logo
Moderate Dems get tougher on Netanyahu

Moderate Dems get tougher on Netanyahu

Politico2 days ago
With help from Joe Gould, Phelim Kine and Daniel Lippman
Subscribe here | Email Eric
The rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is causing even some of Israel's staunchest defenders in the Democratic party to pile some harsh criticism on the U.S. ally.
The top Democrats on the Senate Armed Services, Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees and relevant foreign policy and defense Appropriations subcommittees issued a joint statement today calling on President DONALD TRUMP to apply more pressure on Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU to end the war in the Gaza Strip and restore the distribution of food and other humanitarian aid into the territory.
None of these Democrats — Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN of New Hampshire, JACK REED of Rhode Island, MARK WARNER of Virginia, DICK DURBIN of Illinois, CHRIS COONS of Delaware and BRIAN SCHATZ of Hawaii — are avowed critics of Israel. Most have only rebuked Israel periodically since the Gaza war broke out and have supported aid to Israel throughout their careers.
And they join a whole host of pro-Israel Democrats who have voiced their discomfort with Israel's actions over the course of this week. That includes Sen. MARK KELLY (D-Ariz.), who on Tuesday became one of the first prominent Democratic moderates to do so, and Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.), the third-highest ranking Democratic leader in the Senate. Klobuchar issued a sharp rebuke to Israel in a floor speech Thursday.
On the House side, Rep. RITCHIE TORRES (D-N.Y.) got into a spat Thursday on X with Rep. RANDY FINE (R-Fla.) after Fine said that Palestinians should 'starve away' in the Gaza Strip until Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages in its captivity. Torres has previously come under fire from critics of Israel for at times being too dismissive about the plight of Palestinians in the enclave.
The moderates are sounding more and more like progressives, who have been lashing out at Israel for its approach to the Gaza war and calling on the White House across two administrations to use every tool possible to push Netanyahu to alleviate human suffering in the enclave.
It's a critical moment in the conflict. The Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has struggled to distribute aid to Palestinians in the enclave, exacerbating widespread starvation in the territory. Israeli troops are accused of firing on Palestinians seeking aid, killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians in recent weeks.
Israel has downplayed concerns about the inadequacy of humanitarian aid, blaming Hamas for the violence associated with aid not getting to people and arguing it's a question of inadequate distribution, not volume, of aid entering the territory. The Trump administration has repeatedly pointed the finger at Hamas for the plight of Palestinians in the enclave.
Some Democrats have acknowledged in recent weeks that they're facing considerably more pressure to call out Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip from the base.
But don't expect the Democratic Party to abandon Israel anytime soon. The pro-Israel group Democratic Majority for Israel, a major player in Democratic primaries, put out a statement today that principally singled out Hamas for the issues with aid. A number of Senate Democratic defenders of Israel, including Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-Penn.), have also not spoken out.
Most Republicans, meanwhile, are keeping mum, making it deeply unlikely the worsening crisis in Gaza moves the White House to use its leverage on Netanyahu.
The Inbox
MUSK'S OTHER SHUTDOWN: ELON MUSK ordered the shutdown of vital Starlink communications satellite services for Ukraine along the frontline in September 2022, according to a Reuters report.
The cut affected service around Kherson, which Ukraine was attempting to reclaim from Russia, and areas in eastern Ukraine. The Starlink shutdown led to the failure of a Ukrainian operation to retake the town of Beryslav, a Ukrainian military official told Reuters.
Starlink terminals are vital to Ukraine's military operations, serving as the communications linchpin between command, drone and artillery units. The U.S. military is also increasingly using Starlinks for its own forces.
It's not clear why Musk ordered the shutdown. However, the cut-off happened around the time when U.S. officials believed Russia might use a nuclear weapon to attack Ukraine.
Reuters also reveals other findings that Musk ordered the shutdown of Starlink services in Russian-occupied Crimea in September 2022 to prevent a Ukrainian attack on Russian ships there. Musk later said he had not shut down services but rather never activated them in Crimea.
WORSENING FIREFIGHT IN ASIA: Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia along their border continued into today, forcing thousands of civilians on both sides to flee the area.
The two countries have been in talks for a ceasefire. But with them trading fire from powerful rocket launchers and artillery, that's looking increasingly unlikely. Acting Thai Prime Minister PHUMTHAM WECHAYACHAI said the conflict could become a war, threatening yet greater violence between the two historic adversaries. Thailand has accused Cambodia of intentionally targeting civilians.
The brewing conflict could complicate efforts for the U.S. to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Thailand, the militarily more powerful nation, is a close U.S. ally. Cambodia is more aligned with China, Vietnam and Russia, from whom it has received military supplies.
NUDGING A NUKE DEAL: With the New START Treaty set to expire in 195 days, arms control advocates are urging Trump and Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN to strike an interim deal to avoid a surge in nuclear weapons.
'Unless Trump and Putin reach an interim deal to maintain existing limits, we could soon see each side increasing the size of their deployed nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 35 years by uploading warheads on existing missiles, which is no one's interests,' DARYL KIMBALL, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said in a statement.
The comments came after Trump signaled support for renewed talks, telling Russia's TASS, 'We are starting to work on that. That is a big problem for the world, when you take off nuclear restrictions, that's a big problem.'
