DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ These 16 House Democrats voted to force Biden to deliver withheld aid to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read preview16 House Democrats on Thursday voted for a bill designed to force President Joe Biden to provide all military aid to Israel — or risk the defunding of crucial national security-related offices. AdvertisementRepublicans in particular have sought to hit Biden for that move, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, a Republican who voted against Israel aid but has now introduced articles of impeachment against Biden for withholding that aid. AdvertisementSince October 7, the House has taken a variety of Israel-related votes that have split House Democrats, including one that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and another that was designed to crack down on campus antisemitism but faced free speech-related criticism. Last month, 37 House Democrats voted against a bill to provide the military aid to Israel that Biden is now partially withholding. Here are the 16 House Democrats who voted for the bill:

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Israel —, Thomas Massie of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Warren Davidson, Ohio —, Biden, Cory Mills, I'm, nothing's, Jared Golden of, Greg Landsman, Ohio Organizations: Service, Democrats, Business, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, Department, Pentagon, Defense, State, National Security Council, White, . Jewish Democrats Locations: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Ohio, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Cory Mills of Florida, Jared Golden of Maine

☆ Johnson looks to unify GOP with crack down on college campus protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Annie Grayer | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Anti-Israel protests on college campuses threaten Jewish students,” says the ad, which was shared first with CNN. While supporters of the legislation say it will help combat antisemitism on college campuses, opponents argue it overreaches and threatens to chill free speech. Some Democrats see the new investigative effort into college campuses and Johnson’s recent visit to Columbia University as a divisive political ploy. “Clearly it’s a very high priority for him,” GOP Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, the chairman of the House Science Committee, told CNN. House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, who sits on the Education panel, is also expected to play a prominent role in the effort.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, speakership, ” Johnson, “, ”, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump, Nick Fuentes, Pramila Jayapal, Joe Biden, James Comer, Lisa McClain, Biden, “ I’ve, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, Virginia Foxx, Elise Stefanik, Jim Jordan, Comer, ” Comer, ” CNN’s Haley Talbot Organizations: CNN, Republican, House Democratic, GOP, Louisiana Republican, Columbia University, Democrats, White, Department, Education, International Holocaust, Alliance, Columbia, Michigan, House Education, Workforce Committee, House Science, North Carolina, Yale University, University of California, University of Michigan, House GOP, New York Republican, Science, Republicans, George Washington University, Kentucky Republican Locations: Louisiana, Israel, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lago, Washington, Columbia, University of California Los Angeles, “, Ohio

