Pundits and politicians billed the special election race between two strong supporters of Israel, Jon Ossoff (D) and Karen Handel (R), as a major referendum on the first few months of the Trump administration. Tens of millions of Democratic dollars could not buy back Georgia’s 6th District in the most expensive US House race in history. Democrats have now lost all four special elections to fill vacancies left by Trump cabinet appointees.
Telesur: Will New Crown Prince in Riyadh Usher in Open Saudi-Israeli Alliance?
Newly appointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been hailed by some as a “modernizer” in the benighted, monarchy-plagued region. Rumors swirl that he is among a significant faction of Saudi royals who support the creation of a nominal, Israeli-dominated “Palestinian state.”
IRMEP Poll: Most Americans Aren’t Zionists But Democratic and Republican Party Platforms Are
Grant Smith of IRMEP reports that a poll reveals the disconnect between the American public and Congress on the issue of Israel. Both major US political parties are overwhelmingly Zionist, while their constituents, according to the poll, are only 24.9% Zionist.
The Intercept: Jared Kushner’s Pursuit of Middle East Peace Looks a Lot Like Total Surrender to Israel
While the young woman’s killing was the latest in a long series of tragedies, the description of the attack as terrorism overlooks the fact that she was in East Jerusalem as an armed officer responsible for enforcing Israel’s control over the captive population of an occupied territory. The use of that language by American officials also clashes with U.S. law, which clearly defines terrorism as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.”
Ha’aretz: Ben-Gurion in 1951: Only Death Penalty Will Deter Jews From Gratuitous Killing of Arabs
1951: David Ben-Gurion fought for the death penalty because some Israelis “think it’s a mitzvah [good deed] to kill Arabs…As long as they think that, the murders won’t stop.”
JTA: Billionaire Haim Saban backs bill slashing funds to Palestinian Authority (Taylor Force Act)
The Taylor Force Act, a bill to limit aid to the Palestinian Authority, is being peddled on both sides of the aisle by a nationwide grassroots network of pro-Israel activists—including Sheldon Adelson, Shawn Evenhaim, Haim Saban and Adam Milstein—as well as several powerful pro-Israel lobbying groups.
Richard Silverstein: Knesset Inquiry Reveals Yemenite Babies Abducted, Exploited, Murdered in Medical Experiments
Richard Silverstein reports: Within months of their arrival, reports circulated of Yemenite babies disappearing from hospitals – hundreds, perhaps thousands of babies purportedly kidnapped or even killed…. After 60 years of cover up, Israel is now revealing some of the facts…
Electronic Intifada: Israeli soldiers harass students during SJP event on US campus
UC Irvine’s Students for Justice in Palestine group were harassed and intimidated during their anti-Zionism week events by Israel supporters. The campus has been a focal point for Israel advocacy groups seeking to conflate Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism.
Ha’aretz: Israel Reportedly Providing Direct Aid, Funding to Syrian Rebels
Israel has been secretly providing aid to Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights for years with the goal of maintaining a buffer zone of friendly forces to keep ISIS and forces aligned with Iran at bay, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, creating a reality in which several armed groups and much of the civilian population in the area are reliant on Israeli aid.
The Legitimacy of Family Compensation for Palestinians Killed, Injured, and Imprisoned
American lawmakers and Israeli leaders fail to grasp the need for a fund to compensate families of Palestinians killed, injured, or imprisoned—or the real reason for the violence coming out of the occupied West Bank and Gaza.