal of removing Hamas from power in Gaza.”
“But the US official cautions against this approach, saying that devoid a strategy for who will control the Strip if and when Hamas is removed, IDF is more likely to get bogged down in Gaza indefinitely, despite Israel insisting that it does not want to re-occupy the enclave,” continues Magid. “An Israeli official tells Times of Israel that National Unity chair Benny Gantz and fellow faction member Gadi Eisenkot demanded the creation of a Gaza exit strategy a upon their entry into the government and that they have tasked a committee with drawing one up.”
Palestine Festival postponed
Another McCarthyite moment in the United States. This one in Rochester, New York where the Little Theatre has postponed its 2023 Witness Palestine Festival indefinitely.
“The Little supports the Jewish and Palestinian communities, both in Rochester and worldwide. We unequivocally condemn violence against any and all civilians,” wrote the company in a statement. “Witness Palestine is an event programmed and organized by a third-party. According to festival organizers, The Witness Palestine Film Festival is a project of Rochester Witness for Palestine, which seeks peace for the people of Palestine wherever they may be. The Witness Palestine Festival Committee includes community members involved in interfaith and Palestinian solidarity work.”
Democrat resolution calls for ceasefire
A group of Democratic House members introduced a resolution that calls on the Biden administration to push for an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. The legislation also calls for humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza.
The resolution is led by Representatives Cori Bush (MO-D), Rashida Tlaib (MI-D), André Carson (IN-D), Summer Lee (PA-D), and Delia Ramirez (IL-D.) So far, it is backed by Reps. Jamaal Bowman (NY-D), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-D), Chuy García (IL-D), Jonathan Jackson (IL-D), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-D), Ilhan Omar (MN-D), Ayanna Pressley (MA-D), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-D).
“I’m proud to co-lead this resolution, which calls for a ceasefire to de-escalate this terrible situation. Our call for action is clear: every human life is precious, and no civilian – Israeli or Palestinian – should fear for their life,” said Rep. Carson in a statement. “I condemn the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, and I also condemn the Israeli government’s cruel response on millions of Palestinians. The answer to violence is not more violence. The answer is not military response and more killing of innocent children and women. Gaza’s 2 million civilian residents – half of whom are children – are particularly vulnerable right now. The Israeli government cut off Gaza’s medical supply, food, fuel, water, and electricity; announced plans for ground military operations against civilians; and warned 1 million North Gaza residents to evacuate their homes. Palestinians are already surrounded by long-term military blockades — they have literally nowhere to go. I continue to pray for all families in the region who have lost loved ones, are searching for family members, or fear for their lives. Our shared humanity will continue to be my guide.”
The resolution is backed by dozens of human rights groups, including the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. “Over 2 million Palestinian people trapped in Gaza are living through genocide in real time, as Israel bombs, starves, and displaces them. We need a ceasefire now to save as many lives as possible,” said their Director of Advocacy Iman Abid. “Every minute counts.”
White House protest
Nearly 50 people were arrested at a protest outside The White House on Monday. Hundreds of Jewish Americans gathered in Washington to demand that the Biden administration embrace a cease-fire and end the siege on Gaza. The event was organized by the progressive Jewish groups IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
“Unless we act, our grief will be weaponized to justify the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza,” said IfNotNow in a statement. “Judaism teaches us that to save a life is to save the world. That’s why even as we grieve for our Israeli and Palestinian loved ones, we are throwing ourselves into the cogs of the war machine to save every life we can.”
“We’re mobilizing thousands of American Jews to join us in demanding Biden and all of our elected officials implement a ceasefire NOW,” it continued. “We will not allow them or the Israeli government to carry out a genocide in our name. We will channel our grief towards securing a future where all Palestinians, Israelis, and Jews are safe.”
Another DC protest is planned for October 18th. “Since we were children, so many of us have told ourselves that we would not stand by if we were ever witnesses to genocidal violence. We told ourselves that we would raise our voices. We told ourselves we would put our bodies on the line. We pledged that such horrors would never again happen on our watch,” said author and activist Naomi Klein in a statement circulated by JVP. “The ‘never again’ of our lifetimes is underway in Gaza right now. And we refuse to stand by and watch.”
2000+ artists call for ceasefire
Over 2000 artists have called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Our governments are not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them. There will come a time when they are held to account for their complicity,” reads the open letter. “But for now, while condemning every act of violence against civilians and every infringement of international law whoever perpetrates them, our obligation is to do all we can to bring an end to the unprecedented cruelty being inflicted on Gaza.
“We support the global movement against the destruction of Gaza and the mass displacement of the Palestinian people,” it continues. “We demand that our governments end their military and political support for Israel’s actions.“
Signatories include the actors Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance, Steve Coogan, Miriam Margolyes, Peter Mullan, Maxine Peake and Khalid Abdalla.
Bipartisan letter calls on Biden to resist de-escalation
While progressive lawmakers push a resolution calling for a ceasefire, 113 congress members sent Biden a bipartisan letter telling him to reject de-escalation. It also calls on the administration to take action against Iran, Qatar, and Turkey over their support for Hamas.
The letter, which was first reported on by Marc Rod at Jewish Insider, is led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Don Bacon (R-NE), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY). 63 Democrats and 50 Republicans have signed it.
“We are writing at a time of immense difficulty and sorrow for Israel and the Jewish people with a desire to reaffirm our support for the U.S.-Israel alliance at a moment when our ally depends on American support the most,” reads the letter. “The United States must stand ready to provide Israel with the resources she needs to defend herself, and stand by her until every hostage, including American citizens, are returned home and Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and others complicit are decisively defeated. We are already beginning to see calls in some circles for de-escalation. Premature de-escalation would be a victory for the terrorists, and allow them to continue to threaten Israeli civilians with future attacks.”
Michigan Rep. calls for Dearborn couple to be released from Gaza
A Michigan lawmaker is calling for a local couple trapped in Gaza to be returned home.
“Right now, a couple from Dearborn is trapped in Gaza,” said state Rep. Alabas Farhat in a statement. “The Alarayashis are American citizens. I am outraged by the lack of empathy toward innocent Arabs in danger. The glaring indifference the Biden administration has shown to the suffering of my people only guarantees more innocent lives will be lost in Gaza. The United States has been able to secure safe passage for American Israelis in the region, and the same must be done for Palestinian Americans.”
“We need to bring them back, no excuses,” he continued. “The Alarayashi family deserves the full protection of the U.S. government, and I’m demanding answers from the State Department about their situation and will not stop until we are successful in bringing the Alarayashi family home.”
