Public Pressure, Congress, and Shifting Opinion

Authoritarianism is on the rise globally, from hard-line leaders in Europe to despots in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Wherever they emerge, these leaders are doing whatever it takes to stay in power, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no different. In this episode of Assembly Required, Stacey looks at how Netanyahu has overseen the erosion of Democracy in his country, and how it’s coincided with the devastating campaign of violence carried out against the Palestinian people after Israel was attacked on October 7th — a war that experts and allies across the globe, and across the political spectrum have labeled as genocide. This week, Stacey is joined by foreign policy analyst and author Rula Jebreal to discuss the current state of the conflict. Senator Chris Van Hollen also joins to share how he is trying to bring accountability into America’s relationship with Israel.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Learn & Do More:

• Be Curious: Learn more about the history of Israel and Palestine. Pick up a copy of Rashid Khalidi’s 100 Years’ War on Palestine to gain a deeper understanding of the region and how we arrived at the current tragedy.
• Solve Problems: Authoritarianism and the abuses that sustain it are wrong, no matter who is responsible. Call your members of Congress and ask them to enforce the Lahey Law.
• Do Good: More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, facing widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths. Over one million more are experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity. Organizations like the World Food Programme are scaling up operations and aim to feed up to 1.6 million people over the next three months. If you can, please donate. Doctors Without Borders, the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, and World Central Kitchen are also excellent places to contribute.

Notes:

• The New Yorker: Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of Chaos
• The New York Times: U.S. Considers Sending Israel 24,000 Assault Rifles Held Back Under Biden
•  Memo in a Bunker, Intercepted Communications and Hamas’s Oct. 7 Plans
• Crisisgroup.org: Mapping Israeli Settlement Expansion in the Occupied West Bank
• The Times of Israel: For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces
• Middle East Eye: Israel opposition leader says Netanyahu arming 'equivalent of Isis' gangs in Gaza
• Al Jazeera: Israel releases five Palestinian prisoners as killings continue in Gaza
• Haaretz: Hundreds of Prominent Jews and Israelis Urge World Powers to Hold Israel Accountable 'For Gaza Atrocities'
• The Guardian: BBC reckons with bias accusations over Israel and Palestine coverage

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