Netanyahu: Sanctions must not be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces. In recent weeks, I have been working against the imposition of sanctions on Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with senior American government officials. At a time when our soldiers are fighting

Israel's Finance Minister condemns news of the banning of American aid to the IDF's Netzah Yehuda Battalion, saying sanctions against settlers was only the beginning and that this will lead to sanctions against the IDF and the 'entire State of Israel.'
twitter.com/bezalelsm/stat…

I guess we’re about to find out whether Leahy Law sanctions for past human rights abuses in the West Bank will have any effect on how the IDF employs a sanctioned unit in current Gaza operations

My assumption is that Western support for Ukraine will continue for years because this kind of stuff has a lot of inertia once the foreign policy establishment has committed itself to it, the establishment in question is largely unconstrained by public opinion and Western public

The Haredi/ultra-Orthodox 97th “Netzah Yehuda” Battalion has been operating in Gaza recently, fighting alongside paratroopers on multi-day raids back into the previously cleared town of Beit Hanoun northeast of Gaza City. They were there just last week.

BREAKING: Israel has begun legalizing 68 settler outposts in West Bank as part of Smotrich plan - meaning they will become permanent - not only further legitimizing settler violence and settling occupied territory, but also showing where its priorities lie. החדשות - N12

And in fact, many, many--most? more work needs to be done--US foreign policy decisions are made because of parochial and quotidian domestic politics. Just co-edited a whole book about this: link.springer.com/book/10.1007/9…

Which is why viewing things from a geopolitical lens ...

Here are the 58 House members who voted against sending Israel $26 billion more in aid:

Ed Royce’s lobbying firm represents Raytheon and BAE Systems, among other defense clients, and he’s there for the big $95 billion arms to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan vote. Lobbyists aren’t allowed on the House floor if they have a direct financial interest on legislation.

As reports come in that the International Criminal Court (ICC) might issue warrants for the Israeli leadership, this is a good time to remind folks of one of America's most insane pieces of legislation.

Known colloquially as the 'Hague Invasion Act', that law authorizes the

With the US finally forced to end the ill-conceived mission in Niger, maybe there is a chance our leaders will learn this lesson?

[from Nick Turse The Intercept theintercept.com/2024/03/19/nig…]

Amina El-Hassoni is now off critical life support and breathing independently ❤️‍🩹

It’s tragic how much self-destructive poison has been pumped into Iranian opposition politics by outside actors just so that someone like Emily Schrader can say “my Iranian friends *want* to be bombed!”

🚨Scoop: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce within days sanctions against the Israel Defense Forces 'Netzah Yehuda' battalion for human rights violations in the occupied West Bank. My story on Axios
axios.com/2024/04/20/us-…

I’ve heard:

“The Columbia AAUP held an emergency meeting today, called on the university to drop charges and reinstate the students.

They are organizing to move classes off campus Monday, boycotting graduation, and moving to vote no confidence in the president.'

Good.

German police have ordered that during a protest speakers must make their statements only in English or German, and only after 6pm in Arabic (when the police interpreter is available????). Also, any chants in Hebrew (!!!) or Gaelic (!!!???) are prohibited.

I guess this is the 2024 equivalent of filling the public pools with cement