☆ Democrats: College campus protests highlight tensions in Biden’s coalition
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images Pro-Palestinian protesters confront a Texas state trooper at the University of Texas in Austin on Monday, April 29. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Protesters link arms at Emerson College in Boston on April 24. Brian Snyder/Reuters House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to the media on the campus of Columbia University after meeting with Jewish students on April 24. Alex Kent/AFP/Getty Images People watch from a window as New York University students set up a tent encampment on April 22. Stefan Jeremiah/AP Israeli flags are reflected in the sunglasses of a demonstrator in front of Columbia University on April 22.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Alex Kent, Biden, Andrew Bates, “, Chuck Schumer, –, Hind Rajab, Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Mike Lawler, Israel –, Jared Moskowitz, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders, ” Moskowitz, Sanders, “ Bernie, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, “ Sen, Sanders ’, ” Ocasio, tikkun, ”, Ocasio, Joseph Prezioso, Suzanne Cordeiro, Cliff Owen, Qian Weizhong, David Dee Delgado, Mike Stewart, Sarah Reingewirtz, Jay Janner, Brandon Bell, Brian Snyder, Timothy A, Clary, Matthew Hatcher, Nuri Vallbona, Jordan Vonderhaar, Zaydee Sanchez, Caitlin Ochs, Cameron Jones, Stephanie Keith, Andres Kudacki, Tayfun, Joe Buglewicz, Fatih Aktas, Michael M, Mary Altaffer, Scott Eisen, Columbia's, Stefan Jeremiah, Selcuk, Kena Betancur, Josh Gottheimer, Dan Goldman, Richard Nixon, Netanyahu’s, Elizabeth Warren of, Bernie, ’, Warren, ‘, Netanyahu, Israel, ” Sanders –, Sanders –, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy of, who’s, ” Murphy, Elise Stefanik, ” Stefanik, CNN’s Donald Judd, Kevin Liptak, Annie Grayer Organizations: CNN, Israel Democrats, Capitol, Columbia University, Hamilton Hall, Getty, New York Democrat, College Democrats, America, Columbia, Republicans, Democrats, GOP, Jewish Democrats, Israeli, GOP Rep, Democratic, Florida, New York Rep, Hamilton, Columbia Students, Justice, Brown University, University of Texas, George Washington University, AP, University of California, UCLA, Getty Images, New York University, Rueters Georgia State Patrol, Emory University, MediaNews, Los Angeles Daily News, Austin Statesman, USA, Network, Reuters, Austin, University, Emerson College, Swarthmore College, Bloomberg, Getty Images Police, University of Southern, Reuters New York, Reuters Columbia, New York Times, Sproul Hall, Yale University, University police, York University, The New School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Library, New York Police Department, Occupy, Hamas, Democratic Party, Biden, White, International Court of Justice, Sunday, Fox News, New York, Republican Locations: Gaza, New York City, Columbia, Palestinian, ”, Gaza City, Palestine, New York, Vermont, Alexandria, Israel, Cortez, Providence , Rhode Island, AFP, Texas, Austin, Washington ,, Los Angeles, New, Rueters Georgia, Atlanta, Getty Images Texas, Boston, Swarthmore , Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, Berkeley, Sproul, Anadolu, New Haven , Connecticut, Cambridge, New Jersey, Washington, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, “ State, Chris Murphy of Connecticut

☆ 'Uncommitted' Democrats may dump Biden over the war in Gaza. They say it's not their fault if Trump wins.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

AdvertisementFor the leading voices in the uncommitted movement, that's missing the point — and it's insulting. The "Listen to Michigan" campaign was originally conceived in a memo drafted by Waleed Shahid, a progressive strategist and former spokesman for the left-wing group Justice Democrats. "There is an entire menu of things that President Biden could do to move in the direction of discontinuing the funding of the killing," he said. What uncommitted voters are ultimately looking for is a sense of seriousness and clarity that they feel has been lacking from Biden. Uncommitted movement organizers do not seem to be taking glee in embarrassing Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Layla Elabed, Abbas Alawieh, Donald Trump, Mitch Landrieu, uncommitted, Trump, Abdullah Hammoud, Waleed Shahid, Jeff Kowalsky, Rashida Tlaib, —, Cori Bush, Missouri —, Elabed, Mayor Hammoud, that's, Hammoud, haven't, I've, James Zogby, We're, Alawieh, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Andy Levin, Zogby, Ronald Reagan, Menachem Begin, Seth Meyers, he's, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Dearborn, Biden, Movement, Michigan, Democrats, Getty, Democratic Party, Trump, Arab American Institute and, Union, UN, Democrat, Israel Locations: Gaza, Detroit, Michigan, Israel, American, United States, Dearborn, AFP, Missouri, Dearborn Heights, Hamtramck, —, Biden's, Arab, Chicago, Paterson, Rafah, Beirut, New York

☆ Democrats have become way more comfortable putting Israel aid on hold amid the ongoing war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Democrats believe it will be essentially impossible to get that aid through both chambers of Congress without attaching it to Israel aid. AdvertisementYet despite AIPAC's endorsement of a $11.7 billion Israel aid package on Tuesday, all but 46 House Democrats voted against it. Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, a former diplomat, said he sees little urgency in approving more Israel aid. Another factor in Democrats' rejection of the Israel aid bill was its exclusion of humanitarian aid for Palestinians, which is included in the Senate's foreign aid bill. And there are some progressive Democrats who are likely to spurn further Israel aid altogether.

