“If formal recognition becomes a substitute for defending the primacy of international law and addressing core realities of Palestinian suffering, it would be at best a hollow gesture—and at worst an epic misallocation of scarce international political capital.” sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

"How to recognize Palestine the wrong way" abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/how-to-recog...

Will this impact Israel's expected attempt to intercept the Gaza Flotilla in the same area?: Turkey and Egypt will hold joint naval drills in eastern Mediterranean for the first time in 13 years, as ties between the two regional powers continue to warm. apnews.com/article/turk...

He probably means he would be prepared to have a talk with Putin.

"The real problem [for TV commentator] is not "babies dying of starvation and the like," but pictures of them dying. The images are dangerous, not the deaths. It's the visibility that threatens to stop the war – not the act of starving children." www.haaretz.com/life/televis...

Pressure on Germany mounts: Britain, Australia and Canada Recognize a Palestinian State www.nytimes.com/2025/09/21/w...

“If formal recognition becomes a substitute for defending the primacy of international law and addressing core realities of Palestinian suffering, it would be at best a hollow gesture—and at worst an epic misallocation of scarce international political capital.” sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

Increasingly blatant: "Even for a president who has shattered the traditional norms of maintaining distance from the Justice Department, Mr. Trump’s unabashedly public and explicit orders to Ms. Bondi were an extraordinary breach of prosecutorial protocols" www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/u...

Anti-Palestinianism as official US policy: For first time, "an across-the-board policy for an entire identity group"

'DHS directed that asylum applications by anyone of Palestinian identity regardless of national origin be diverted for additional review to the quality-assurance office — a step lawyers said they had not encountered before as an across-the-board policy for an entire identity group' wapo.st/4gwv2LL

Why Young Republicans and Evangelicals Are Much Less Sympathetic with Israel than Older Ones. Issues like Gaza, economic grievance, and fear of endless wars matter. But so do sources of news. Few younger Republicans watch Fox - and that matters a lot: sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

Committee to Protect Journalists: Israel’s killing of 31 Yemeni journalists marks deadliest global attack in 16 years cpj.org?p=522184 via @CPJMENA

The word "moderates" in this pathetic WP editorial is doing so much heavy lifting that's demeaning to the term - and to New York voters. wapo.st/4mlMPqf

Antisemitism aside, college isn't even a factor in Americans public attitudes toward Israel and its actions in Gaza. 2/2 sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

“It is unfair [building illegal settlements in WB] because the [occupied] West Bank has nothing to do with Hamas…This becomes a political project and his [Netanyahu's] aim is not to dismantle Hamas but to deny Palestinians the right to live in peace.” - Macron in an interview with Israeli Ch. 12.

Committee to Protect Journalists: Israel’s killing of 31 Yemeni journalists marks deadliest global attack in 16 years cpj.org?p=522184 via @CPJMENA

Over 50 Gazans reportedly killed by Israel, including family of Al-Shifa Hospital director www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Why Young Republicans and Evangelicals Are Much Less Sympathetic with Israel than Older Ones. Issues like Gaza, economic grievance, and fear of endless wars matter. But so do sources of news. Few younger Republicans watch Fox - and that matters a lot: sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

I have held out in cancelling my WP subscription. (There are still a few voices worth supporting). But this may do it for me. wapo.st/4mlMPqf

More like "the crucial one" - the enabler. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/w...

As UNGA meets in shadow of the greatest challenge to global order since its inception, 79% of Americans back defending human as goal of US policy, including 70% of Republicans - and they increasingly want US to rely on IOs such as the UN for advancing that goal. sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

This 👇

Only seven Senate Democrats are signed onto a resolution put forward by Jeff Merkley for the United States recognize the State of Palestine. They are: Sen. Jeff Merkley Chris Van Hollen Tim Kaine Bernie Sanders Peter Welch Tina Smith Tammy Baldwin Mazie Huron

"Unprecedented Force": Keep in mind that Israel has used the explosive equivalent of several Hiroshima-size nuclear bombs in Gaza already.

Garden Moment

The Saudis are probably asking themselves the same question.

The active enabler

"The Israeli strike on Doha has left Qatar facing the question of why it has been paying so much money for American air defense, which costs billions and failed to get the job done at the moment of truth" www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025...

