New favourite headline and subheading of the year.

You don't hear people saying "the most moral army in the world" so much these days

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2d ago

Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters say

Not only is this a recipe for permanent war (or at least hostilities,) it also ignores the impact this will have on the “enemy’s” intent. I’d like to hope the next Israeli government will be wise enough to take a different approach, but I’m not holding my breath.

Sam Heller | سام هيلر@abujamajem.com · 4d ago

Yedioth Ahronoth on Israeli military's posture in occupied southwest Syria: www.ynetnews.com/article/r111... The below 🖼️ seems to capture Israel's hypervigilant threat perception, post-October 7: all about capability, totally agnostic to intent.

Yes, this is a quite serious problem. Israeli threat perception is real and will have to be taken into account by the US. But that doesn’t mean it has to be accepted as valid.

#StupidSuez@diplomatofnight.com · last wk.

An underrated but nonetheless important reason for the growing necessity of a divergence between the US and Israel is the sheer irrationality of Israel's perception of what does or does not constitute a threat. Turkey, a de facto ally with Israel that just mouths off, is not "undermining Israel'.

El-Sayed: "We've been talking about an illegal apartheid regime for a very very long time, and that supersedes Netanyahu itself. So I just think we need to treat Israel the way we would treat any other country that behaved the way Israel is behaving."

⚠️ Democrats in array: Schumer, Gillibrand, and Whitmer coalesce behind El-Sayed

This is exactly what I believe. Everyone who truly believes in a just resolution needs to come together to pressure Israel to end the occupation. What comes next is up to the people who live there.

Ron Skolnik@ronskolnik.bsky.social · last wk.

El-Sayed: "I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination, for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike... If that’s 2 states, I’m for it. If it’s 1 state, I’m for that. If it’s this 'land for all' model, ... or whatever they decide." www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...

El-Sayed: "I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination, for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike... If that’s 2 states, I’m for it. If it’s 1 state, I’m for that. If it’s this 'land for all' model, ... or whatever they decide." www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...

Abdul El-Sayed’s Argument for America—and Against His Own Party

The Michigan U.S. Senate candidate on campaigning with Hasan Piker, being a capitalist, and why his fellow-Democrats need to “stop compromising.”

newyorker.com

Unfathomable

It can only good happen

Aron Lund@aronlund.bsky.social · last wk.

Iran has now gobbled up nearly all U.S. ATACMS and PrSM ballistic missiles, plus half of Tomahawk cruise missiles and a very considerable share of the THAAD and Patriot interceptors, sources tell @reuters.com’s Erin Banco, Jonathan Landay, and Michael Stone. www.reuters.com/world/us-has...

Events of the past week almost had me thinking I could be wrong and something might come of the Board of Peace. But I’ve got to think “Hamas fully disarms, then Israel begins withdrawing” is a nonstarter. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the IDF still manning the yellow line when Trump leaves office.

Ryan@thepeis.bsky.social · 4w ago

Gee, who could have predicted that? Oh yeah, me. (And really anyone else who knows anything about the Middle East.)

Key point here. Israeli security concerns, however valid, cannot justify western support for indefinite military occupation of the WB and Gaza. Also not sure at this point what possible argument there is that Israeli concerns outweigh those of Palestinians, other than might makes right.

Drop Site@dropsitenews.com · 2w ago

Hoover: Since October 7th, the overwhelming majority of Israelis are all deeply concerned. In a one-state solution, what concrete institutions would protect Jews if they no longer control the government or the military and find themselves in a minority? Kiros: “The concern is valid, but the...

Dumbest meme OAT is the assertion that every Western state is actually an ethnostate tbh. No sorry but this word does actually have a meaning even if annoying people online overuse it. Most states in the EU are definitively, affirmatively, clearly legally defined as states of all their citizens.

#StupidSuez@diplomatofnight.com · 2w ago

100% of the people who say France is a French ethnostate are illiterate

YES. 30 years after Oslo its high time for liberal Zionists to put their money where their mouth is-and if they’re not willing to do so, admit that they’re really just Zionists who have a theoretical preference for liberalism, as long as it’s subject to the whims of the Israeli Jewish voter.

Joel S.@joelhs.bsky.social · 2w ago

Which means at this point, if you're truly a liberal Zionist (as opposed to someone who says they are but prioritizes defending the state), as, say, Brad Lander is, you are in opposition to the state as much as any non-Zionist at this moment in time, and should choose your coalition accordingly.

Which means at this point, if you're truly a liberal Zionist (as opposed to someone who says they are but prioritizes defending the state), as, say, Brad Lander is, you are in opposition to the state as much as any non-Zionist at this moment in time, and should choose your coalition accordingly.

Get ready to hear her say a slur in the weirdest voice you’ve ever heard.

Eric Michael Garcia@ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 2w ago

A new Emerson College Polling/WLNS/WOODTV survey of the Michigan Democratic Primary for US Senate finds Abdul El-Sayed leading Rep. Haley Stevens, 54% to 39%. emersoncollegepolling.com/michigan-202...

