1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings & Markups
4. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

New from FMEP:

• 4/12/24: FMEP webinar, RESIGNED: The Former Biden Admin Officials Who Left Their Jobs Over Gaza, ft. Tariq Habash, former official at the U.S. Department of Education, Josh Paul, former official at the U.S. Department of State, and Annelle Sheline, former official at the  U.S. Department of State, in conversation with FMEP Fellow Rania Batrice [starting at 2pm EST 4/12/24]
  
• 4/5/24: New episode of FMEP’s Occupied Thoughts podcast, “Incitement, Displacement, Destruction, Willful Flouting of International Law”: Israel’s Assault on Al Shifa Hospital, ft. 2023 FMEP Fellow Dr. Yara Asi in conversation with FMEP’s Dr. Sarah Anne Minkin to discuss Israel’s March 2024 attack on Al Shifa hospital, the largest and most important medical center in Gaza, known as the heart of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip.

1. Bills & Resolutions

(ENFORCING IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM ACROSS THE WHOLE-OF-GOVT) S. 4091/HR 7921 (bill text): Introduced in the Senate 4/9/24 by Rosen (D-NV) and Lankford (R-OK), and in the House 4/10/24 by Manning (R-NC) and Smith (R-NJ), the “Combating Antisemitism Act.” In the Senate referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; in the House referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Homeland Security, Oversight and Accountability, and Transportation and Infrastructure. Also see: Senate press release – Rosen, Lankford, Manning, Smith Introduce Comprehensive Bipartisan Bill to Take Historic Action to Counter Antisemitism in the U.S. & House press release – Manning, Smith, Rosen, Lankford Introduce Comprehensive Bipartisan Bill to Take Historic Action to Counter Antisemitism in the U.S. The press releases include statements of support/endorsement from the ADL, AJC, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations; in addition, groups endorsing and/or lobbying in support of the legislation include: the ADL (statement, action alert), AJC (statement, action alert), JFNA, World Jewish Congress, and the Nexus Project.

Notably, this extraordinarily far-reaching bipartisan, bicameral legislation, which would impact every Federal agency and beyond, and which is framed as an effort to support implementation of Biden’s antisemitism strategy, in actuality centers on legislating & enforcing the IHRA definition of antisemitism — in direct contradiction to the Biden Administration’s decision to NOT center/endorse/enforce the IHRA definition of antisemitism as part of its antisemitism strategy:

• It includes an overarching Sense of Congress that the IHRA definition of antisemitism (cited by name) “should be utilized by Federal, State, and 20 local agencies” [it does not mention the IHRA definition’s examples but IHRA backers consistently interpret any mention of the IHRA definition as implicitly including the examples].
  
• It includes an overarching statement defining antisemitism according to the definition included “in section 3 of the 25 Never Again Education Act (36 U.S.C. 2301 note)” — which is, in fact, the text of the IHRA definition (without mentioning its source and without listing its examples).
• It defines “relevant agencies” that, under this legislation, would be expected to use/enforce the IHRA definition, to include the, FBI and DOJ (for all those who keep insisting that the IHRA definition is “not legally-binding”)
• It requires a report to Congress on online antisemitism — as defined per the Sense of Congress, by the IHRA definition — and recommendations for how Congress can fight it — a report that will be used to legitimize and fuel online censorship of criticism of Israel/Zionism, especially on social media (consistent with the longstanding efforts of many of the groups backing this legislation).
• It includes a lengthy section entitled “Countering Antisemitic Discrimination in Higher Education.” This section is devoted to weaponizing Trump’s Executive Order on Combating Antisemitism. As a reminder, that EO centers on enforcing the IHRA definition, including its examples, as part of Title VI, as a means of repressing/punishing/chilling criticism and activism targeting Israel and/or Zionism on U.S. campuses. In effect, this bill in general, and this section in particular, would pour gasoline on the fire that has already been set by congressional Republicans as they target US universities, as well as on the fire that has been set by lawfare actors waging all-out warfare with lawsuits and Title VI complaints against US campuses for failing to repress and punish pro-Palestinian activism (see table tracking these efforts)
• My twitter thread laying out this analysis is here.
• With respect to backing of this legislation from some groups that in theory have stood against the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism — who are now arguing that S. 4091/HR 7921 should be supported because the alternatives are much worse, this brings to mind a favorite saying of US policymakers: “don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good” — a phrase I learned when I worked at the State Department, that was invoked exclusively when the US was doing something that clearly violated its own stated values or positions.
• Also see media coverage — all of which, either out of laziness/ignorance or deliberate political spin — basically repeat the press releases issued in support of these bills, rather than offering any analysis of what is really going on here; though to be fair, the text of the bill was not widely circulating this week, suggesting that much media reporting was, indeed, relying totally on the press releases, rather than bothering to insist on reading/analyzing the actual bill text —  NBC, CNN, Jerusalem Post, Jewish Insider

