The State Department was asked multiple times whether or not the Biden administration was prepared to do anything to impede Israel’s new West Bank settlement plans– legalizing Jewish outposts– beyond the customary condemnations. Ned Price’s answer was “No,” but he used many words to get there.

The Biden administration is giving Israel’s new radical right government the thumbs up. “Bibi Netanyahu is in charge of this government, okay? He’s made it very clear that his hands are on the wheel, and we’ll work with him. And most importantly, Joe Biden has a strong working relationship with Bibi Netanyahu,” says US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides.

The Israel lobby just led an attack on Rashida Tlaib to stop any criticism of Israeli colonization of Palestinian land. What else can it do? It has helped stop the Iran deal and promoted Abraham Accords, bribery of Arab monarchies to normalize Israel and overlook Palestinian human rights. But surely the biggest sign of the lobby’s power is that it is not scrutinized in the press. When it is called out for corrupting influence, it says the criticism is antisemitic.

CNN ignores AIPAC when talking about the “extremists” impacting US politics.

In response to an Israeli raid on Palestinian organizations, the Biden administration has finally said it doesn’t share the Israeli position that the organizations are “terrorist” groups, but it also won’t question or criticize Israeli actions.

The B’Tselem report on the May 11 killing of Shireen Abu Akleh emphasizes eyewitness accounts, including the stunning heroism of Sharif al-‘Azab who tried to save her life amid gunfire. And it blows up the U.S. claim that the Israeli shooting was “tragic” not “intentional.” Such a finding is “detached from reality” — in this case, repeated “shooting directly at unarmed civilians” demonstrates that Israel uses live fire in non-life-threatening circumstances and takes no action against killers. And Israel is whitewashing the Abu Akleh killing, like 100s of cases before it, B’Tselem says.

Mainstream voices say the Trump-Biden policy of normalizing relations between Israel and Arab monarchies so as to crush Palestinian hopes is working. “If you talk to the UAE leaders or Saudi Arabia leaders or even Egyptian leaders, they don’t want to hear now about the Palestinian issue, they don’t want to stick their fingers into this mess. Let Israel deal with it,” says Ehud Yaari an advocate for Israel at the Washington Institute.

Despite hearing a stirring call to protect the Palestinian Christian community while in Bethlehem, U.S. church leaders lament Biden’s visit “did little to advance the cause of peace.”

Palestinians with American citizenship are calling for an investigation of discriminatory treatment by the State Department, as well as violations of US laws in service of the Israeli occupation.

Mondoweiss staff debrief and analyze Joe Biden’s whirlwind trip to Palestine.