Tom Friedman deplores the Israel lobby for assisting Netanyahu in preventing any U.S. president from taking action on Palestinian disenfranchisement. “AIPAC and American Jewish organizations who have done Bibi’s bidding…at every turn used their power and influence to still the hand of any [U.S.] administration wanting to have a more serious and energetic and vigorous policy. And for that they will have to answer to history,” the New York Times columnist says. He said this effect is now working on the Biden administration.

This week the White House announced that it was beginning to develop a national strategy to combat antisemitism. It’s too soon to know what this effort will look like, but there are concerns it will include the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, which has been used to target critics of Israel.

Al Jazeera is submitting a case to the International Criminal Court over the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Not surprisingly, the Biden administration doesn’t support it.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear the Biden administration is no friend to even J Street’s moderate politics on Israel, let alone the broader struggle for Palestinian rights. 

Al Jazeera is submitting a case to the International Criminal Court over the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Not surprisingly, the Biden administration doesn’t support it.

The human rights group DAWN is calling for Leahy Law sanctions to be placed on the Israel’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion.

This week Rep. Hakeem Jeffries was unanimously elected to lead the House Democrats, taking over for the departing Nancy Pelosi. This move has upset the Democratic party’s left flank but there’s at least one group happy to see Jeffries rise: staunch supporters of Israel.

We are beginning to see how Israel’s next far-rightwing government will make things difficult for the White House through the de facto annexation of the West Bank. And the early indications from Joe Biden’s administration indicate a continuation of the weak responses that have characterized his policy toward Israel for decades.

The shocking success of the racist-fascist party Religious Zionism in the Israel election three weeks ago has caused an earthquake inside the pro-Israel lobby in the United States. And that earthquake has allowed Joe Biden to take unprecedented –for him– baby-steps to confront the Israeli government.

After months of pressure from activists, human rights groups, progressive lawmakers, and members of her family the FBI is finally launching a probe into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. The fact that the announcement was made shortly after the Israeli and U.S. elections can hardly be a coincidence.