(LEGISLATING THE IHRA DEFINITION) HR 7945 (bill text): Introduced 4/11/24 by D’Esposito (R-NY) and 3 cosponsors (all Republicans), “To provide a definition of antisemitism for the enforcement of covered civil rights laws,” aka, the “the Define to Defeat Act.” Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Education and the Workforce. Also see: press release – Congressman D’Esposito Introduces Define to Defeat Act, Bringing Clarity to Legal Definition of Antisemitism; New York Congressman introduces bill to federally apply IHRA definition of antisemitism (Jerusalem Post 4/11/24). This bill would mandate that the “legally non-binding” IHRA definition of antisemitism — including its examples — be used (a) in any anti-discrimination training and education materials or modules made available by any federal departments or agencies; (b) in instructions to the jury in any Federal criminal or civil action that involves [allegations of] antisemitism; (c) “In reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of a covered civil rights law on the basis of race, religion, color, ethnicity, or national origin, based on an individual’s actual or perceived connection to an aspect of Jewish identity, each Federal department and agency conducting such review or investigation or making such decision shall take into consideration whether the potential violation was motivated, in whole or in part, by antisemitism.” NOTE: see my pinned tweet — “The battle over the IHRA definition of antisemitism, in a nutshell: ‘you have to define it to fight it’ = ‘you have to define all meaningful criticism of Israel/its policies/ Zionism as ‘antisemitism’ in order to suppress it, because we can’t win the arguments otherwise.’“ NOTE: the introduction of this bill has potential implications for S. 4091/HR 7921 (discussed above), including: (Scenario 1) House Republicans seek to merge HR 7945 with HR 7921, in effect replacing what some (inaccurately) see as HR 7921’s “soft” legislating of the IHRA definition with HR 7945’s explicit legislating of the IHRA definition (as a reminder, Indiana’s governor recently VETOED a bill legislating the text of the IHRA definition because the bill did not explicitly cite IHRA as the source and did not explicitly include IHRA’s examples); and (Scenario 2) Backers of S 4091/HR 7921 use HR 7921 as an argument for why their bill should be widely embraced as the reasonable approach vs HR 7945’s seemingly harder-line framing.

(NO PRESSURE ON ISRAEL!) H. Res. 1117: Introduced 4/10/24 by Salazar (R-FL) and 26 cosponsors (all Republicans), “Opposing efforts to place one-sided pressure on Israel with respect to Gaza.” This resolution was brought to the Rules Committee 4/9/24 en route to the House floor — see Rules Committee Chairman Cole’s (R-OK) statement on the resolution. Also see amendment offered by Ogles (R-TN), seeking to replace the term “one-sided” wherever it appears in the resolution with “any” — that is, saying out loud the quiet part of this resolution, which is that backers oppose any US pressure on Israel.  Also see: statement from Americans for Peace Now laying out objections to the resolution, including:  “House Republicans are again using straw-man arguments to make a show of support for the Netanyahu government. The Hamas attack on October 7 was horrific and there is and can be no rationale to defend it. And Israel is and was entitled to self-defense. Neither President Biden nor anyone in the administration has ever suggested otherwise.”; House to vote on resolution against ‘efforts to place one-sided pressure on Israel with respect to Gaza’ [“The resolution criticizes the U.S. president’s recent call with the Israeli prime minister and a U.N. Security Council vote, which passed when Washington held its veto and abstained.“] (Jewish News Syndicate 4/8/24); House Republicans to bring resolution supporting Israel to vote (Jerusalem Post 4/10/24). On 4/10/24, House leadership sought to bring H. Res. 1117 and a group of other bills/resolutions to the House floor for a vote, which required first bringing to the floor H. Res. 1125, the Rule passed by the Rules committee providing for floor consideration of the various measures. That resolution was defeated by a vote of 193-228 (no Democrats voted yes, and 19 Republicans joined Democrats in voting no), preventing further floor action on the measures (for the time being at least)

(DEFENDING ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO DO ANYTHING IT WANTS IN THE NAME OF ‘SELF-DEFENSE) S. Res. XXX (resolution text): On 4/9/24, Sen. Lankford issued a press release announcing that he was joining with Sen. Scott (R-SC) in introducing this resolution, “Expressing the sense of the Senate that Israel has the inherent right to defend itself and take necessary steps to eradicate the terrorist threat posed by Hamas.” [Not in the Congressional Record as of 4/12/24]

(TARGETING QATAR) S. 4093 (bill text): Introduced 4/10/24 by Budd (R-NC) and 2 Republican co-sponsors, “A bill to review and consider terminating the designation of the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, and for other purposes,” aka the Reviewing Qatar’s Major Non- NATO Ally Status Act.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Also see: Budd’s 4/9/24 press release: “…The bill would require the Secretary of State to certify the following: It is in the national interest of the United States for Qatar to maintain its designation as a major non-NATO ally; Qatar has exerted any and all leverage it has over Hamas to secure the release of United States hostages from Gaza; Qatar does not directly or indirectly support, financially or otherwise, acts of international terrorism or foreign terrorist organizations, including Hamas; and Qatar has expelled or agreed to extradite to the United States any individuals determined to be members of Hamas, including Ismail Haniyeh,  Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Mashal, and any other individuals bearing responsibility for the terror attack on October 7, 2023.  If the Secretary of State cannot make this certification in good faith, then the President is required to immediately terminate the designation of the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.” Also see: Senate Republicans push bill that could revoke Qatar’s major non-NATO ally status (Jewish Insider 4/10/24)

