The Shift: Ossoff’s speech was a possible bellwether of the Dems shift on U.S. aid to Israel

Last week 19 Senators voted for resolutions that would have blocked future U.S. arms sales to Israel.

The resolutions, which were introduced by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, had no chance of passing but it arguably marked the first major congressional effort to place weapons restrictions on Israel.

Pro-Israel groups and lawmakers certainly took it seriously. A slight deviation from the status quo could result in further legislative efforts and deeper questions from the American public, which is not something they want to see happen. The White House circulated talking points on the Hill. Chuck Schumer spoke to Senators about the dangers of such votes. Groups like AIPAC and DMFI lobbied their supporters to oppose the move.

In last week’s newsletter I highlighted some takeaways from the Bernie effort. One concerned Georgia, where both Senators voted for the resolutions: “We constantly hear about how lawmakers have to unequivocally support Israel in order to stay in power, so how do we explain the fact that Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff felt compelled to back the resolutions? They represent a 50/50 state that just flipped back to red in the presidential election and are probably two of the more vulnerable members of their caucus.”

In many ways, Ossoff is the more interesting case here. He’s the only Democrat from a state that Trump won who voted for the resolutions and is up for reelection next cycle.

Ossoff gave a speech on the Senate floor explaining his votes.

He started it off by explaining how Ronald Reagan told Menachem Begin to stop the bombardment of Beirut in 1982 and went on to block the provision of cluster munitions because Israel was killing too many civilians.

“I tell this story to remind my colleagues that in the pursuit of America’s national interests, to use the leverage that comes with the provision of arms is not just sometimes necessary — it is expected and appropriate,” said Ossoff. “..No foreign government, no matter how close an ally, gets everything it wants, whenever it wants, to use however it wants.”

“No one in this body or the American government has suggested that Israel lay down its arms and be overrun, or that Israel does not have a right, and indeed an obligation, to defeat its enemies and defend its people,” he continued. “Rather, the United States has insisted that Israel’s conduct of the war respect our interests and our values — the interests and values of Israel’s closest ally. And yet, for the most part, that insistence has been ignored.”

What struck me about this speech was how effective it was and how effortless it seemed.

Yes, the “interests and values” he invokes are pure fantasy. No, he didn’t criticize the wider issue of Zionism. Yes, his argument presumes that the U.S./Israel relationship is a necessary and beneficial partnership.

However, you very rarely hear Democrats like Ossoff register opposition to Israeli brutality, let alone while using the rhetoric of liberal idealism.

Virtually all the Senators who voted for the resolutions have faced attacks from pro-Israel groups. Ossoff and Warnock have faced a sizable amount of local criticism. A coalition of more than 50 Jewish organizations in the Atlanta area published an open letter claiming that the 19 votes somehow provide “cover for those who seek to harm the Jews around the world and further fuels the increase in antisemitism that has been surging in our communities and on college campuses.”

The Atlanta AJC’s regional director Dov Wilker told Jewish Insider, “This is a statement that sort of emboldens Iran and its proxies, and it’s a sad day for those who support Israel.”

Ossoff is Jewish, which means he can’t simply be dismissed as an antisemite. Former AIPAC staffer Jonathan Greenberg referred to as “nominally Jewish” after the vote. Ossoff was raised Jewish and had his ancestors fled pogroms, but that kind of information is immaterial when attempting to smear someone.

Ossoff’s vote and his desire to defend it are both surprising. On the 2020 campaign trail he largely avoided foreign policy but dutifully took the necessary steps to fall in line on the question of Israel, even touting a connection to Michael Oren, the far-right Israeli ambassador and historian, who he studied under at Georgetown.

The reality is, if Congress ever begins to tip on this issue, we are going to hear a lot more Democrats shifting their positions and giving speeches like his. There’s a good chance he won’t be reelected, but we might look back on last week as an important moment one day.

Scott Bessent

One has to assume that there’s a sizable portion of Trump voters angered that the president-elect nominated former George Soros investor Scott Bessent to run the Treasury Department. Many of those same voters are probably not enamored by the fact Bessent has previously made political contributions to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. However, Trump has remained committed to people that he perceives as loyal and Bessent helped raise millions of dollars for him during the election.

We shouldn’t only be looking at Bessent’s economic views when this pick, as the position might end up entailing a lot more. Last week the House has passed H.R. 9495, a bill that would allow Treasury Secretary to take tax-exempt status away from nonprofits that are arbitrarily deemed as “terrorist supporting.” The move is especially concerning for Palestine solidarity organizations, which already face ongoing suppression and legal battles over their work.

