Weekly Briefing: The UN, Trump’s Gaza plan, and the media battle lines

Mondoweiss is one of the founding members of the Movement Media Alliance, along with other independent outlets such as Truthout, Prism, and many others. It is a coalition of grassroots-aligned, social justice-driven journalism organizations committed to accurate, transparent, accountable, principled, and just media, and to working collaboratively to amplify our impact.

MMA organizers Lara Witt and Maya Schenwar wrote an article this week that I think clearly situates our role in the current media landscape. The right has treated the media as core infrastructure for its project, and it has been investing accordingly for decades. Far-right billionaires have been buying up legacy outlets, building whole networks of propaganda platforms, and reshaping mainstream newsrooms in line with Christian white nationalist and authoritarian politics. The result is not just bad coverage. It is a media ecosystem that actively normalizes fascist ideas, erases Palestinian life, and trains people to distrust any source that challenges U.S. and Israeli power.

Mondoweiss, like the other members of the Movement Media Alliance, exists to push back. We are part of an independent media ecosystem that views journalism as a tool for liberation, not a commodity for billionaires. When we publish reports from Gaza’s ruins or cover the crackdowns on Palestine solidarity in the United States, we are doing more than filling a “gap” in mainstream coverage. We are documenting genocide, tracking how power actually operates, and amplifying the organizers and movements who are building something different. Our work sits alongside outlets like Truthout, Prism, and others that are naming fascism clearly and refusing to pretend that “both sides” are equal when one side is carrying out mass murder.

Witt and Schenwar put it plainly, “Reporting takes money. Editing takes money. Distribution and amplification of truthful journalism take money.” Every article you read at Mondoweiss depends on a chain of labor and care. Journalists risking their lives in Gaza, editors shaping stories, fact-checking, translating, and the infrastructure that keeps our site online and our newsletters going out. We are not backed by corporations or oligarchs. We are funded by people, our readers, who believe that telling the truth about Palestine, about U.S. empire, and about rising fascism is part of how we fight back.

We are about to enter the final month of the year, and we’ll be launching our critical end-of-year fundraising drive. This year, we need our readers to step up and support us, as this work is only becoming more challenging. If you donate before December 3, you will get an invitation to our Frontline Briefing with Phil Weiss and Michael Arria, where they will discuss the political implications of the recent election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, and other political figures who are questioning the role of Israel in U.S. politics like never before.

In our coverage his week, Craig Mokhiber explains how the UN Security Council’s endorsement of Trump’s plan for Gaza turns “peacekeeping” into a U.S. colonial administration that punishes Palestinians and rewards the governments responsible for genocide.

Tareq Hajjaj shows what that looks like on the ground, reporting that Israel killed 33 Palestinians in a single night, including 12 children, many of them families trying to return home. Hajjaj also reports that people in Gaza see the proposed “International Stabilization Force” as nothing more than a new occupation.

Jonathan Ofir examines testimonies from Palestinian rape survivors that reveal how sexual violence functions as a deliberate weapon of genocide.

Qassam Muaddi and Michael Arria unpack how the same Security Council vote handed Washington and Tel Aviv a mandate over Gaza’s future with no input from Palestinians.

Michael Arria’s interview with American Conservative editor Andrew Day digs into the growing battle over Israel on the U.S. right, the grip of neoconservatives on the Trump administration, and whether a “post-Israel” Republican Party is possible. Michael also spoke to Peter Feld about Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York and its potential impact on national politics.

In a separate conversation about the new book No Neutrals There: U.S. Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine, Michael explores how U.S. labor unions helped build and sustain the Israeli state, and how today’s rank and file are challenging that legacy in solidarity with Palestinians.

Must read: The UN Embraces Colonialism: Unpacking the Security Council’s mandate for the U.S. colonial administration of Gaza

Craig Mokhiber: The Security Council’s backing of the Trump plan for Gaza ignores international law, punishes the Palestinians, and rewards those responsible for genocide.

Genocide in Gaza

🇮🇱 Tareq Hajjaj: On Wednesday, Israel killed 33 Palestinians, including 12 children, in its latest violations of the Gaza ceasefire. Those killed include Palestinian families trying to return home and others caught in Israeli attempts to assassinate Hamas leaders.

🇺🇳 Qassam Muaddi and Michael Arria: The UN Security Council voted in favor of Trump’s “peace plan” for Gaza, effectively giving the U.S. and Israel the mandate to push forward their vision for Gaza’s future – a future that, notably, features no consideration for what Palestinians want.

🇵🇸 Tareq Hajjaj: On Monday, the UN Security Council voted to endorse the Trump administration’s “International Stabilization Force” in Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza say it is just a new face of the same Israeli occupation.

🏴 Jonathan Ofir: Recent testimonies from the Palestinian Center for Human Rights share shocking stories of Palestinian rape victims released from Israeli detention. The stories are horrifying to read but essential for understanding Zionism and Israeli apartheid.

Catch-up

➡️ Michael Arria: Mondoweiss interviews Andrew Day, senior editor at American Conservative, about the fierce debate over Israel (and Epstein) happening on the right, neoconservatism’s role within the Trump administration, and what a “post-Israel” GOP might look like.

🗽 Michael Arria: Political consultant Peter Feld discusses how Zohran Mamdani’s historic win will impact beyond New York and how the Israel lobby will respond.

📖 Michael Arria: The author of the new book, “No Neutrals There: U.S. Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine,” discusses how U.S. labor unions have played a key role in building and maintaining the state of Israel.