(TARGETING “POPULAR RESISTANCE COMMITTEES IN GAZA & LION’S DEN IN WEST BANK) HR 7914 (bill text): Introduced 4/9/24 by Sherman (D-CA) and 3 bipartisan cosponsors, the “Accountability for Terrorist Perpetrators of October 7th Act.”  Sherman press release – Sherman, Kustoff, McCaul, and Schneider Introduce “Accountability for Terrorist Perpetrators of October 7th Act” Targeting Shadow Gaza Militant Group. Also see: House members propose sanctions on “under the radar” Gaza militant group (Axios 4/9/24); Bipartisan House bill seeks to formally designate third-largest Gaza terror group (Jewish News Syndicate 4/9/24)

(BLOCKING IRAN DIPLOMACY) HR 7950 (bill text): Introduced 4/11/24 by Good (R-VA) and 4 cosponsors (all Republicans), the “Iran China Accountability Act of 2024.’’ Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also see: House Bill Would Bar Biden Admin From Spending Taxpayer Dollars on Diplomacy To Advance Iran Nuclear Deal –Rep. Bob Good proposes bill to block Iran diplomacy until it severs cash ties to China and ends Hamas support (Free Beacon 4/11/24)

(SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR NON-PROFIT SECURITY GRANTS -NSG) H. Res. 1114: Introduced 4/6/24 by Gottheimer (D-NJ), “Denouncing the rise of Islamophobia and antisemitism across the country.” Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The resolution includes “whereas” clauses specifically noting the murder of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadee Alfayoumi, the shooting in Vermont of  three Palestinian-American college students Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid,, and Tahseen Ali Ahma; and the death of Paul Kessler, who died from injuries sustained at an Israel rally “during an altercation between protesters and counterprotesters.” The resolution goes on to note the rise in hate crimes, etc, and resolves that: “(1) all have the freedom to express their race, ethnicity, and religion in whatever way they believe; (2) the rise in hate crimes, Islamophobia, and antisemitism is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated; (3) social media companies and executives must do more to counter and limit the propaganda and violent rhetoric expressed across their platforms; and (4) nonprofit security grants are crucial to protect and ensure houses of worship and other nonprofit institutions have the security and resources they need.” Also see: RELEASE: Gottheimer Resolution Denounces Rise of Antisemitism and Islamophobia Across the Nation

(ONE TO WATCH): S. 4106: Introduced 4/10/24 by Ernst (R-IA) and 6 cosponsors (all Republicans, “A bill to affirm and protect the First Amendment rights of students and student organizations at public institutions of higher education.”  Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2. Letters

[SUPPORTING HUMANITARIAN AID FOR GAZA] 4/11/24: Congressman Carter Restates Support for Humanitarian Aid in Gaza [letter text]. “Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) led 13 Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Biden, reiterating their support for humanitarian aid during the crisis in the Middle East.”

[TARGETING ACADEMIA, AGAIN] 4/11/24: Stefanik Demands Accountability from Harvard for Failing to Reprimand Antisemitic Students who Assaulted Jewish Student [letter text]. Also see: Stefanik Blasts Harvard for Failure to Discipline Students Who Allegedly Assaulted Israeli Classmate (National Review 4/11/24)

[SUPPORTING HUMANITARIAN AID THAT ENABLES CONTINUED ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA] 4/11/24: Meng, Pappas, and Schneider Lead Letter Supporting Cyprus-Led Maritime Humanitarian Aid Corridor  [letter text] [“Today, U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Brad Schneider (D-IL), leaders in the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance, and Abraham Accords Caucus, led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressing support for the Cyprus-led Amalthea maritime humanitarian corridor to increase the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as well as continued efforts to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release remaining hostages in exchange for a temporary pause in fighting.”]

[TARGETING QATAR] 4/8/24: Comer Threatens to Subpoena Documents About DOJ’s Failure to Enforce TikTok and Al Jazeera’s FARA Compliance [text of  letter to US Attorney General from House Oversight & Accountability Committee]. Excerpt: “Al Jazeera journalists are increasingly being linked to Hamas-backed attacks, and Qatar has reportedly hosted a Hamas headquarters in Doha, paying the terrorist group $30 million per month since 2018.” Qatar’s embassy in Washington, DC responded with an X-post: “…Qatar does not pay Hamas. In full coordination with the Government of Israel, Qatar has contributed humanitarian assistance in Gaza since 2018. This assistance takes two forms: 1. Since 2018, Qatar funded fuel purchases from Israel to supply a Gaza power station to generate electricity in Gaza, under the supervision of the United Nations Office of Project Services. The Israeli Government controlled all fuel transfers at the Gaza border. 2. Since August 2021, Qatar funded a project administered by the World Food Programme to provide $100 per month to the poorest families in Gaza. The Israeli Government maintained oversight over the list of recipients. Notably, Qatar did not administer the distribution of this assistance, which was the responsibility of the United Nations and the World Food Programme, under the supervision of the State of Israel. Israel encouraged and strongly supported Qatar’s contributions...” Also see: Documents show Israel sought, valued Qatari aid for Gaza in years leading to Oct. 7 (Times of Israel 3/24/24); TikTok Foreign Agent Designation Pressed by Key House Republican (Bloomberg 4/8/24)

