House progressives press the Biden administration over Israel’s discriminatory travel restrictions and warn against granting the country a visa waiver.
Rep. Marie Newman was ousted by moderate Rep. Sean Casten in Illinois’ 6th district. Democratic Majority For Israel spent $450,000 on the race because Newman has voted with the Squad on Israel issues. But Casten has said that the U.S. has a “blind spot” when it comes to Israel’s human rights abuses.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib has introduced a historic resolution acknowledging the Nakba, which calls on the U.S. government to officially recognize the event and honor the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Israel’s declaration of six leading Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as “terrorist” organizations continues to have reverberations in Washington. Rep. Betty McCollum has introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to condemn Israel’s announcement, and specifically called for the Biden administration to “publicly condemn this authoritarian and antidemocratic act of repression by the Government of Israel against prominent Palestinian civil society organizations.”
House progressives were able to temporarily hold up an additional $1 billion to Israel, but the victory was shortlived. Only eight Democrats ended up voting against the spending. NY Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not vote no, voting present; while Betty McCollum, Mark Pocan and Jamaal Bowman, who have been critical of Israel, all voted for the funding.
Progressive House members are calling on the State Department to investigate whether U.S. aid to Israel is being used in the forced displacement of Palestinians from Jerusalem in violation of U.S. law.
Iymen Chehade says that newly-elected Illinois Congresswoman Marie Newman promised him a job but backed out of a signed contract after he criticized her positions on Israel. Chehade has filed a breach of contract lawsuit and a national-origin discrimination claim against the congresswoman. Newman’s campaign dismissed the accusations as “fallacious.”
Progressive lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to ditch Trump’s Israel policies
As expected, every member of The Squad was easily reelected. And this time they will be joined by even more left-leaning lawmakers.
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) was arguably the most conservative Democrat in the House and certainly one of AIPAC’s favorite lawmakers. Progressives threw him out.