“This bill is a five-alarm fire for anyone who seeks to protect free speech, civil society and democracy,” said Jewish Voice for Peace Action Political Director Beth Miller. “This bill is part of a broader MAGA assault on the fundamental right to public protest that begins with attacks on Palestinian rights groups and is aimed at outlawing all social justice movements fighting for progressive change. It is shameful that the House of Representatives passed a bill that is straight out of the well-worn authoritarian playbook.”

What might Bessent think about all this? Here we have to turn to one of Noam Chomsky’s many lines about how the financial press is one of the places that tells the truth.

“Take the Wall Street Journal, the prototypical business press: the editorial pages are just comical tantrums, but the news coverage is often quite interesting and well done, they have some of the best reporting in the country, in fact,” he once said. “On the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, the editors can scream and yell and foam at the mouth and nobody cares very much, but people in the business world have to have a realistic picture of what’s happening in the world if they’re going to make sane decisions about their money.”

On October 10, when Bessent was just candidate Donald Trump’s favorite economic advisor, the Wall Street Journal ran a piece on Bessent’s career and his work with Soros. We find a very interesting paragraph towards the end of the article:

“Bessent didn’t agree with a lot of work done by Soros’s nonprofit, Open Society Foundations, though he didn’t see a conflict working for him. In 2014, however, when some people at the foundation wanted to restrict the fund from making investments in companies doing business in Israel, Bessent went to Soros and threatened to resign. The idea was dropped. Spokespeople for Soros Fund Management and the foundation said their organizations never pursued any restrictions on Israel-related investments.”

BDS updates

Two notable BDS developments this week.

The Israeli food manufacturer Strauss Group is divesting its 50% stake (which is about $244 million) in Sabra Obela, which makes hummus sold across the United States. Sabra hummus has faced boycotts for years over its connection to Israel.

The Times of Israel has a report on the development, with some predictable editorializing thrown in:

Strauss’s decision comes as Sabra hummus sales in the US took a big hit and the brand has been struggling to regain its formerly dominant market share. It has grappled with increased competition as US superstores were looking to diversify hummus offerings, and heightened anti-Israel sentiment…

In addition, since the outbreak of war with the Hamas terror group on October 7 last year, BDS activists against Israel intensified a 14-year-old stickering campaign against Sabra hummus products. At hundreds of supermarkets and other stores in North America and Europe, stickers denouncing Israel have been placed on Sabra product containers.

Also, on Tuesday Puma announced that it would end its contract with the Israel Football Association (IFA) at the end of the year. The German sportswear has faced a pressure campaign for the past five years.

In 2023 it ended its sponsorship of Israel’s national team.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) put out a statement celebrating the move and highlighting the campaign’s recent victories.

“The Boycott PUMA campaign successfully damaged PUMA’s image, its most important asset, by associating it with Israel’s decades-long apartheid regime. As Israel began its ongoing Gaza genocide, which has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, including hundreds of footballers, PUMA’s image, and bottom line, took another blow,” it reads.

“In just the few months between the start of Israel’s genocidal war on 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and December 2023, news media reported on fans urging NCT 127 and Rihanna to end collaborations with PUMA; O’Neills, Ireland’s largest sportswear chain, removed PUMA products from its shops; and Irish teams joined the campaign calling on members and fans to boycott PUMA,” it continued.

The league’s new sponsor is Italian kit maker Erreà.

“We call on Erreà to immediately withdraw from its contract with the IFA in order to avoid being complicit in Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” said the PACBI. “Should Erreà go forward with this criminal and unethical sponsorship, we call for a targeted boycott campaign against it.”

Odds & Ends

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🇺🇸 U.S. lawmakers condemn ICC warrants targeting Israeli leaders

🇵🇸 Inside Project Esther, the right wing action plan to take down the Palestine movement

🏛️ Eight reasons Marco Rubio would be a disastrous Secretary of State

📺 The Nation: How the US Media Helped the Biden Administration Distance Itself From the Horrors of Gaza

⚖️ Truthout: Illinois Students Who Protested Gaza Genocide Are Facing Felony Mob Charges.

🌉 SFist: Judge Dismisses Most Charges Against Gaza Protesters Who Blocked the Golden Gate Bridge

👨🏼‍⚖️ The Intercept: From Campus to the Courts, the “Palestine Exception” Rules University Crackdowns

📰 Counterpunch: The Washington Post Excoriates the ICC for Issuing Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

📄 Electronic Intifada: US Senate rebuffs Bernie Sanders, supports weapons for war crimes

🇮🇷 Responsible Statecraft: On Middle East, will Trump follow his instincts or hawkish advisers?

🇮🇱 Jewish Currents: Trump’s Israel Instincts Don’t Matter

🇱🇧 New York Times: Biden Hopes to Parlay Lebanon Cease-Fire Into a Broader Regional Peace

🤡 Daily Beast: MAGA Lawmaker Sends ‘Bomb’ Message to Muslim Congresswomen