[WORK FOR RELEASE OF MY DEAR FRIEND ELIZABETH TSURKOV, KIDNAPPED IN IRAQ] 4/8/24: Rep. Raskin Leads Letter to Biden Administration Urging Continued Negotiation for Release of PhD Candidate Kidnapped in Iraq [letter text not posted] Also see: Lawmakers urge Biden to help free Princeton researcher kidnapped in Iraq (Al-Monitor 4/8/24); US lawmakers press White House to secure release of Israeli researcher kidnapped in Iraq (Times of Israel 4/9/24)

[WITHHOLD WEAPONS FOR ISRAEL] 4/5/24: Pocan, McGovern, Schakowsky Urge Biden, Blinken to Withhold Weapons Transfers After Humanitarian Aid Workers Killed [letter text] — 56 signers as of 4/8/24. Also see: Israel, Ukraine aid unclear as growing number of Dems oppose Israel aid (Jewish Insider 4/8/24); Pelosi joins US Democrats call for Biden to halt arms transfer to Israel (Al Jazeera 4/6/24); Pelosi joins call by 37 Democrats for Biden to halt transfer of US weapons to Israel (Times of Israel 4/6/24); Democratic Congressional calls to halt arms sales to Israel picks up steam  (Jerusalem Post 4/10/24)

[TARGETING WORLD VISION] 4/5/24: Grassley letter to World Vision President/CEO demanding “an unredacted copy of the forensic audit and investigation of World Vision’s Gaza operation” in connection with Israel’s conviction of a World Vision employee, Muhammed Halabi, of funneling World Vision funds to Hamas. Reminder: World Vision’s investigation “found no evidence of diversion of funds and no material evidence that El Halabi was part of or working for Hamas.” Israel arrested Halabi in 2016 and held him in jail for SIX YEARS before convicting him in what Amnesty International deemed “deeply flawed proceedings” and sentencing him to an additional 12 years in jail. Amnesty International, which categorizes Halabi as a prisoner of conscience, notes: “Mohammed was tried in secret hearings, during which the Beersheba District Court completely disregarded abundant evidence clearing him of any wrongdoing. His conviction was largely based on the testimony of a prisoner informant who had previously been found guilty of perjury, as well as so-called ‘secret evidence’ which neither Mohammed nor his lawyer were allowed to access. Israeli authorities have failed to investigate Mohammed al-Halabi’s 2018 complaint of torture and other ill-treatment while under interrogation by the Shabak. In a demonstration of personal integrity and resilience, Mohammed refused numerous plea bargain offers which would have given him a commuted sentence in exchange for ‘confessing’ to charges which he vehemently denies.”

[ADL URGES APPROPRIATORS TO FUND PRIORITIES, INCL ENFORCING IHRA DEFINITION ON US CAMPUSES] 4/4/24: ADL Letter to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate regarding Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations

3. Hearings & Markups

• Famine Has Begun in Northern Gaza, U.S. Official Says (New York Times 4/11/24); U.S. aid official says famine has begun in northern Gaza (Axios 4/11/24); Biden’s top aid official says famine is already underway in Gaza (The Independent 4/11/24); Samantha Power Confirms Famine Is Likely Underway In Parts of Gaza (Mother Jones 4/11/24); USAID Chief Admits Famine Is Underway in Gaza as US Keeps Arming Israel (Common Dreams 4/11/24); USAID administrator says it is ‘credible’ to assess famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza (CNN 4/11/24)
  Samatha Power blames World Central Kitchen strike on systemic Israeli issues (Jewish Insider 4/10/24)
• US Congress wants to close UNRWA down, top senator says (The National 4/10/24)
• Three More Arrested at Second Disruption of Samantha Power (Code Pink 4/10/24)
• CODEPINK Disrupts Samantha Power; One Peace Activist Arrested (CodePink 4/10/24)
• USAID administrator indicates that U.S. aid recipients in Gaza continue to work with UNRWA [“Power repeatedly described the scandal-plagued agency ‘indispensable,’ suggesting that U.S.-backed humanitarian efforts will continue to collaborate with UNRWA even if the U.S. doesn’t fund it directly”] (Jewish Insider 4/11/24)
• USAID: ‘Israel is significantly delaying delivery of aid Gaza (YNet 4/11/24)
• Samantha Power: Aid workers say crisis in Gaza ‘unprecedented’ [“During USAID head’s testimony, senators wonder if Israel is complying with US, international law”] (Responsible Statecraft 4/9/24)
• USAID chief Power sees ‘sea change’ in assistance for Gaza, wants more (Reuters 4/9/24)