As UNGA meets in shadow of the greatest challenge to global order since its inception, 79% of Americans back defending human as goal of US policy, including 70% of Republicans - and they increasingly want US to rely on IOs such as the UN for advancing that goal. sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests. That's 94%! Internal data from the IDF indicated a civilian death toll of 83% between the outbreak of war in October 2023 and May of this year. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

As Abbas is set to speak at UNGA by video and France is poised to recognize the state of Palestine next week, I am reposting my article with Mark Lynch in @foreignaffairs.com on the "Promise and Peril of Recognizing Palestine: sadat.umd.edu/sites/sadat....

The United Nations General Assembly votes to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address its annual meeting of world leaders by video after the US revoked his visa last month. The motion passed by a vote of 145-5, with six abstentions. www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

Civilians made up 15 of every 16 people killed by Israel in Gaza since March, data suggests. That's 94%! Internal data from the IDF indicated a civilian death toll of 83% between the outbreak of war in October 2023 and May of this year. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

'Escalation with Iran serves 2 European objectives: It punishes Tehran for aligning with Moscow...; and it aligns Europe with hawkish elements of the Trump administration, at a time when transatlantic relations are under historic strain' @tparsi.bsky.social responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-snapbac...

What is at stake at the high level meetings at the UN next week? My thoughts along with @normeisen.bsky.social @stelhami.bsky.social and others. www.brookings.edu/articles/wha...

"Unprecedented Force": Keep in mind that Israel has used the explosive equivalent of several Hiroshima-size nuclear bombs in Gaza already.

Israel's Defense Minister Katz: "Israel's blue and white flag will fly in the Yemeni capital" I

Reported Israeli-US plans to divide the spoils of ethnic cleansing: "There’s a business plan... and is on President Trump’s table and how this thing turns into a real estate bonanza. I’m not kidding; it pays off,” says Israel's finance minister. www.nbcnews.com/world/gaza/i...

World is in one place, US is in another: 14 of 15 members of UNSC voted for immediate Gaza ceasefire, describing humanitarian situation as “catastrophic” and calling on Israel to lift all restrictions on delivery of aid. Heartless veto stood in the way. apnews.com/article/gaza...

The University of Maryland Student Government Association passes an emergency resolution urging the university to acknowledge Israel’s military offensive in Gaza as a genocide and call for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire, in alignment with its stated humanitarian and equitable values”

The main thing new in Netanyahu's statement, compared to what he said before, is now he says that 'Charlie disagreed with my policies and decisions here and there,' but plays those disagreements down. He may be anticipating that someone could release Kirk's letter to him which may include criticism.

Republic of Fear

The most disturbing part of Trump said about Afghanistan was not that the US was ‘trying’ to get Bagram airbase 'back', but why he said he wants to do it: 'It's about an hour away from where China is developing its nuclear weapons.' Imagine the message! politi.co/3IrJWX4

"It’s not just the physical expansion of settlements threatening the territory. With support from the Israeli government, settlers across the West Bank have stepped up the use of intimidation and violence to drive Palestinians from their homes."

Gaza is not the only conflict on Israel's borders where Trump is giving Bibi a green light to pursue an extreme-right agenda. My latest for @nytimes on Israel's takeover of the West Bank. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/o...

We need to call it what it is: a president using government coercion to silence voices he doesn't agree with is authoritarianism, plain and simple. It's the Orbán playbook, the Putin playbook, and now the Trump playbook. And it should alarm every American.

The main thing new in Netanyahu's statement, compared to what he said before, is now he says that 'Charlie disagreed with my policies and decisions here and there,' but plays those disagreements down. He may be anticipating that someone could release Kirk's letter to him which may include criticism.

The University of Maryland Student Government Association passes an emergency resolution urging the university to acknowledge Israel’s military offensive in Gaza as a genocide and call for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire, in alignment with its stated humanitarian and equitable values”

UN commission just found Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. For those quick to dismiss the UN, note that Americans view the UN more favorably than POTUS or Congress: The latest Pew poll shows 57% of Americans have favorable views of the UN, an increase from 52% last year.

The US fired $500 million in THAAD missile interceptors alone on behalf of Israel, new documents show. www.businessinsider.com/us-fired-500...