When I see stories like this my initial response is always why the hell do I read the news. (I never actually stop, though I probably should.)

Eli Valley@elivalley.bsky.social · 2w ago

Dystopia www.news.com.au/technology/o...

Very important point. The next gov will likely be forced into some unpopular budgetary decisions which could quickly lead to unpopularity and there is always the risk that one of the right wing parties could defect back to Netanyahu’s side. Even if the opposition’s plans to pass term limits and…

Yair Wallach@yairwallach.bsky.social · 2w ago

Yes, Netanyahu may well lose the coming election. But without accountability and global pressure, his departure from government would only prove a lull before Kahanists return to power, and escalate the race towards the destruction of Palestinian society and the self destruction of Israeli society.

Half the planet is having a massive fight about how to correctly interpret an Ancient Greek poem but go ahead, close some more humanities departments.

Given new polling showing plurality of Americans and supermajority of democrats believe Israel is committing genocide, I’m much more confident that tinkering around the edges won’t be enough to restore US-Israel ties. Especially if the democrats do well in the next two cycles.

Ryan@thepeis.bsky.social · 3w ago

Not sure this would be enough - there’s nothing that’s inconsistent with a more “enlightened” but still indefinite occupation. And even these limited steps are characterized as on the limits of political possibility - shows how difficult it will be for IL to regain standing in the US.

Americans believe Israel is committing genocide in Palestine by a +19 margin Total: 43-24 Black: 51-9 Hispanic 42-16 Harris voters: 72-7 Independents: 45-16 22% of Trump voters as well Only some two dozen Democrats & two ex/outgoing Republicans (MTG & Massie) call it genocide

Note to everyone criticizing Mamdani for this. Even if he was doing this purely for political reasons (which isn’t my view, tbc) seems like it was a pretty smart move.

Prem Thakker ツ@premthakker.bsky.social · 2w ago

New poll: Americans believe the U.S. should arrest Benjamin Netanyahu by a +22 margin Total: 49-27 Black: 53-13 Hispanic: 52-15 Ages 18-29: 58-17 Harris voters: 74-10 Independents: 55-20 23% of Trump voters agree as well Economist/YouGov:

I found this piece a little silly because it doesn’t really engage with the question of what would change (and what wouldn’t) if Eizenkot became PM and what that means for I/P. If you just want to hear about Eizenkot on the campaign trail then it’s a decent read.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 3w ago

As David Remnick followed the candidate for Israeli Prime Minister Gadi Eisenkot’s campaign, it became clear that his appeal had little to do with ideology or policy. If Eisenkot wins, Remnick writes, it will be because he is the anti-Bibi. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/A0fQ4x

Yes, many liberal Zionists/defenders of Israel have a lot of trouble understanding this. Israel isn’t unpopular because of Netanyahu’s corruption or what he’s trying to do the Supreme Court (which are the main focuses of the Israeli opposition). It’s because of Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon.

#StupidSuez@diplomatofnight.com · 3w ago

Exactly. What is result of an Eisenkot or a Bennett or a Lapid or a Golan or a Gantz government? All of them will continue the longest military occupation in all of postwar (1945-onward) history, all will accelerate settlement and colonization, all will strangle Gaza, occupy Syria and Lebanon, etc.

Exactly. What is result of an Eisenkot or a Bennett or a Lapid or a Golan or a Gantz government? All of them will continue the longest military occupation in all of postwar (1945-onward) history, all will accelerate settlement and colonization, all will strangle Gaza, occupy Syria and Lebanon, etc.

Short answer: yes. Our tech team are working on it and we hope to be back to normal soon. Emily Wilson is on the LRB Podcast in the meantime: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...

Nolan v. Homer

Podcast Episode · The LRB Podcast · July 26 · 52m

podcasts.apple.com

This should be a wake up call for liberal Israelis, but will most likely go unnoticed (or be dismissed as just a matter of a few bleeding hearts.)

Yair Wallach@yairwallach.bsky.social · 3w ago

Three kids were being forced to leave Australia and return to Israel, where they would have faced either conscription or prison. The tribunal granted them asylum on that basis. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Prime example of the trend of abandoning “western values” I mentioned below. To be clear, neither Orit Strock nor her party are particularly popular among Israelis at large. But they are more brazen than they’ve ever been, and have been enormously influential the last 4 years.

Ryan@thepeis.bsky.social · 3w ago

One more point - the past few years have shown that Israel is in fact (with some exceptions) out of touch with American values, or at least the values of liberal Americans. In fact it’s not uncommon to hear it argued explicitly that “we live in the ME and need to abandon the western mindset.”

Omer Bartov is almost certainly correct that Israel won’t pay a price for what it did in Gaza. But it’s quite unlikely that Kushner’s real estate fantasies will ever come to fruition. Worst part is that the depressing picture Bartov paints here would still be far better than the current situation.

Trump has burned through around a third of US stockpiles of key precision munitions in his failed war in Iran, ABC reports.