Weekly Briefing: U.S. support for Israel will not be ended at the ballot box

The U.S. election is days away, and while we may not know the outcome immediately, one thing is certain: the fight for justice in Palestine doesn’t hinge on who claims the White House. Lawsuits are likely, and disputes over the results could drag on for weeks, even months. But as we’ve seen repeatedly, neither major political party is committed to ending U.S. support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza or the expanding war across Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, all fueled by American weapons, money, and diplomatic cover.

Will Trump or Harris make a meaningful change in the U.S. policies on Palestinian rights? It’s unlikely. While one may be worse than the other, the bar is low, and both candidates support policies that perpetuate violence and oppression toward Palestinians. As the dust settles on election day, regardless of the winner, Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the broader Middle East will continue — attacks that have already devastated countless lives and stirred unprecedented levels of global protest.

Over the past year, we’ve witnessed incredible solidarity movements, with people in the U.S. and around the world organizing and protesting against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians at levels we’ve never seen. These efforts matter, and they have to continue. We can’t afford to lose momentum now. Our commitment must deepen to end Israel’s apartheid regime and bring justice to Palestine.

As many Americans vote under the belief that democracy is on the line, let’s consider what democracy truly means. Can the U.S. claim to be a beacon of democracy while funding and arming a government carrying out genocide and ethnic cleansing against an entire people? The struggle for authentic democracy isn’t in a voting booth; it’s in the streets, and in the movements that demand accountability from a government backing a rogue state that violates human rights and international law daily.

– Dave Reed, Publisher

Must read: Israel’s mass killing campaign in Gaza is escalating 

Tareq Hajjaj: The last ten days of October saw an escalation in Israel’s campaign of mass killing across Gaza, including in so-called “safe zones.” The overall pattern of Israel’s assaults points to an extermination campaign.

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🗳️ Saleema Gul reports on Muslim and Arab Americans weighing their options as election day in the U.S. draws closer. “Though united in their anger over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, voters are far from consensus on where to cast their ballots.”

👥 Tareq Hajjaj looks into Israel’s use of facial recognition technology in the brutal siege on northern Gaza. Some Palestinians say the technology is also being used to carry out field executions.

🇮🇱 Jonathan Ofir reports that Yariv Levin, Israel’s Justice Minister, calls for a 20-year prison sentence for citizens who push for sanctions against Israeli leaders, military personnel, or citizens.

🇮🇷 Mitchell Plitnick weighs in on Israel’s attack on Iran: “Even though Israel’s much-anticipated strike on Iran was smaller than expected, the threat of a potential global war may actually be growing.”

🇺🇸 Nada Elia says she will not be shamed into voting for a candidate who supports the genocide of the Palestinian people, and no one who supports progressive issues should be either.

🇱🇧 Qassam Muaddi says Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon is failing. “As Israel runs out of options, the U.S. is scrambling for a way out of the Lebanese quagmire — including by reviving hopes for a Gaza ceasefire.”

🇺🇳 Jonathan Ofir covers the new report by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, titled “Genocide as colonial erasure.” The current report, he writes, “expands the analysis to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and shows how Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians throughout the entirety of the occupied territory that it controls.”

📈 Ahmed Alqarout says Israel has been able to insulate itself from the effects of the economic blockade imposed by the “Axis of Resistance” through supply chain warfare in the Middle East and the broader region.

⛑️ Qassam Muaddi reports that Israel’s ban on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is part of an ongoing campaign to erase Palestinian refugee rights. UNRWA’s commissioner general said the law would sacrifice “an entire generation of children.”

🧑‍⚕️ Michael Arria spoke to doctors about Israel’s ban on at least six medical NGOs from entering Gaza. “Israel’s restrictions were already killing people … but at least we were able to do something. That little something that we were able to do has now evaporated,” said Dr. Tarek Loubani.