SOME NEWS ON THE HOME FRONT: Are you a NatSec Daily reader who also cares deeply about the economic changes the Trump administration is ushering in? We have good news for you.
POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting.Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here.
The first issue dropped today. Read it here.
IT'S FRIDAY! WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@politico.com, and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil.
While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on social media: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi.bsky.social‬, @PhelimKine, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel
Keystrokes
LIE TO ME: The five leading Chinese artificial intelligence chatbots provided false or unhelpful information more than half the time in a test run by analytics company NewsGuard, the company said today.
In the test, the company presented chatbots with 10 false narratives spread by Chinese official media and pro-Chinese media. The narratives included that the U.S. had severed relations with China and that Taiwan was calling up draftees in preparation for war with China.
In 40 percent of cases, the chatbots — Ernie, DeepSeek, MiniMax, Qwen and Yuanbao — presented false information. In 20 percent of cases, the chatbots did not debunk the false narratives. In one case, a chatbot presented Chinese government policy on Taiwan without being explicitly asked to do so.
The failure rates were similar in Mandarin and English. It's a troubling finding for users in China, but also elsewhere as Chinese chatbots are increasingly popular across the world.
The Complex
NASA EXODUS: NASA will lose 20 percent or more of its staff, including thousands of senior personnel, under a Trump administration push to slim the federal government, Sam reports in POLITICO's Space newsletter.
The voluntary departures include 2,892 civil servants in the agency's GS-13 through GS-15 pay levels — senior positions reserved for those with significant technical or managerial responsibilities, like planning Mars missions or leading work on space telescopes.
The losses could affect U.S. plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2027, a key goal as the U.S. races to beat China back to the lunar surface. In an open letter to interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, a group of current and former NASA employees protested this week that the departures would eliminate 'highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA's mission.'
Still, the departures, which the administration has incentivized through a range of offerings to employees, may not be enough for the Trump administration. The White House wants to cut over 5,000 staff from NASA from its 2024 staffing level, meaning that NASA may have to fire more than 1,000 additional staff.
POLISH ARMS: The United States on Friday announced a $4 billion loan guarantee to Poland under the Foreign Military Financing program, a big boon for one of the NATO allies most in the Trump administration's good graces.
The announcement did not name any specific acquisition programs that the loan guarantee might support. Poland has gone on a buying spree of U.S. arms in recent years, a binge that has included 96 Apache helicopters and over 400 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
'Poland remains one of America's strongest and most dependable allies in Europe,' State Department spokesperson TAMMY BRUCE said in a statement.
Poland's spending of more than 4 percent of its gross domestic product on its military places it favorably among European nations for the Trump administration, which has pressed for NATO members to spend five percent of GDP on defense. NATO members agreed to hit this goal by 2035 at the most recent summit. Poland aims to hit that number by 2026, officials have previously said.
Broadsides
CHINA CRIES COLONIALISM: The Chinese government's hands-off approach to the worsening cross-border military skirmishes between U.S. treaty ally Thailand and China-aligned Cambodia isn't curbing Beijing from blaming Western countries for the dispute.
'The root cause of this issue stems from the legacy of Western colonialism from years past, and now requires a calm and prudent approach to resolution,' Chinese Foreign Minister WANG YI told ASEAN Secretary-General KAO KIM HOURN in Beijing today, per a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Wang made clear Beijing is leaving it to ASEAN — of which Cambodia and Thailand are both members — to undertake 'mediation efforts' between Bangkok and Phnom Penh to end the fighting.
As in Ukraine, the conflict provides Beijing a real-time opportunity to observe and analyze military tactics and the relative performance of U.S. and Chinese-supplied weaponry.
Transitions
— DILLON McGREGOR is now acting assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. He most recently was a senior adviser at DHS.
— BRIAN SATTLER is now strategic planner for the senior adviser to the secretary for the Coast Guard. He most recently was director for maritime and industrial capacity at the National Security Council.
— PALOMA CHACON has been promoted to press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.
— RAVI SINGH has been promoted to be senior vice president and CFO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
— JOEL VALDEZ is now acting deputy press secretary for the Pentagon. He most recently was communications director and senior adviser for Rep. LAUREN BOEBERT (R-Colo.) and has previously worked for MATT GAETZ.
What to Read
— Glenn Gerstell, The New York Times: Remember the TikTok Ban? Does Anyone?
— Marton Dunai, The Financial Times: Could Hungary's faltering economy topple Orbán?
— Katharine Houreld, The Washington Post: As Kenya's protests intensified, two friends bled on opposite sides
Monday Today
— Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 11 a.m.: Violence in Suwayda: No 'Plan B' for Syria?
— Hudson Institute, 4:30 p.m.: What Taiwan Can Learn from Ukraine's Battlefield Experience.
Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Emily Lussier, who provide us with false or unhelpful information more than half the time.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vice President JD Vance is on the road again to sell the Republicans' big new tax law
Vice President JD Vance is on the road again to sell the Republicans' big new tax law

