Senate Republicans again failed to obtain the 60 votes necessary to move the bill to a quick vote, as Democratic leaders complained of what they say is Republican intransigence in ending the government shutdown. Rubio says the bill was crafted to help Israel, says he opposes Trump troop withdrawal from Syria because it would hurt Israel…
Rubio’s career has been funded from the beginning by multi-billionaire Israel partisans such as Normal Braman, Paul Singer, Sheldon Adelson, and Larry Ellison. Rubio has close ties to the pro-Israel neocons who pushed the U.S. into the disastrous Iraq war, and he advocates positions that would likely lead to still more war and violence…
John Whitbeck writes: “It appears that Bolton, who owes his position to billionaire Israel advocate Sheldon Adelson, has overruled – or is seeking to overrule – Donald Trump and to put him back in his subservient place…”
The first Senate bill of 2019 would finalize a $38 billion aid package to Israel ($23,000 per Jewish Israeli family of four), combat BDS, and rebut Trump’s attempt to withdraw troops from Syria (Israel opposes the US withdrawal)…
A former Birthright trip coordinator and leader’s bold opinion: young Jews on Birthright trips are aware of world events, and shouldn’t have to feel like they’re engaging with a sanitized and whitewashed version of Israel. When tour organizers don’t show them realities like the occupation, they are painting an incomplete and dishonest picture of what’s happening on the ground. Showing and telling the truth will make birthrighters more likely to engage and take action.
A children’s speech pathologist refuses to sign a will-not-boycott-Israel oath: she loses her job, an unknown number of children lose her advocacy. She notes how outlandish it is that she is not required to uphold the interests of the United States, or Texas, or children, but a foreign country.
As The Intercept has repeatedly documented, the most frequent victims of official campus censorship are not conservative polemicists but pro-Palestinian activists, and the greatest and most severe threat posed to free speech throughout the west is aimed at Israel critics.
The Israel lobby is taking newly elected Congressional representatives, CNN-ABC commentator Tara Setmayer, & California “progressive leaders” on propaganda trips to Israel. AIPAC IS using a loophole that violates the spirit of the law… and seems to be functioning as a foreign agent…
018 midterm elections are a mixed bag when it comes to the Palestine/Israel issue: 6 Jewish people are expected to chair important congressional committees; 122 J-Street endorsees were elected (J-Street is pro-2 state solution); some of the many pro-Israel congress people lost their seats, while 3 new pro-Palestine women were elected; it is becoming more commonplace for even Israel supporters to speak critically of Israel.
Bottom line: the US midterm elections have ushered a new dawn in American politics that is defying the unflinching influence held for many years by pro-Israel lobbies and interest groups.
A detailed scoreboard on candidates for Congress shows that 28 pro-Israel PACs and numerous pro-Israel individuals have given candidates millions of dollars in campaign contributions. The scoreboard presents 29 bills and resolutions that were introduced on behalf of Israel. 20 passed into law or on-record statement, many by unanimous consent. The legislation has accrued a total of over 3,300 co-sponsors… Over 80 congressional challengers have also accepted donations from at least one pro-Israel PAC; most from more than one, etc. Read the full summary:
The Forward reports that a hugely popular pro-Israel speaker and writer has been secretly working directly for the Israeli government. It appears that his actions may have violated U.S. espionage laws…