‘Shameful,’ says Sanders of Israeli prime minister’s arrival in Washington
(JNS) — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an outspoken critic of Israel and the war with Hamas in Gaza that came as a response to the terrorist atrocities against civilians in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump “a shameful day in America.”
“Today, a war criminal under indictment from the ICC will be welcomed to the White House,” he wrote, referencing the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. Both were accused of “war crimes,” though Israel is not a state party to the court.
Sanders said that “Trump, like Biden before him, has aided and abetted the extremist Netanyahu government as it has systematically killed and starved civilians in Gaza.”
The Jewish legislator has been an outspoken critic of Israeli policy during the war effort, alleging that the Israel Defense Forces are committing “genocide” against the Palestinian people, citing casualty numbers from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which Hamas controls.
Deportation filing confirms that Trump officials used Canary Mission list to target students
(JTA) — Newly unsealed court records and trial testimony show that top Trump administration officials relied heavily on Canary Mission, a controversial website that targets pro-Palestinian activists, as part of a secretive effort to deport foreign students and academics from American universities.
A Department of Homeland Security “tiger team” formed in 2019 built dossiers on thousands of noncitizen academics and students by pulling names from a public list of 5,000 individuals compiled by Canary Mission, according to Politico’s reporting on the trial. The site, which publishes profiles of pro-Palestinian activists, often under the accusation of antisemitism, became a primary resource for the team, according to sworn testimony from DHS official Peter Hatch.
Netanyahu meets VP Vance before visiting House and Senate leaders
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his diplomatic visit to Washington on Tuesday by meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Following the sit-down at Blair House, the president’s guest residence across from the White House, Netanyahu is scheduled to travel along Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol for a meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La). He is expected to return to Blair House afterward for additional meetings.
In the afternoon, Netanyahu is slated to head to the Senate for a meeting with Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and other members of the chamber.
Netanyahu, his wife, Sara, and the prime minister’s delegation arrived in the U.S. capital on Monday, joining U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House for a working dinner following remarks to the press.
This is Netanyahu’s third visit to Washington since the start of Trump’s presidency.
Shai Davidai, pro-Israel professor who challenged Columbia University over antisemitism, has resigned
(JTA) — Shai Davidai, the Israeli business school professor who emerged as one of the sharpest antagonists against Columbia University over its response to antisemitism on campus, has resigned from his employment there.
A university spokesperson confirmed that Davidai’s resignation became effective on Tuesday. “The University thanks him for his service and wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” the school said in a statement shared with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The resignation means that Columbia has closed its investigation into Davidai, whom it blocked from entering portions of the campus last year after alleging that he “repeatedly harassed and intimidated University employees in violation of University policy.” University policy allows the Office of Institutional Equity to close investigations when a subject is no longer employed there.