Persons: —, That's, it's, Israel, Don Beyer of Virginia, Beyer, I'm, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Don Beyer, Bill Clark, Greg Landsman, Jeremy Ben, Ami, Landsman, Sen, Bernie Sanders of, Rep, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez Organizations: Service, Business, Democratic Rep, Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, GOP, Democratic, Jewish, Democrats Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, Ohio, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Alexandria, Cortez of New York

☆ Israel-Hamas War Israel Indicates It Will Expand Its Offensive Into Southern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Ephrat Livni | Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The letter affirms President Biden’s opposition to a cease-fire, challenging demands from hundreds of officials that Israel halt its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s government and Mr. Biden have rejected such a step as incompatible with Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas. The newer letter was delivered to Mr. Biden on Tuesday with 115 names, but its organizers continued to collect signatures until Friday. The earlier letter of dissent was delivered to Mr. Biden with a signature count but without names, although the signatories are known to that letter’s organizers. She cited an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted early this month that found that half of Democrats approved of Mr. Biden’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Persons: Biden’s, Obama, Biden, Ron Klain, Lawrence H, Summers, Barack Obama, Colin H, Kahl, Joseph W, Westphal, Mr, Samantha Power, Power, Antony J, Blinken, Josh Paul, Soifer Organizations: Biden, Democratic, National Economic Council, Mr, U.S . Agency for International Development, United Nations, White House, State Department, Capitol, State Department’s Bureau, Political, Military Affairs, Jewish Democratic Council of America, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Reuters Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, Saudi Arabia, United States

☆ Opinion | The War in Gaza Is Splintering the Democratic Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

Should a few members of the Squad lose their primaries, the blow to Democratic unity could be severe. “And they’ll either stay at home or they’ll go to a third party.”Already, there are signs that the party is fracturing over Israel. Advocates for the freedom and safety of Palestinians, horror-struck by more than 10,000 civilian deaths in Gaza, believe that the Democratic Party is giving its approval to atrocities. These big-footed donors, who are overwhelmingly targeting representatives of color, are going to exacerbate the fissures in the Democratic Party. Diana Lovett, a Democratic Party district leader who held a fund-raiser for Bowman last year, said polarization over the congressman was tearing apart local Democrats.

Persons: Ryan Grim, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Bernie Sanders, she’d, ”, Ilhan Omar, who’ve, Tlaib, “, Omar, Mark Mellman, Israel, ” Mellman, Bowman, Eliot Engel, Grim, he’d, George Floyd, Giddins, —, Don Samuels, Cori Bush, Wesley Bell, Summer Lee, Bhavini Patel, Bowman doesn’t, George Latimer, imploring, Latimer, hadn’t, Waleed Shahid, Ocasio, imploring Biden, they’ve, He’s, ” Bowman, I’m, haven’t, hasn’t, Shahid, Ta, Nehisi Coates, Coates, Isaac Herzog, Weinberger, Sam Bankman, Nina Turner, Andy Levin, Republican megadonors, Bernie Marcus, “ I’ve, Mark Pocan, Mellman, Diana Lovett, Lovett, who’d, dreading, “ He’s, we’re Organizations: Israel, ”, Democratic, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Times, New, New York Democratic, The New York Times, Minneapolis City, Missouri Democrat, Pittsburgh Democrat, Squad, Justice Democrats, Democratic Party, Democratic Socialists of America, West Bank, Democratic Socialists, U.S, Westchester Jewish Council, New York Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish, Politico, United Democracy, AIPAC, Jewish Democrat, Republican, Home Depot, Wisconsin Democrat, Congressional Progressive Caucus Locations: Israel, Palestine, Gaza, New York, Minneapolis, Missouri, Louis County, Hebron, “, Manhattan, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin

☆ Rep. Becca Balint becomes the first Jewish member of Congress to call for a ceasefire in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont is now calling for a ceasefire in Israel's war on Hamas. AdvertisementDemocratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont on Thursday became the first Jewish member of Congress to call for a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas. "What is needed right now is an immediate break in violence to allow for a true negotiated cease-fire," Balint wrote in an op-ed for VTDigger, a local news site in her home state. Advertisement"I do not claim to know how to solve every aspect of this decades-long conflict," wrote Balint. "Even with Hamas operations intentionally embedded among civilians, Israel cannot bomb targets in densely populated areas," wrote Balint.

