Imperialism
Israel
Palestine
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[1] fair use.
I missed or overlooked an article in New York magazine about Joe Biden’s approach to Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, and Gaza when it first came out. In it, it becomes clear that Biden’s revised approach is to distinguish between Netanyahu and Israel, recognizing that Netanyahu is acting to save his own political skin and against Israel’s interests. The sanctions that have already been announced could in fact be applied more broadly, including to hardline members of Netanyahu’s coalition.[2] This, of course, has not yet happened, and sanctions are rarely, if ever, effective, so we can’t really count this as action. But:
This week, [Chris] Van Hollen and seven of his colleagues sent a letter to the president arguing that Israel was in violation of the Foreign Assistance Act, a section of which prohibits the sale and transfer of military weapons to any nation that restricts the delivery of US aid.
Their call comes as the administration faces mounting domestic and international pressure over what critics have described as an “absurd” and “inherent contradiction” at the heart of US policy on Israel’s war against Hamas: while the US attempts to ease the deepening humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian territory, it continues to arm the country.[3]
Biden and his administration are surely aware of this contradiction and that Israel is in violation of U.S. law. The contents of the letter cannot possibly have been a surprise.
But what we’re seeing is that Biden is seriously out of step with what the entire world is saying, seriously out of step with what many of his own people are saying. And this is a man expecting to be re-elected. This is a picture that doesn’t make sense and it is not only Binyamin Netanyahu who is due for a “come to Jesus” moment.
Steve Hendrix and Sufian Taha, “At Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, Ramadan brings uncertainty and fear,” Washington Post, March 9, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/09/ramadan-jerusalem-al-aqsa-gaza-war/
Noga Tarnopolsky, “The Biden Plan to Ditch Netanyahu,” New York, March 9, 2024, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-biden-plan-to-ditch-israels-netanyahu.html
Paul Ronzheimer and Carlo Martuscelli, “Netanyahu vows to defy Biden’s ‘red line’ and invade Rafah,” Politico, March 10, 2024, https://www.politico.eu/article/israels-netanyahu-says-he-will-defy-bidens-red-line-and-invade-rafah/
Roya News, “Exposé reveals list of essential aid items banned by ‘Israel’ from entry into Gaza,” March 10, 2024, https://en.royanews.tv/news/49795/2024-03-03
Eric Lutz, “Joe Biden’s Delicate Dance With Netanyahu Can’t Go on Forever,” Vanity Fair, March 11, 2024, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/joe-biden-benjamin-netanyahu-rift
Claire Parker, “Israeli pressure on Palestinian economy pushes West Bank to the brink,” Washington Post, March 11, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/11/israel-gaza-west-bank-economy/
Nataliya Vasilyeva and Tony Diver, “Israel could see Netanyahu ousted from power, US predicts,” Telegraph, March 11, 2024, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/11/israel-could-see-netanyahu-ousted-from-power-us-predicts/
Adam Taylor, “Biden has huge leverage on Israel. He hasn’t really used it yet,” Washington Post, March 12, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com//world/2024/03/12/israel-united-states-military-aid-leverage/
Times of Israel, “Biden mulling conditions on Israel military aid if Rafah assault goes ahead — report,” Times of Israel, March 12, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-mulling-conditions-on-israel-military-aid-if-rafah-assault-goes-ahead-report/
Times of Israel, “‘Very senior’ Israeli official accuses US government of seeking to oust Netanyahu,” March 12, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/very-senior-israeli-official-accuses-us-government-of-seeking-to-oust-netanyahu/
Andrew Lapin, “80+ bands pull out of South by Southwest to protest festival’s ties to Israeli military,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 13, 2024, https://www.jta.org/2024/03/13/israel/80-bands-pull-out-of-south-by-southwest-to-protest-festivals-ties-to-israeli-military
Stephen Collinson, Caitlin Hu, and Shelby Rose to Meanwhile in America list, “A momentous twist in US-Israel relations,” CNN, March 14, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/newsletters
Liz Goodwin, “Schumer calls for ‘new election’ in Israel in scathing speech on Netanyahu,” Washington Post, March 14, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/14/israel-elections-netanyahu-charles-schumer/
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, “Surprise, Surprise: AIPAC Flips Out Over Schumer’s Netanyahu Comment,” New Republic, March 14, 2024, https://newrepublic.com/post/179836/aipac-pissed-chuck-schumer-benjamin-netanyahu-comment