• hearing video.
• press release from King (D-ME): In Armed Services Hearing, King Questions Administration on Recent Munitions Transfer to Israel –In wake of World Central Kitchen tragedy, Senator says conduct is hurting Israel, suggests pausing offensive munitions transfers until serious attention is given to civilian casualties (video of exchange)
• press release from Rosen (D-NV): VIDEO: During Senate Hearing, Rosen Calls on Administration to Continue Unimpeded Security Assistance for Israel to Defend Itself Against Hamas and Iran
• Austin: U.S. doesn’t have “any evidence” of Israel committing genocide in Gaza (Axios 4/10/24); Austin tells Congress that Israel is taking steps to boost aid to Gaza as lawmakers question US support (Associated Press 4/10/24); Austin Pushes Back on Claims of Israel Carrying Out Genocide in Gaza (New York Times 4/10/24); Austin defends Israel from ‘genocide’ claims but says Netanyahu must provide more aid (Jewish Insider 4/11/24)

4. Selected Media & Press releases/statements

Recess Travel

AIPAC website: House Republicans visit Israel with AIEF, including video testimonials from Israel recorded by 15 House Republicans – Yakim (R-IN), Ciscomani (R-AZ), Fitzgerald (R-WI), Langworthy (R-WI), Kiggans (R-VA), Maloy (R-UT), Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR – 2 videos), Burlison (R-MO), Kean (R-NJ), Strong (R-AL), Crane (R-AZ), Fry (R-SC), Alford (R-MO), Bean (R-FL), Van Orden (D-WI). Background on AIEF (from the 8/15/19 edition of the Round-Up):

What is AIEF & What is its Relationship with AIPAC?
On its (single page, no links) website, AIEF describes itself as “the charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC, America’s pro-Israel lobby.”  The website of The Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation (“MFF”) gives more details [that page has been taken down, but can still be viewed here], noting that AIEF both makes annual grants to directly to AIPAC for its programs and “funds educational seminars to Israel for members of Congress and other political influentials.” [For further fun reading about Adam Milstein’s activism and funding activities related to Israel, see here.]

Why is travel to Israel with AIEF, rather than AIPAC?
To understand why AIEF, rather than AIPAC, is at least nominally the organization taking members on these trips, see this excellent Roll Call article from 9/9/11 examining what (back in the post-Abramoff era, when Congress was clamping down on lobbying) was widely referred to on the Hill as the “Aipac loophole): Members Flock to Israel With Travel Loophole (a loophole which is exploited today by other groups as well). In a piece from 2014, the Atlantic further explained the AIEF-AIPAC relationship and this loophole:

“…the foundation hardly lacks an agenda. It shares staff, money, and an address with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel group that employs a dozen lobbyists and spends more than $2 million annually on lobbying. As a lobbying organization, AIPAC itself isn’t allowed to plan and pay for congressional excursions abroad. Yet its shadow foundation has received the blessing of congressional ethics enforcers despite the fact that its 2011 tax filings spell out: “The foundation does not have any employees. The foundation utilizes AIPAC employees.” AIPAC even pays the $464,000 salary of Richard Fishman, the foundation’s executive director—the man who signs the congressional travel forms.”

So are these trips AIPAC trips?
By having AIEF act as the official funder and convener of these trips, legally AIPAC and others can claim that they are not, in fact, AIPAC trips. And while this technically may be accurate, members of Congress and staffers consistently refer to such travel, year after year, as “the AIPAC trip” – with regular conversation about who is going on the “AIPAC trip” and who went on the last “AIPAC trip,” and who people met with or where they stayed on the “AIPAC trip” – a fact noted in the Atlantic’s 2014 article: “‘Everyone understood it to be an AIPAC trip,’ said a freshman representative who joined last August’s excursion and was granted anonymity to speak candidly.’” Media likewise often seems to forget to make the distinction between AIPAC and AIEF (e.g., the Jerusalem Post 8/11/19: AIPAC bipartisan delegation to Israel meets Jewish, Arab entrepreneurs; Jewish Insider 6/14/19: AIPAC’s congressional trip to Israel leaves in August. Here’s who’s going).

Gottheimer (D-NJ) 4/6/24: Gottheimer Leads Official House Intelligence Committee Trip to Qatar and Egypt [“Meets with Senior Officials Negotiating Release of the Hostages. Highlights Importance of Bringing Hostages Home, Providing Humanitarian Aid, Crushing Hamas.“]