Persons: Becca Balint of, She's, —, Balint, Israel's, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Joe Biden, Israel, Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: Democratic, Service, Becca Balint of Vermont, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Democratic Party, Rep, Jewish Democrats Locations: Becca Balint of Vermont, Gaza, Alexandria, Cortez of New, Vermont, Israel, United States

☆ Top Israeli official has a warning for US universities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Nir Barkat, Israel’s minister of economy and industry, is warning American universities to crack down on antisemitism. “You’re going to see many funders of Ivy League and other universities shy away from that behavior,” he said. The Israeli official said there must be an attitude change and a willingness to “fight them everywhere – including on the campuses.”“Terror is multiplication. You multiply the will to create terror and the ability to create terror,” Barkat said. The Israeli official praised President Joe Biden for “unwavering support,” including his wartime visit to Israel.

Persons: New York CNN — Nir Barkat, ” Barkat, Barkat, “ You’re, ”, Marc Rowan, Jon Huntsman, Dick Wolf, Edgar Bronfman , Jr, Liz Magill, ” Magill, “, Joe Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, “ Schools, CNN, Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania, FBI, Columbia, Harvard, “, Columbia University, Penn, Israel Locations: New York, Manhattan, United States, Israel, Barkat, Washington

☆ Two Young Democratic Stars Collide Over Israel and Their Party’s Future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | More About Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

“This is pursuing a proven and failed strategy,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said in a recent radio interview. Calls for a cease-fire by Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and others drew a stern rebuke from the White House, and she faced backlash for voting against a bipartisan resolution that expressed strong support for Israel. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who did not agree to an interview, met in Washington last month with the families of Jewish hostages kidnapped by Hamas. was trying to infiltrate the Democratic Party “to impose the ideological litmus tests on Israel” and “cleanse” those who disagree with them. It remains far from clear how many left-leaning Democrats Mr. Torres is moving.

Persons: Ms, Ocasio, Cortez, it’s, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush of, Israel, ”, Brad Lander, “ I’m, Dan Goldman, Torres, “, lurch, Torres’s, Mr, Democratic Party “, Israel ”, combativeness, Waleed Shahid, Torres “, ” Jeremy Cohan Organizations: Democratic, White, Israel, Democrats, Democratic Socialists of America, Democratic Party, City Council, New York Locations: Queens, Bronx, Michigan, Cori Bush of Missouri, Gaza, Washington, Alexandria, New York City, New York, Israel, Tel, New

☆ Democrats concerned over Tlaib’s anti-Israel rhetoric, but are not backing new GOP censure efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Melanie Zanona | Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Two Republican lawmakers have filed separate resolutions to censure Tlaib this week, after a similar effort failed last week. “I have been really careful, partly because our Michigan delegation is so small, and we work together,” Stevens told CNN. “Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider is circulating a statement condemning Tlaib’s recent comments but stopped short of saying he supports a censure resolution. Last week, 23 House Republicans opposed a Tlaib censure resolution led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But a censure motion is not the way to do it.”The proposed Tlaib censure has sparked a tit-for-tat among lawmakers looking to target one another across the aisle.

Persons: Rashida, Israel, roiled, Joe Biden, Tlaib, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, Haley Stevens, ” Stevens, “, Debbie Dingell, ” “, ”, Dingell, ” Dingell, Brad Schneider, Tlaib –, –, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Richard McCormick of, Chip Roy, they’re, censuring, Ken Buck, ” Buck, “ We’ll, Becca Balint, Vermont, Greene, Sara Jacobs, Brian Mast Organizations: CNN — House Democrats, Rep, Michigan Democrat, CNN, ”, Hamas, “ Democratic, Democratic, Cortez of New York, Republicans, Georgia Republican, Capitol, GOP, Texas Republican, Republican, Colorado, Jewish, GOP Rep Locations: Israel, Michigan, Alexandria, Cortez of New, Georgia, Richard McCormick of Georgia, California, Florida, Nazi

☆ 'From the river to the sea:' What to know about the pro-Palestine slogan that's roiling American politics right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is facing condemnation for endorsing the phrase "from the river to the sea." Here's what you should know about the current controversy over the slogan — as well as its origins and contemporary use. Towards the end of that video, a crowd of pro-Palestine protestors in Michigan can be heard chanting the slogan. In other words, the slogan did originate as a call for the dismantling of Israel as a Jewish state. All of it, from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River, and we are not here to apologize for this."