Shia Kapos and Adam Cancryn, “Arab, Muslim and Palestinian leaders refuse to meet with White House aides in Chicago,” Politico, March 14, 2024, https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/14/arab-muslim-and-palestinian-leaders-refuse-to-meet-with-white-house-aides-in-chicago-00147109
Barak Ravid, “Schumer’s anti-Netanyahu speech stuns Israel,” Axios, March 14, 2024, https://www.axios.com/2024/03/14/schumer-israel-netanyahu-speech-reaction
Luke Tress, “Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel, says Netanyahu has ‘lost his way,’” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 14, 2024, https://www.jta.org/2024/03/14/israel/schumer-calls-for-new-elections-in-israel-says-netanyahu-has-lost-his-way
Gershom Gorenberg, “Why Biden and Bibi Are Tangling, and Why Biden Could Win,” New Republic, March 15, 2024, https://newrepublic.com/article/179736/biden-netanyahu-feud-gaza
Times of Israel, “Biden hails ‘good speech’ by Schumer criticizing Netanyahu, says many Americans agree,” March 15, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-hails-good-speech-by-schumer-criticizing-netanyahu-says-many-americans-agree/
Luke Tress, “Chuck Schumer called for elections in Israel. What did he hope to achieve?” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 15, 2024, https://www.jta.org/2024/03/15/israel/chuck-schumer-called-for-elections-in-israel-what-did-he-hope-to-achieve
Lauren Gambino, “Top senator calls on Biden to ‘use all levers’ to pressure Israel over Gaza,” Guardian, March 16, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/16/biden-senator-chris-van-hollen-israel-gaza-aid
Nicholas Vinocur, “Belgian PM warns Israel against using hunger as ‘weapon of war’ in Gaza,” Politico, March 16, 2024, https://www.politico.eu/article/belgian-prime-minister-alexander-de-croo-warns-israel-against-hunger-weapon-war-gaza/
So-called ‘ridesharing’
Drivers
Fig. 1. Yeah, this is me. The sign says, “If you’re whining about a labor shortage, STOP ignoring my job applications!” And the QR-code leads here. Photograph by author, January 16, 2023.
Jordan Valinsky, “Lyft and Uber to cease operations in Minneapolis after new minimum wage law,” CNN, March 15, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/business/uber-lyft-minneapolis-minimum-wage/index.html
Illiberalism
Gilead
Donald Trump
Coup attempt
Fig. 1. Cartoon by Ben Jennings, January 24, 2024, via the Guardian,[4] fair use.
Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein, and Betsy Woodruff Swan, “Judge tosses six charges in Trump Georgia indictment,” Politico, March 13, 2024, https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/13/judge-tosses-six-charges-in-trump-georgia-indictment-00146713
Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett, “Judge Cannon rejects Trump’s attack on the Espionage Act,” Washington Post, March 14, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/14/trump-cannon-hearing-espionage-act-pra/
Holly Bailey and Amy Gardner, “Fani Willis can stay on Trump Georgia case, but only if Wade steps aside, judge says,” Washington Post, March 15, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/15/fani-willis-trump-georgia-case/
Thomas Doherty, “Trump wouldn’t be the first presidential candidate to campaign from a prison cell,” Conversation, March 15, 2024, https://theconversation.com/trump-wouldnt-be-the-first-presidential-candidate-to-campaign-from-a-prison-cell-225492
Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., “Why Fani Willis was allowed to stay on as prosecutor of criminal case against Trump in Georgia – and what happens next,” Conversation, March 15, 2024, https://theconversation.com/why-fani-willis-was-allowed-to-stay-on-as-prosecutor-of-criminal-case-against-trump-in-georgia-and-what-happens-next-225532
Jan Wolfe, Cameron McWhirter, and Mariah Timms, “Willis Deputy Resigns, Allowing Her to Stay on Trump Case After Judge’s Ruling,” Wall Street Journal, March 15, 2024, https://www.wsj.com/us-news/judge-says-fani-willis-can-stay-on-georgia-trump-caseif-deputy-steps-aside-04790a42
- [1]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
- [2]Noga Tarnopolsky, “The Biden Plan to Ditch Netanyahu,” New York, March 9, 2024, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-biden-plan-to-ditch-israels-netanyahu.html↩
- [3]Lauren Gambino, “Top senator calls on Biden to ‘use all levers’ to pressure Israel over Gaza,” Guardian, March 16, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/16/biden-senator-chris-van-hollen-israel-gaza-aid↩
- [4]Ben Jennings, “Ben Jennings on Donald Trump’s progress along the Republican nomination trail – cartoon,” Guardian, January 24, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/jan/24/ben-jennings-on-donald-trumps-progress-along-the-republican-nomination-trail-cartoon↩