Politics/Elex

• Huffington Post 4/12/24: Pro-Israel Republicans See What They Want To See In Trump’s Skepticism Of Gaza War
• Jewish Insider 4/12/24: Virginia congressional candidate Derrick Anderson says his military experience shapes his Middle East policy [“Anderson was deployed as a Green Beret to countries including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Bahrain, and said he still has comrades under fire in the region by Iranian proxy groups”]
• Rolling Stone 4/11/24: Wallace Shawn Narrates Ad for Coalition Opposing America’s Biggest Israel Lobby [“When we reject AIPAC, we’re one massive step closer to rejecting the grip of all corporate super PACs on our elections,” the actors says in a new ad] – VIDEO -How AIPAC Undermines Our Democracy & the Democratic Party
• WHYY 4/11/24: Activists arrested while protesting John Fetterman’s position on Israel
• Justice Democrats 4/11/24: X-post & video – “As the United Democracy Project threatens to spend $100M in Democratic primaries this cycle, let’s pull back the curtain on AIPAC. What you’ll find is a web of Trump megadonors, GOP billionaires, insurrectionists, & anti-abortion extremists. Time for Democrats to #RejectAIPAC.”
• Huffington Post 4/11/24: Donation To Pro-Israel Group In Virginia House Race Shows Limits Of Campaign Finance Laws [“Democratic Majority for Israel has become one of the major players in Democratic primaries, spending millions in competitive races to ensure that the most outspoken critics of the Israeli government never make it to Congress.But some of the money that the group’s super PAC is spending on behalf of Eileen Filler-Corn ― a former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates running for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District ― is a little different. It originated not in the pockets of wealthy Israel supporters, but with Filler-Corn herself.“]
• Bowman (D-NY) 4/10/24: X-post [with link to MSNBC clip] — “$100 million against us? Bring it on! The people of NY-16 know what this is: the working class, Black and brown, young and progressive people got our seat. We’re making progress on our promises, and standing up for peace. No way we’re letting AIPAC’s MAGA donors take it away.“
• Free Beacon 4/10/24: As Bob Casey Distances Himself From Summer Lee’s Anti-Israel Rhetoric, She Boasts His Endorsement
• CNBC 4/9/24: Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, inner circle give millions to shape schools, courts [“…Yass is also the only known contributor to a political action committee, the Moderate PAC, which is trying to unseat progressive Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., in a primary this year, according to Politico. Lee’s Democratic opponent has tried to distance herself from the funding that the PAC has received from Yass, saying at a recent debate: ‘I denounce Donald Trump. I denounce Jeffrey Yass.'”]
• Sempafor 4/9/24: How a ceasefire-backing progressive [Rep. Lee, D-PA] scared pro-Israel groups out of her race
• JTA 4/9/24: Ritchie Torres’ pro-Israel activism sparks controversy in DC — and within his own family. In Israel, he’s a star.
• AIPAC 4/9/24: X-post – “Why hasn’t the “ceasefire now” squad condemned Hamas for rejecting another offer? Revealing. @AOC, @SenSanders,@MarkPocan,@JamaalBowmanNY,@SummerForPA,@CoriBush,@AyannaPressley,@PramilaJayapal,@RashidaTlaib,@IlhanMN; reply from Pocan (D-WI): “Nothing like forcing @AIPAC to include a second white person in their daily criticism. Such obvious bigotry exposed.” Reply from AIPAC: “Nothing like morally confused @MarkPocan trying to deflect from his refusal to call out Hamas for rejecting offers to stop fighting, free hostages, and surge aid.“
• AIPAC 4/8/24: X-post attacking Sen. Warren (D-MA) for saying she thought the ICJ would rule Israel is committing genocide (and using that as a hook to go after J Street)
• AIPAC 4/8/24: X-post attacking Democrats & J Street – “J Street says ‘it starts with pro-Israel’ while fundraising for: Bernie Sanders (cut all aid) Pramila Jayapal (Israel ‘a racist state’) Summer Lee (refused to vote to condemn Hamas) Andre Carson (opposed Iron Dome funds) @jstreetdotorg is many things, but it’s not pro-Israel.”
• Jewish Insider 4/8/24: Larry Hogan: Democrats will lose Jewish voters due to White House pressure on Israel 
• New York Times 4/7/24: How Gaza Protesters Are Challenging Democratic Leaders – From President Biden to the mayors of small cities, Democrats have been trailed by demonstrators who are complicating the party’s ability to campaign in an election year.
• Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) 4/7/24: ZOA Criticizes Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, UN, EU, 40 Congressmembers, and Chris Coons, Who Pressured Israel to Unilaterally, Unconditionally Begin Ceasefire, Benefitting Nazi-Hamas Terrorists
• Jewish Insider 4/5/24: Latimer: I outraised Bowman this quarter

Concerns re Israel Actions in Gaza; possible consequences (gasp)

