For the full report see: https://h2d5b.emailsp.com/f/rnl.aspx/?mef=sq2qxyyd0gi=w3&x=pv&g&=o1rzsy:&x=pv&4--=Id2b5-8fj&x=pp&ux&x=pv&&x=pv&4--74cbya5g=zo2ruNCLM
Politics
Statements by Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris endorsing the withholding of 2000 pound bombs from Israel continues to raise the specter of a US-arms embargo should she be elected, as do selected leaks regarding targeting of Israeli politicians and companies, and the withdrawal of US political support.
Harris’ digital ads targeting Muslim voters in Michigan also claim that she “will not be silent about human suffering in Gaza.” Despite this outreach the national “Uncommitted” group has recommended that its members vote neither for Harris nor former President Trump.
Unconfirmed reports that Harris has told Muslim organizations that she would consider appointing Muslim Brotherhood connected Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as US Attorney General is another indication that her policy team would be deeply opposed to Jewish and Israeli interests. The connection between this and the endorsement of Harris by the American Islamist group Emgage Action is unknown. The equally unexpected endorsement of former President Trump by Amer Ghalib, mayor of Hamtramck (MI), reflects the degree to which the American Muslim vote has become a key factor in this electoral cycle.
Congressional responses to antisemitism also continue to be mixed. Rather than focus exclusively on domestic antisemitism Senate Democrats broadened the scope of hearings to include “rise in hate incidents across the country, particularly targeting the Jewish, Arab, and Muslim communities.” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) criticized this saying “The message that's being sent today at this hearing today is anti-Semitism isn't enough, the attempts to kill Jews on campuses, that's not a conversation worthy of discussion… If you want to kill Jews, oh, well, we can't talk about that unless we also talk about 15 other things.”
Witness included Kenneth Stern, who opposes the Antisemitism Awareness Act, and Maya Berry, director of the Arab American Institute. Berry defended the term ‘intifada’ and deemed praise for ‘martyrs’ as ‘ambiguous’ and ‘not hate speech.’ The hearing was disrupted at one point by Muslim protestors yelling “Jews” at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), along with shouted denials regarding the 7 October Hamas massacres and “Fucking Jews and the Israelis, talk about the 40,000. Talk about all these people. Why is it about antisemitism?”
The Democratic controlled Congress continues to move slowly on antisemitism issues. The controversial ‘Antisemitism Awareness Act’ also advanced in the US Senate after being stalled. Democrats have been slow to act on the bill and favored another where mention of the IHRA definition of antisemitism is countermanded by reference to the Nexus Document which omits Israel. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has reportedly promised to bring the bill for a vote by the end of the year, possibly as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, since as a standalone bill it faces an uphill challenge within the Democratic Party. I
In addition Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Preventing Antisemitic Harassment on Campuses Act, which would extend Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to cover religious discrimination and harassment or discrimination “on the basis of actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or actual or perceived Jewish religion.”
The chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), has also demanded information from the Internal Revenue Service regarding the tax exempt status of Islamist and other anti-Israel organizations and their funders, alleging they have ties to foreign terrorist organizations. The organizations include Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation, American Muslims for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine, Alliance for Justice, Islamic Relief USA, Jewish Voice for Peace, The People’s Forum, the Tides Foundation, Adalah Justice Project, the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, United Hands Relief Inc., WESPAC, Within Our Lifetime, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, and the Palestinian Youth Movement.
The slow pace of governmental intervention on campus antisemitism was also highlighted in Congressional testimony from Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary of education for civil rights, who noted that defunding institutions for antisemitism is at least a year long litigation process.
In contrast, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has asked the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to investigate the rise of campus antisemitism. Also notable was a call by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) for universities to follow the lead of New York University and recognize that ‘Zionist’ has become a euphemism for ‘Jew’ which should be incorporated in hate speech policies.
Islamist lawfare against any oversight or restrictions on anti-Israel activities also expanded as part of a greatly enhanced legal strategy that encompasses the K-12 and university levels. CAIR filed a lawsuit against the US Government alleging Federal agencies had created a secret watchlist of ‘pro-Palestine’ individuals. The organization also voiced opposition to a Los Angeles City Council proposal demanding protestors maintain an eight foot distance from synagogues.
Complementing this legal strategy, CAIR and a variety of other anti-Israel organizations including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Palestinian Youth Movement, Palestine Legal, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, and others, are part of a new initiative called the “Right to Reject Zionism,” which targets the IHRA definition and pro-Israel groups such as the ADL. A series of lectures accusing ‘Zionist’ institutions of various perfidious acts and alliances are being presented.
Internationally, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by the newly seated ‘State of Palestine’ demanding that Israel withdraw to the 1967 boundary and cease all military operations in the West Bank and Gaza. The resolution also calls on member states not to sell military equipment to Israel. It does not mention Hamas, October 7, or Israeli hostages.