ReThinking Foreign Policy

Donald Trump has a choice. Accept the MOU on offer which will ease the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and will be viciously attacked by Israel and its supporters in Washington. Or he can go back to bombing and plunge the global economy into further chaos. Read more at Mondoweiss

With thanks to the people at A New Policy for the heads up on this. A section of this year’s NDAA would include legislation that would hopelessly entangle the US even further in Israeli concerns. It would legislate prioritization of Israel’s defense over all other relationships and bring the American and Israeli security apparatus together in an unprecedented way. The goal is to subvert the…

In the premier episode of the new podcast, The Globalists, brought to you by The Battleground and Cutting Through, hosts Josh White and Mitchell Plitnick discuss the latest in the US-Israeli war of choice on Iran and Europe’s shameful inaction. Watch on YouTube

Over Memorial Day Weekend, Trump flip-flopped between a MOU that could lead to the end of the war and appeasing Israel and GOP Iran hawks. He’s going to have to make up his mind soon. Read more at Cutting Through    

Political and economic realities are pushing Donald Trump to pursue a deal with Iran, but he will need to resist mounting pressure, including from Israel, to return to all-out war. Read more at Mondoweiss

The MOU reportedly being discussed between the two parties could lead to a permanent ceasefire, start a process to fully end the conflict, and impair Israel’s influence on US policy. Read more at Cutting Through    

The video of Itamar Ben Gvir abusing and humiliating activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla generated outrage. But where are all these governments when it is Palestinians who endure so much more for so much longer? And why do I argue that we need to avoid making Ben Gvir the face of Israel? This video explains.   Watch on YouTube Listen on Spotify

Ultra-orthodox parties are about to bring down #Israel‘s government. What does the electoral landscape, will Netanyahu survive, and if not, will it have a significant impact on Israeli policies?  Read my analysis for The Battleground.  

The NY Times reports that Israel and the US intended that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad take over after they took out the senior Iranian leadership. Like so much about this war of choice, that plan could not have possibly succeeded. But that was so obvious that, while it’s believable that Trump might have thought it possible, there is no way Israel did.   Watch on YouTube

It’s important to look at the NYT piece on Israel’s brutal treatment of prisoners and an Israeli report on October 7 with equal measures of scrutiny. That doesn’t mean they are of equal quality. Read more at Cutting Through  

Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies in Congress have begun calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, but this won’t end the “special relationship” between the two countries. In fact, recent signs suggest it may only deepen U.S. military ties to Israel. Read more at Mondoweiss  

At the JDCA annual summit the old, lockstep support for all things Israel met a more nuanced updated version that said “Israel YES, Netanyahu NO.” But both fail the tests of logic and politics. Read more at Cutting Through

Nicholas Kristof caused quite a stir with his piece this week on the widespread use of sexual violence in Israeli prisons against Palestinian prisoners. Israel tried to respond with a report of its own on sexual assault on October 7. But the two are vastly different in terms of credibility.   Watch on YouTube Listen on Spotify