• Axios 4/12/24: Scoop: Israeli assurances fail to move key Democrat on F-15 deal
• New York Post 4/11/24: Jewish group ‘deeply troubled’ by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claim Israel could be found guilty of genocide: ‘Ample evidence’
• Haaretz 4/11/24: How ‘Netanyahu’s War’ Led Democrats to a Radical Rethink of U.S.-Israel Ties [“If you’d told Democratic lawmakers six months ago that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi would be leading the charge calling for early elections in Israel and conditioning military aid, they would have questioned your sanity. But then came the Israel-Hamas war“]
• Jerusalem Post 4/11/24: Democratic congressman: Wants ‘assurances’ before approving sale of fighter jets to Israel [“It is enough of the indiscriminate bombing. I don’t want the kinds of weapons that Israel has to be utilized to have more death,” Rep. Gregory Meeks said on Tuesday.“]
• The Guardian 4/11/24: Tim Kaine: Biden knows Netanyahu ‘played’ him in early months of Gaza war [“Senator and leading foreign policy voice in Democratic party tells the Guardian Biden has come to realise the limits of his influence“]
• The Hill 4/11/24: The Memo: Democratic dissent over Israel grows, deepening Biden’s dilemma
• Welch (D-VT) 4/10/24: X-post incl clip of floor statement – “What more needs to happen before the United States finally stops financing a war strategy that has so disproportionately killed civilians, used food as a weapon, made Gaza unlivable, and that has no realistic vision of a peaceful future for either Palestinians or Israelis?“
• Boston Herald 4/10/24: Elizabeth Warren faces heat for Israel genocide comments: ‘Amplify dangerous rhetoric’
• War on the Rocks 4/8/24: The Bipartisan Consensus in Favor of Israel Is Broken, But When Will It Change U.S. Policy?
• Salem News 4/10/24: Rep. Moulton (D-MA) op-ed – Moulton: ‘Core principles’ should guide US approach to Israel-Gaza conflict
• Sanders (I-VT) 4/9/24: Sanders Statement on Netanyahu’s Recent Commitments to Expand Aid Access in Gaza [“’These are welcome if long-overdue steps. But, given Israel’s horrendous humanitarian record thus far, these commitments must be closely monitored on a daily basis,’ said Sanders.“]
• Haaretz 4/9/24: Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Israel’s Actions in Gaza May Legally Constitute Genocide [“While several progressive House members critical of Israel have stated they personally believe the military campaign constitutes a genocide, none have gone so far as to say so outright“]
• Jewish Insider 4/9/24: Elizabeth Warren: ‘Ample evidence’ that Israel committed genocide [“The Massachusetts senator ‘would rather join the chorus of Democrats trying to placate their rabidly anti-Israel base of voters,’ the Republican Jewish Coalition stated.“]
• Washington Post 4/9/24: About 50 arrested for protesting Israel-Gaza war in Senate cafeteria
• Religion News 4/9/24: Dozens of Christians arrested after shutting down Senate lunch in protest of Gaza famine
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/9/24: More than 50 anti-Israel protesters arrested at Senate cafeteria [“The activists, some of whom disrupted a Senate hearing, reportedly said, ‘Senate can’t eat until Gaza eats.'”]
• Jewish Insider 4/9/24: Democrats focus on humanitarian aid to Gaza amid growing calls to cut military aid to Israel
• Haaretz 4/9/24: In Potential Game-changer, Top Democrat Won’t Grant Biden Rubber Stamp on Pending F-15 Sales to Israel [“The top democrat on the of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced that he is waiting for assurances from Biden regarding Israeli conduct in Gaza before he greenlights an $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel. ‘I think it’s enough of the indiscriminate bombing,’ he says“] Also see: clip from CNN of Jeffries’ comments
• Haaretz 4/9/24: Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Israel’s actions in Gaza may legally constitute genocide
• Politico 4/8/24: How Dems could tank Israel weapons sales
• Durbin (D-IL) 4/8/24: Durbin Reiterates Ceasefire Call Following the Death of Seven Humanitarian Aid Workers in Gaza
• Politico 4/8/24: Elizabeth Warren says she believes Israel’s war in Gaza will legally be considered a genocide
• Jewish Insider 4/8/24: Gottheimer raises concerns about aspects of Israel’s military operation in Gaza
• Kaine (D-VA) 4/5/24: Kaine Discusses Israel-Hamas War with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki
• Kaine (D-VA) 4/5/24: Kaine Issues Statement on Latest Developments in Israel-Hamas Conflict
• Politco 4/5/24: Kaine, Sanders push Biden to get tougher with Israel
• Wild (D-PA) 4/5/24: X-thread — “I’m deeply distressed by the report from the IDF regarding the strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. It’s extremely hard to believe this was an isolated incident. It’s more likely indicative of a loose set of operating procedures that have resulted in thousands of unnecessary civilian casualties. It’s time for the US to investigate and be involved in getting answers and accountability before any further arms are transferred. And I’ll repeat what I’ve said before: there must be a ceasefire that ends the suffering in Gaza and brings the hostages home. To those who feel that Israel is being held to a higher standard than other countries at war, damn straight it is.  Israel has the highest level of sophistication in its military abilities. According to @CFR_org, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid since its founding, receiving about $300 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total economic and military assistance.  As such, it should be held to the same standards we expect of our own military operations (recognizing that we do not always achieve those standards).“

Israeli Government & the PA

• Sherman (D-CA) 4/11/24: Congressman Brad Sherman Statement on Meeting with Israel Economy Minister Nir Barkat
• Jewish Insider 4/10/24: In Washington, Israeli opposition leader Lapid meets with Blinken, Schumer
• McCaul (R-TX) & Risch (R-ID) 4/9/24: McCaul, Risch: PA Request for Full UN Membership is Opportunistic, Dangerous
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/7/24: Amid anti-Netanyahu protests, Lapid to meet Blinken, Schumer in Washington

Support Israel! Reject Critics/Criticism of or Any Pressure On Israel!

