In a surprising but welcome development, the United States’ Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into Israel’s killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Almost immediately, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz declared that Israel would refuse to assist with the investigation.
Although it is unlikely the U.S. investigation will lead to meaningful accountability, Israel’s refusal to cooperate should raise questions about the US/Israeli relationship.
Human rights groups are calling on the Biden administration to cancel plans to build a new US Embassy Compound on stolen Palestinian land in Jerusalem.
The U.S. Justice Department has informed the Israeli government that the FBI will finally investigate the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian American journalist who was shot during an Israeli raid in May. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has already declared that Israel will not cooperate with the probe.
After initial statements of concern about the inclusion of the racist/fascistic Religious Zionism party in Israel’s next government, the Israel lobby has congratulated Netanyahu on his inevitable return to power and rationalized the presence of the ultra-right wing faction personified by Itamar Ben-Gvir. Separating Ben-Gvir from the Israeli government and doing business as usual will be a “huge achievement” for Israel, says David Makovsky.
More news out of the Berkeley School of Law, where 14 student organizations pledged that they would not invite Zionist speakers to events.
Israel’s boosters across the political spectrum are panicking over the far-right’s victory in Israel’s election, and the reactions are telling. “We cannot remain silent knowing the enormous impact that the words and actions of Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich as senior ministers would have on the US-Israeli relationship,” writes Israel lobby stalwarts Dennis Ross and David Makovsky.
House progressives press the Biden administration over Israel’s discriminatory travel restrictions and warn against granting the country a visa waiver.
This week Israeli President Isaac Herzog was welcomed to The White House. The meeting with Biden comes just a week before Israelis head to the polls and less than a two weeks before the U.S. midterms.
A draconian set of rules and restrictions on the entry of foreigners into the occupied West Bank have gone into effect today, despite months of condemnations by rights groups and legal efforts to stop the restrictions from being enforced.
“It of course comes down to demographic considerations,” Israeli attorney Yotam Ben Hillel explains. “These new restrictions will completely isolate Palestinian society.”
Donald Trump openly conflates Judaism with Zionism. It’s antisemitic and deserves to be called out, but some of those criticisms have come from individuals and groups who have been pushing this very narrative for years.