Persons: —, Rashida, Tlaib, Joe Biden, Democrats —, Dana Nassel, Brad Schneider of, Tlaib's, Maha Nassar, Yasser Arafat, Nassar, Israel, Yousef Munayyer, Munayyer, It's, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Jordan Organizations: West Bank, Service, Palestine, Michigan Democrat, Twitter, Democrats, Jewish Democrat, Punchbowl News, Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Palestinian, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Likud Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Jordan, Michigan, American, Brad Schneider of Illinois, Palestinian, Algeria, Jerusalem

☆ Mike Johnson tests his new power with risky gambit on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —New House Speaker Mike Johnson is already tying Washington in new partisan knots. Johnson surprises by picking Israel funding as his first test of credibilityJohnson’s hard ball play on Israel funding came as a surprise given that some of the urgency for ending the speakership impasse last week was to swiftly clear a funding package following the Hamas attacks. The Biden administration on Tuesday formally threatened to veto the House GOP’s standalone Israel aid bill. The inclusion of the offsets could indicate that Johnson needs to placate his most hardline members even to pass a measure as popular as Israel funding. Some other Senate conservatives are also at odds with their leader, backing the decoupling of Israel and Ukraine aid.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden’s, Mitch McConnell, McCarthy, McConnell, Johnson, ” Beth Sanner, “, Biden, ” Sanner, Johnson’s, ’, Jared Moskowitz, ”, “ I’m, Marjorie Taylor Greene of, Rashida, Greene, George Santos, McConnell –, Donald Trump, –, Vladimir Putin, don’t, Rand Paul, he’s, ” Paul, CNN’s Manu Raju, Chuck Schumer, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Putin, ‘ I’m Organizations: CNN, New, Washington, Republican, Republicans, stoke, Internal Revenue, GOP, Louisiana Republican, Democratic, Senate, National Intelligence, Central ”, White, Israel, National Republican, Extreme, Democrats, Jewish Democrat, “, GOP Rep, Democratic Rep, Democrat, New York Rep, titans, Taiwan, New York Democrat, US, NATO Locations: Israel, Louisiana, Ukraine, China, Russia, Washington, Gaza, Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Palestinian American, Michigan, Kyiv, Kentucky, United States, Moscow, Iran, Tehran, Baltic

But those reports are now at odds with initial American intelligence, which subsequently concluded that the Israel Defense Forces were not responsible for the explosion. The dispute has laid bare long-standing and increasingly passionate disagreements among congressional Democrats over the party’s relationship with Israel – and, now, how to position the party as the deadly conflict in Israel and Gaza escalates. “That’s a vile position to take,” Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told CNN, suggesting that Tlaib should review intelligence made available to House members. “That’s what’s been really painful – just continue to watch people think it’s OK to bomb a hospital, where children,” Tlaib said. “It’s truly disturbing that Members of Congress rushed to blame Israel for the hospital tragedy in Gaza,” Fetterman wrote.

Persons: Rashida, Israel, Israel –, Joe Biden, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Ro Khanna, “, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz, Hakeem Jeffries ’, Ilhan Omar, Jeffries, Biden, Israel’s, “ That’s what’s, ” Tlaib, ‘, we’re, ”, we’ve, Tlaib, Pennsylvania Sen, John Fetterman, ” Fetterman, Omar, –, Steny Hoyer, ” Hoyer, Ocasio Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, it’s, Nancy Pelosi, Cori Bush, ” Bush Organizations: CNN, Democrats, Capitol, Michigan Rep, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, New York Rep, California Democrat, ”, Minnesota, Michigan Democrat, Democrat, intel, Pennsylvania, Democratic, Maryland Democrat, Progressives, House Democratic Caucus, Missouri Rep Locations: Gaza, Israel, Alexandria, California, Palestinian American, ” Florida, Florida, Tlaib, Michigan, United States, “, Maryland, Massachusetts

☆ Progressives dish on 'chilling effect' on Israel criticism after uproar over Pramila Jayapal's comments: 'We never do anything constructive on this issue'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Rep. Pramila Jayapal's comments on Israel caused an uproar this week in Congress. Even after Jayapal clarified her remarks about Israel, House Democratic leadership issued a statement rebuking her. Separately, 43 House Democrats said in a statement that they were "deeply concerned" about Jayapal's "unacceptable comments." "There's a few issues where any nuance is really discouraged," said another progressive House Democrat who insisted on anonymity to discuss the issue frankly. But Phillips held firm in his belief that it was important to firmly denounce criticism of Israel when it crosses a certain threshold.