• Jewish Insider 4/12/24: Rep. Kathy Manning says calls for suspending Israel aid embolden Hamas 
• WISPOLITICS 4/11/24: DC Wrap: Fitzgerald asks Netanyahu to speak to Congress as Pocan requests White House cease military aid to Israel
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/11/24: House speaker: Biden has ‘transformed into an anti-Israel president’ –Mike Johnson accused the president of pandering to the far-left flank of the Democratic party at the expense of US-Israel relations.
• Jewish Insider 4/11/24: Manchin, Fetterman push back against Democrats’ pressure on Israel [“Democrats are facing heat from some in their party over concerns about their public pressure campaign against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu“]
• Cardin (D-MD) 4/10/24: Chair Cardin Calls on International Community to Pressure Hamas to Accept Deal to Bring Hostages Home, Pause Hostilities
• Schneider (D-IL) 4/10/24: Schneider Calls on House to Immediately Pass Military Aid for Israel and Stop Partisan Attacks that Benefit Iran and Hamas
• Fox News 4/10/24: Dem senators voice concerns over Israel war status as Biden attempts ‘challenging’ balance with progressives [“‘I don’t support a cease-fire. I’ve been very clear about that,’ Sen. John Fetterman told Fox News Digital”]
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/10/24: ‘Who walks away from a friend during a time of war?’ Scalise says of Biden’s Israel policy
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/10/24: Who can stop the Democrats’ pivot away from Israel? [“The turn against the Jewish state has spread from “The Squad” to Joe Biden, with exceptions like Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman standing against the pro-Hamas tide.”]
• Jewish Insider 4/10/24: Israel critics in Congress are ‘playing into the hands of Hamas,’ Rep. Ritchie Torres says
• Diaz- Balart (R-FL) op-ed in the Miami Herald 4/9/24: ‘Americans deserve better than a weak and confused foreign policy’
• McConnell (R-KY) 4/9/24: McConnell: Support For Allies Is In America’s Interests [video] [‘Iran’s terrorist proxies in Gaza are responsible for the horrors of this war. Their hatred for Jews – and refusal to acknowledge the existence of a Jewish state of Israel – is the reason for the pain and suffering of the last six months. America cannot afford to lose moral clarity about this conflict. But I’m afraid that too many of our leaders are.’]
• Gottheimer (D-NJ) 4/9/24: Push to suspend or condition aid to Israel ‘emboldens Hamas,’ Gottheimer says
• The Hill (op-ed by Kim, R-CA) 4/8/24: Congress must act to support our allies Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel
• Bloomberg 4/7/24: Biden Ally [Coons, D-DE] Opposes Halting US Weapons Transfers to Israel
• Cole (R-OK) 4/5/24: Cole Criticizes President Biden’s Inappropriate Ultimatum to Israel
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/5/24: ‘Unprecedented’: Members of Congress slam Biden ultimatum to Israel
• Baltimore Jewish Times 4/4/24: Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Unmasked [“There was a time when we counted Van Hollen as a challenging but reliable friend of the Jewish community and the state of Israel. Those days are gone. We face the uncomfortable reality that Chris Van Hollen is not our friend.”]

Marking 6-mos since 10/7/23

• Jewish News Syndicate 4/8/24: Congressmen, state leaders stand with Israel six months after Hamas attack
• Schumer 4/7/24: X-post (with gif of full statement) – “I will continue working for as long as it takes with the families of those cruelly taken and held hostage by Hamas, with the Biden admin, and with others until we finally bring back every last hostage—and the remains of the hostages who are no longer with us—home at last.“
• Johnson (R-LA) 4/7/24: X-post (with gif of full statement) – “Six months ago today, Israelis suffered unspeakable violence and terror. Today, of all days, Washington must be united in our support for our great ally as they fight for their sovereignty and right to exist.“
• Jeffries (D-NY) 4/7/24: LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS (also here)
• Schumer (D-NY) 4/7/24: Majority Leader Schumer Statement Marking Six Months Of Captivity For Hostages Taken By Hamas

Supporting UNRWA

• Mullins (D-CA) 4/5/24: Rep. Mullin’s Letter to Constituents Regarding FY 2024 Government Funding Vote & UNWRA

Targeting Academia/Free Speech

• Stefanik (R-NY) 4/11/24: Stefanik Statement on ADL Campus Antisemitism Report Card Results Highlighting Moral Rot in Higher Education And Applauding Schools Who Have Taken Action
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/5/24: Lawyering up doesn’t address Jew-hatred on campus, House Ed Committee chair says — Universities look to preserve their tax-exempt status and avoid political embarrassment, as two House committees continue to investigate antisemitism on campuses.
• Politico 4/3/24: Colleges are lawyering up to avoid becoming the next Harvard

Other Stuff

• Jewish Insider 4/12/24: State Department’s approval of Iran FM’s visa for U.N. visit splits senators
• Business Insider 4/10/24: Lawmakers explain why they went to Qatar for the World Cup despite human rights concerns: ‘There are no perfect countries’
• Jewish News Syndicate 4/10/24: ‘Get the hostages freed, crush Hamas,’ Gottheimer tells Qatar, Egypt
• Jewish Insider 4/10/24: Coons to Qatar: You need to do more to pressure Hamas
• Jewish Insider 4/9/24: U.S. lawmakers call for possible sanctions against Turkey in response to new trade restrictions against Israel
• Dallas Express 4/6/24: Lawmakers Challenge DOD Head To Confront Left-Wing Extremism [“A group of House Republicans confronted Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin over whether he was taking left-wing extremism as seriously as he has professed to do when it comes to the right, citing the self-immolation protest in February by a U.S. Air Force airman who identified himself an anarchist.” The letter was covered in last week’s Round-Up]