The Senate's Historic Vote on an Israeli Arms Embargo & ICC Arrest Warrants Issued

We witnessed history unfold in the form of votes and arrest warrants this week.

Nov 23, 2024

It has been a historic week with both highs and lows. Here are the highlights of what happened with more detailed analysis of each item below:

In a first-time ever vote, 19 U.S. Senators voted to block weapons sales to Israel in the U.S. Senate in an effort led by Senator Bernie Sanders.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 9495, the “non-profit killer” bill.

History Made: 19 Senators Vote to Stop Arms Transfers to Israel

In an effort led by Senator Bernie Sanders, 19 U.S. Senators, all Democrats, voted to block weapons sales to Israel in the Senate. There are currently 51 Democrats serving in the U.S. Senate, and the 19/51 (effectively 37% of Senate Democrats) split represented a significant segment of the Party that was willing to break unconditional support for Israel. This is significant and a very big deal.

Please send a thank you to the Senators who voted YES who are likely facing a river of shit from the Israel Lobby. Trust me, these thank you emails are a necessary part of political engagement. These Senators need to know that we have their backs.

Not only was the vote historic - this was the first effort to take a vote on blocking arms transfers to Israel in the U.S. Senate EVER, but also the number of Democrats that broke with their Party was a significant signal that change is already underway within the Democratic Party on the issue of Israel and Palestine. It’s critical to note that while only 19% of the Senate voted to block arms transfers, more than 60% of Americans want to halt the flow of weapons shipments into Israel – the political establishment is still very out of touch with the American electorate on this issue.

Since Sanders announced the effort, coalitions of grassroots organizations had been laser focused on pressuring Senators to support the legislation. Multiple organizations, including T’ruah, Jewish Voice for Peace, CAIR, J Street, labor unions including SEIU, and many other organizations joined the effort to secure YES votes for the legislation. Of course, the Israel lobby, inclusive of AIPAC, was against this legislation.

Speaking of out of touch, the Biden Harris White House attempted to undermine the Democratic Senators voting to halt arms transfers to Israel by issuing and circulating talking points that these elected officials were helping Hamas by voting to stop the flow of weapons into a country who genocide scholars and world renowned humanitarian organizations have found likely is carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. As a reminder, Israel is currently under investigation for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a court case led by South Africa and 14 other countries intend to join the case.

History Made: The ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Israeli Officials for the First Time Ever

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on November 21 after finding “reasonable grounds” for war crimes: murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts in Gaza.

There are more than 100 countries that are member countries of the ICC who are now legally obligated to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they step foot in those countries. Leaders of multiple countries, including Canada and Italy, have already confirmed that they will arrest the leaders if they step foot in their respective countries.

In the United States, the Mayor of Dearborn Michigan stated that he would have Netanyahu arrested if he visited the city; progressive Democrats issued their statements applauding the warrants; and the AIPAC crowd of mainly GOP Israel sycophants but inclusive of some Democrats issued statements undermining the ICC which was in alignment with what the Biden Harris White House did, issuing a statement that it “fundamentally rejects” the ICC’s warrants and threatening sanctions against the court.

I hope to see both Netanyahu and Gallant facing justice for their war crimes in The Hague soon.

Very Bad: The Non-Profit Killer Bill Passes the U.S. House

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 9495, the “non-profit killer” bill that I wrote about last week. The bill will head to the Senate next and there will be a full court effort to kill it there - more details to come; we will definitely need you to send in emails to your Senators.

Looking ahead to once Trump is sworn in as President and both the House and Senate are under GOP control, the reality is that it will likely only be a matter of time before this legislation is passed and signed into law which will have chilling implications for civil society and non-profits in the U.S. This is specifically being spearheaded to attack and undermine organizations advocating for Palestinian human rights.

Noteworthy:

“Working Tirelessly” to Block a Ceasefire. In a 14-1 vote, the United States (Biden Harris administration) vetoed a ceasefire resolution at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council; the 4th time it has done so since Israel’s siege of Gaza began.
California College Campuses & Rising Islamophobia. A recent CAIR survey found that nearly half (49%) of all Muslim students at 87 colleges in California have experienced bullying, harassment and/or discrimination. While California state legislators performatively championed laws advertised as targeting campus antisemitism which are actually vehicles to suppress freedom of speech and students’ first amendment rights, they have done nothing to address rising Islamophobia and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents and harassment on these same campuses.
- In November 2023, the University of California system pledged $7 million to address rising Islamophobia and antisemitism on campuses. Given the findings in the CAIR survey, it seems like that investment was either poorly implemented or not sufficient.
Investigation: UCSF Employees Experience Retaliation Over Palestine. The Intercept published a damning investigation on UCSF, San Francisco’s largest hospital system, that examined the censorship and suppression UCSF staff have been facing since October 2023. Multiple cases were highlighted which documented a clear pattern of harassment, bullying, and retaliation against people advocating for Palestinian human rights and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Election 2024: It’s the Wars, Stupid. While many people like to claim that foreign policy and the U.S.’s roles in wars abroad do not influence the way people vote in elections (I do not ascribe to this asinine logic myself), Ryan Grim argues that conventional wisdom is wrong and it is in fact the wars and the tension they create in the government’s ability to fund military efforts but not improve the quality of life for Americans domestically.
The Saudis Double Down. Normalization with Israel will not happen without an end to Israel's war on Gaza, accountability for genocide, and a Palestinian state. As Israel and the United States grow increasingly isolated in the world, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Arab countries will have greater influence on this issue in the future than U.S. officials will ever admit to us, the American people.

In Case You Missed It

Last week’s newsletter is up on YouTube for you to watch or listen to:

Up Next

Next week is a holiday week and I’ll plan to take a break from writing. The newsletter will resume the week of December 2nd.

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