Persons: Pramila, Israel, Jayapal, —, Mark Pocan, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, he’s, Leigh Vogel, Bowman, Isaac Herzog, I'm, Ilhan Omar, Minnesota, Rashida, Tlaib, Rashida Tlaib, Dean Phillips, Phillips, Dean Phillips of, Bill Clark, Israel — Organizations: Service, Democratic, Israel, House Democratic, Democrats, Republicans, West Bank, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Democrat, New, New York District, Rep, The Recording Academy, Reps, Dean Phillips of, Jewish Democrat, Michigan Democrats, Palestinian, Jewish, House Democrat, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Getty, Progressives, Israel Democrats Locations: Israel, Wall, Silicon, Washington, Chicago, Gaza, Wisconsin, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, New York, Westchester County, Congress, Palestine, Michigan, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Palestinian, Jewish Diaspora, Cortez, Africa

☆ Israel’s Right-Wing Government Has Jewish Democrats at a Loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last month, as demonstrations across Israel convulsed politics in the Jewish state, Jewish Democrats in the House who have made up the bulwark of Israel’s support on their side of the aisle met privately with the country’s ambassador. Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island, a self-described progressive, was particularly blunt. In meetings with liberal groups on and off Capitol Hill, where support for Israel has grown more tenuous by the month, he had always fallen back on what he called the shared democratic values of Israel and the United States, Mr. Cicilline told the ambassador, Michael Herzog. But the new far-right government in Jerusalem, with its efforts to undermine Israel’s independent judiciary and its inclusion of extremist politicians, was making even that plea “much, much more difficult,” Mr. Cicilline recounted in an interview. In the ensuing weeks, the strains between Israel and the Democratic Party, and particularly an American Jewish community that remains predominantly liberal, have only grown worse.

The decision propelled Israel into a national crisis with massive protests that forced Netanyahu to delay the move on Monday. "We haven't taken a hands-off approach," said a senior administration official. Dennis Ross, a veteran U.S. peace negotiator between Israelis and Arabs, said the Biden administration had expressed its misgivings about Israel’s judicial proposals but had done so privately where possible. Halie Soifer, chief executive officer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said the way the Biden administration has handled this crisis thus far is in keeping with Biden's commitment to the U.S.-Israel partnership. But, keeping a distance from Netanyahu, Biden has yet to invite him to visit the White House since the Israeli began his sixth term as prime minister in December.

☆ Two Israels face off as justice overhaul deepens the divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

For them, weakening the Supreme Court would undermine the bedrock of Israel's democracy and could set the country on the path to becoming a corrupt and religiously coercive state. In 2020, the Supreme Court struck down a law that had retroactively legalised homes built by settlers on land owned by Palestinians, like Amona. Settlers driven by ideology see themselves as pioneers redeeming land that was promised by God and many feel betrayed by Supreme Court rulings against settlements. The Supreme Court did not respond to a request for comment. "The Supreme Court has challenged parliament time and again, playing politics, not nicely."

☆ Blinken vows US support for Israel despite unease over govt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday the U.S. will not shrink from its unwavering support for Israel despite stark differences with Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu and concerns the Biden administration may have about potential members of his incoming right-wing government. Blinken said the Biden administration would engage with Netanyahu’s government based on its policies and not on personalities, including potential senior Cabinet ministers who have expressed vehement anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab views in the past. He said those would be detrimental to Israel’s long-term security or future as a Jewish democratic state. We will hold it to the mutual standards we have established in our relationship over the past seven decades,” Blinken said. He lauded the recent completion of a maritime border accord between Israel and Lebanon.

Search resuls for: "Jewish Democrat"

19 mentions found