Boston Globe

time39 minutes ago

  • Boston Globe

Vice President JD Vance is on the road again to sell the Republicans' big new tax law

In West Pittston, Pennsylvania, Vance told attendees at an industrial machine shop that they should be able to keep more of their pay in their pockets, highlighting the law's new tax deductions on overtime. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Vance also discussed a new children's savings program called Trump Accounts and how the new law promotes energy extraction, while decrying Democrats for opposing the bill that keeps the current tax rates, which would have otherwise expired later this year. Advertisement The legislation cleared the GOP-controlled Congress by the narrowest of margins, with Vance breaking a tie vote in the Senate for the package that also sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars for Trump's immigration agenda while slashing Medicaid and food stamps. The vice president is also stepping up his public relations blitz on the bill as the White House tries to deflect attention away from the growing controversy over Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement The disgraced financier killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein's death before Trump returned to the White House and are now reckoning with the consequences of a Justice Department announcement earlier this month that Epstein did indeed die by suicide and that no further documents about the case would be released. Questions about the case continued to dog Trump in Scotland, where he on Sunday announced a framework trade deal with the European Union. Asked about the timing of the trade announcement and the Epstein case and whether it was correlated, Trump responded: 'You got to be kidding with that.' 'No, had nothing to do with it,' Trump told the reporter. 'Only you would think that.' The White House sees the new law as a clear political boon, sending Vance to promote it in swing congressional districts that will determine whether Republicans retain their House majority next year. The northeastern Pennsylvania stop is in the district represented by Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a first-term lawmaker who knocked off a six-time Democratic incumbent last fall. On Monday, Vance will be in the district of Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is a top target for the National Republican Congressional Committee this cycle. Polls before the bill's passage showed that it largely remained unpopular, although the public approves of some individual provisions such as increasing the child tax credit and allowing workers to deduct more of their tips on taxes.

Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas
Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas

The Hill

time39 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas

KFAR SABA, Israel (AP) — As Israel has announced steps to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza, a former Israeli-Argentinian hostage knows first-hand what that could mean for captives of the Hamas militant group. Iair Horn, who spent a year and a half in captivity, said hostages could tell when more aid was available because they would receive more food. 'When there's less food, then there's also less for the hostages. When there's aid, there's a possibility you might get a cucumber,' said Horn, 46. Hamas militants kidnapped Horn from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with 250 other people, during the group's cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. He was released Feb. 15 after 498 days in captivity. For most of that time, he was held in an underground cell in a tunnel with several other hostages, including his younger brother Eitan Horn, 38. Since his release, Iair Horn has deferred his own recovery to fight for the release of his brother and the other 50 hostages still being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive. Negotiations collapse again Hearing that negotiations between Israel and Hamas were once again frozen over the weekend was devastating for his family, Horn said. Since his release, he has made four trips to the U.S., where he has met with President Donald Trump and other American leaders to plead for the hostages. He wasn't sure what to make of a comment Thursday by Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, who said the U.S. would consider 'alternative options' after recalling its negotiating team from Qatar. 'I'm not a politician, and I'm not getting into those things because I don't understand them. What I understand is very simple: I want my brother back,' Horn said. 'My life is frozen right now. I live in a nightmare that every day they are kidnapping me anew,' he said. Horn, who is single, is currently living with family in Kfar Saba, a city near Tel Aviv. Previously, he worked a variety of jobs in Kibbutz Nir Oz, including in education, maintenance and the kitchen. He also ran the kibbutz pub. Every morning when he opens his eyes, he must think for a few moments to remember where he is, to remember he is no longer a hostage, Horn said. He's gained back some of the weight he lost in captivity, but his list of physical and psychological ailments is long. He does not know where he will live, what he will do in the future, or if he will go back to Nir Oz. The only thing he concentrates on is advocating for his brother's release. 'I never imagined that another half year would pass without seeing my little brother,' he said. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The agency's count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The U.N. and other international organizations see the ministry, which operates under the Hamas government, as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Brothers were held together Iair Horn is the oldest of three brothers who grew up in Argentina. He moved to Israel at age 20, followed by his middle brother, Amos. Eitan and their parents, long divorced, joined later. On Oct. 7, 2023, Eitan was visiting Iair at his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz when the sirens started, warning of incoming missiles. Soon they received text messages alerting them to the fact that militants had infiltrated the kibbutz. Militants entered Iair's home, where he was hiding in the reinforced safe room with Eitan. Iair attempted to hold the door shut until they began shooting through the door. Then he decided to surrender, worried they might use grenades or stronger weapons. Iair, who was immediately taken into Gaza, didn't know what had happened to his brother until around the 50th day of his captivity, when the militants placed the two brothers together, and Iair realized Eitan had also been kidnapped. Being together, even in their small, barred room, was a stroke of luck, Iair said. 'There's a lot of time with nothing to do, and we talked a lot about our childhoods, about elementary school, about the youth movement, about soccer,' he said. 'We tried to keep our sense of humor. He would ask me, did you brush your teeth? And I'd ask him, did you wash your bellybutton?' 'It was silly things, silly things between siblings that I don't have right now. Many times it happens now that something happens to me on the street that I have to tell him. And I can't, and I'm so sorry,' he said, starting to cry. Captors tell hostages that two will be released For most of the time, the Horn brothers were held with three other hostages. In early February, their captors came to the group of five and said that two would be released. 'For four days, we're looking at each other and wondering if we can decide or influence the decision,' he said. After four days, the captors arrived with a small plate of snacks and a video camera. They announced that Iair and another hostage would be leaving and filmed the emotional interaction between Iair and Eitan. Hamas later released the video on its social media channels, as it has with other videos of the hostages filmed under duress. Their last night together, Eitan and Iair laid side by side in silence. 'There was no conversation because in your head you don't want to have a conversation as if it's your last conversation,' Iair Horn said. When their mother, Ruty Chmiel Strum, learned that Iair was coming out but not Eitan, she said to anyone who would listen, 'Why are you doing this to my sons? They are together and you're separating them?' No one gave her an answer, but Strum clung to hope that Eitan would be released soon. Now she mostly ignores news about the negotiations, tuning out the information to protect herself. She said she raised her three boys 'as a single body,' and their support for each other is unshakable. She clasps Iair's hand as they sit together on the couch in her home and looks forward to the day Eitan returns. 'I will feel the hug of my three sons, enjoying life, each supporting each other,' she said. 'It will happen.'

Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas
Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas

Hamilton Spectator

time39 minutes ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas

KFAR SABA, Israel (AP) — As Israel has announced steps to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza, a former Israeli-Argentinian hostage knows first-hand what that could mean for captives of the Hamas militant group. Iair Horn, who spent a year and a half in captivity, said hostages could tell when more aid was available because they would receive more food. 'When there's less food, then there's also less for the hostages. When there's aid, there's a possibility you might get a cucumber,' said Horn, 46. Hamas militants kidnapped Horn from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz , along with 250 other people , during the group's cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. He was released Feb. 15 after 498 days in captivity. For most of that time, he was held in an underground cell in a tunnel with several other hostages, including his younger brother Eitan Horn, 38. Since his release, Iair Horn has deferred his own recovery to fight for the release of his brother and the other 50 hostages still being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive. Negotiations collapse again Hearing that negotiations between Israel and Hamas were once again frozen over the weekend was devastating for his family, Horn said. Since his release, he has made four trips to the U.S., where he has met with President Donald Trump and other American leaders to plead for the hostages. He wasn't sure what to make of a comment Thursday by Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff , who said the U.S. would consider 'alternative options' after recalling its negotiating team from Qatar. 'I'm not a politician, and I'm not getting into those things because I don't understand them. What I understand is very simple: I want my brother back,' Horn said. 'My life is frozen right now. I live in a nightmare that every day they are kidnapping me anew,' he said. Horn, who is single, is currently living with family in Kfar Saba, a city near Tel Aviv. Previously, he worked a variety of jobs in Kibbutz Nir Oz, including in education, maintenance and the kitchen. He also ran the kibbutz pub. Every morning when he opens his eyes, he must think for a few moments to remember where he is, to remember he is no longer a hostage, Horn said. He's gained back some of the weight he lost in captivity, but his list of physical and psychological ailments is long. He does not know where he will live, what he will do in the future, or if he will go back to Nir Oz. The only thing he concentrates on is advocating for his brother's release. 'I never imagined that another half year would pass without seeing my little brother,' he said. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The agency's count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The U.N. and other international organizations see the ministry, which operates under the Hamas government, as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Brothers were held together Iair Horn is the oldest of three brothers who grew up in Argentina. He moved to Israel at age 20, followed by his middle brother, Amos. Eitan and their parents, long divorced, joined later. On Oct. 7, 2023, Eitan was visiting Iair at his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz when the sirens started, warning of incoming missiles. Soon they received text messages alerting them to the fact that militants had infiltrated the kibbutz. Militants entered Iair's home, where he was hiding in the reinforced safe room with Eitan. Iair attempted to hold the door shut until they began shooting through the door. Then he decided to surrender, worried they might use grenades or stronger weapons. Iair, who was immediately taken into Gaza, didn't know what had happened to his brother until around the 50th day of his captivity, when the militants placed the two brothers together, and Iair realized Eitan had also been kidnapped. Being together, even in their small, barred room, was a stroke of luck, Iair said. 'There's a lot of time with nothing to do, and we talked a lot about our childhoods, about elementary school, about the youth movement, about soccer,' he said. 'We tried to keep our sense of humor. He would ask me, did you brush your teeth? And I'd ask him, did you wash your bellybutton?' 'It was silly things, silly things between siblings that I don't have right now. Many times it happens now that something happens to me on the street that I have to tell him. And I can't, and I'm so sorry,' he said, starting to cry. Captors tell hostages that two will be released For most of the time, the Horn brothers were held with three other hostages. In early February, their captors came to the group of five and said that two would be released. 'For four days, we're looking at each other and wondering if we can decide or influence the decision,' he said. After four days, the captors arrived with a small plate of snacks and a video camera. They announced that Iair and another hostage would be leaving and filmed the emotional interaction between Iair and Eitan. Hamas later released the video on its social media channels, as it has with other videos of the hostages filmed under duress. Their last night together, Eitan and Iair laid side by side in silence. 'There was no conversation because in your head you don't want to have a conversation as if it's your last conversation,' Iair Horn said. When their mother, Ruty Chmiel Strum, learned that Iair was coming out but not Eitan, she said to anyone who would listen, 'Why are you doing this to my sons? They are together and you're separating them?' No one gave her an answer, but Strum clung to hope that Eitan would be released soon. Now she mostly ignores news about the negotiations, tuning out the information to protect herself. She said she raised her three boys 'as a single body,' and their support for each other is unshakable. She clasps Iair's hand as they sit together on the couch in her home and looks forward to the day Eitan returns. 'I will feel the hug of my three sons, enjoying life, each supporting each other,' she said. 'It will happen.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store