Trump Attacks Free Speech in Support of Palestinian Rights | Palestine Policy Roundup 03.10.25
Welcome to the Palestine Policy Roundup, a weekly publication of the IMEU Policy Project.
👀 ICYMI: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SPEAK OUT
Rep. Pramila Jayapal on the arrest of Columbia University student organizer Mahmoud Khalil: “The Trump admin is going after students who have used their first amendment, Constitutional rights. This is unacceptable. Deporting legal residents solely for expressing their political opinions is a violation of free speech rights. Who's next? Citizens?”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib in response to Gallup’s latest poll on growing sympathy for Palestinians and decreasing sympathy for Israelis: “Party leaders are wildly out of touch with our voters. More and more Americans can see the Israeli government’s crimes of genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people and are calling for action from their representatives. We cannot ignore them. We need an arms embargo.”
Rep. Delia Ramirez on the conviction of the killer of Palestinian-American child Wadee Alfayoumi: "[The conviction is] a powerful message that hate-driven violence against Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims will not be tolerated…In this case, a six-year-old child was murdered because of dangerous anti-Palestinian rhetoric. But there are so many examples of children put at risk by the misinformation, hate speech, and propaganda that fuel these kinds of heinous attacks. As we start the holy time of Ramadan, may we all reflect on how we build communities free of hateful rhetoric and bigotry.”
DC DEVELOPMENTS
🚫 14 REPRESENTATIVES INTRODUCE JOINT RESOLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL TO BLOCK WEAPONS TO ISRAEL
Last week Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Pramila Jayapal were joined by a dozen Representatives in introducing Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block most of the Trump administration’s latest weapons shipments to Israel (H.J.Res.68, H.J.Res.69, H.J.Res.70, and H.J.Res.71).
The JRDs seek to block the delivery of Small Diameter Bombs, 500-pound bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) guidance kits, Hellfire Missiles, and 155mm High Explosive artillery shells. These JRDs come after Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced similar JRDs in the Senate to block these weapons.
Many US-supplied weapons have been used extensively by Israel during its genocide in Gaza and in attacks on civilians elsewhere. In October 2024, an Israeli airstrike on a mosque and school in central Gaza killed 26 Palestinians and injured 93. Weapons expert Trevor Ball identified a US-supplied JDAM tail kit and assessed that it was attached to an MK 82 500-pound bomb.
In July 2024, fragments of a GBU-39 small diameter bomb were identified in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Abu Oraiban school in Nuseirat, which killed 22 Palestinians. Weapons experts also found evidence that Israel used Hellfire missiles in this attack.
According to the Arms Sales Accountability Project, Israel fired 155mm white phosphorus artillery shells against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon in October 2023–a violation of international humanitarian law.
As President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to undermine and violate the ceasefire agreement, allowing these weapons deliveries to proceed would serve as a green light to Israel to continue its genocide of Palestianians in Gaza. Congress must pass JRDs now to reinforce the ceasefire and send a strong signal to Israel that Congress objects to a resumption of Israel’s violence and its possible ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.
💡POLICY ASK: IMEU Policy Project strongly urges Members of Congress to cosponsor these JRDs.
📖 LEARN MORE: Check out IMEU Policy Project’s policy memo on why these JRDs are necessary to stop US complicity in Israeli war crimes.
🚨 MORE JRDs NEEDED TO STOP YET ANOTHER TRANCHE OF WEAPONS TO ISRAEL
On February 28, the Trump administration formally notified Congress it would expedite the delivery of $3 billion in additional weapons to Israel by invoking an emergency to bypass normal procedures of congressional review and oversight.
This latest weapons package includes more than 39,000 2,000-pound bombs, 5,000 1,000-pound bombs and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits for these bombs, and Caterpillar D9 bulldozers. These weapons will presumably be funded by American taxpayers.
These weapons have reportedly been used in a litany of apparent war crimes and atrocities. Nearly 70 Palestinians were killed in October 2023 when the Israeli military dropped at least one 2,000-pound bomb on a crowded market in Jabalia–an incident that Amnesty International said must be investigated as a war crime.
In January 2024, an Israeli airstrike on the so-called safe zone of Al-Mawasi allegedly targeted humanitarian workers with a US-supplied 1,000-pound bomb after the team shared the coordinates of the compound with the Israeli military through the UN deconfliction process.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have historically been used by Israel to illegally destroy houses in the West Bank and Gaza as part of Israel’s agenda of forcible displacement.
The policy justification for these weapons deliveries makes clear that Israel may resume its genocidal violence against Palestinians in Gaza “in the near-term” and that Israel has “an urgent and ongoing need” for these weapons in this scenario. Congress cannot allow the Trump administration to give Israel the green light to continue its genocide in Gaza.
💡POLICY ASK: IMEU Policy Project strongly urges Members of Congress to introduce, cosponsor and vote for JRDs on these weapons deliveries.
📖 LEARN MORE: Check out IMEU Policy Project’s policy memo on why Congress must block this latest tranche of weapons to Israel.
📣 TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ARRESTS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT ORGANIZER AS EXTREMIST MAGA ATTACKS ON STUDENT RAMP UP
Last week, President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans ratcheted up their attacks on students who support Palestinian rights and used them as a scapegoat to push their extremist MAGA agenda to defund education.
On Tuesday, President Trump launched his latest assault on First Amendment rights as he threatened to imprison and deport students who protested for Palestinian rights and freedom, and called on schools to expel those students. President Trump also threatened to pull federal funding from colleges and universities that respected these critical First Amendment rights and allowed students to protest in support of Palestinian rights.
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a committee hearing that NGO Palestine Legal characterized as “McCarthyite” for its attacks on the First Amendment-protected activities of students in support of Palestinian rights. Extremist MAGA Republicans spent much of the hearing threatening to investigate and defund colleges and universities that respect the right of students to protest.
On Friday the Trump administration cancelled $400 million in funding from federal grants and contracts for Columbia University. This decision was announced just days after President Trump threatened Columbia with stop work orders on $51 million in contracts with the university.
The funding cuts also come as it was revealed last week that the university has opened disciplinary cases against students who have expressed support for Palestinian rights–even against a student who published an op-ed calling for divestment to advance Palestinian rights in one case.
On Saturday night, the Trump administration significantly intensified its attacks on students when the Department of Homeland Security arrested student organizer Mahmoud Khalil, who was a lead negotiator for the 2024 Columbia Gaza solidarity encampment. This arrest is a direct result of President Trump’s executive order to deport foreign students for supporting Palestinian rights. Khalil’s arrest even goes beyond the terms of the executive order because he is a green card holder.
These developments cannot be seen as isolated from the extremist MAGA agenda to defund education and restrict fundamental First Amendment rights. These attacks on the right to express support for Palestinian rights constitute the tip of the spear–this assault comes from the same place as attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the broader politicization of universities. Attacks against students who support Palestinian rights are setting the stage for more weaponization of civil rights law to defund higher education across the board.
📖 LEARN MORE: Read IMEU Policy Project’s policy paper on how higher education policy is being used to suppress pro-peace speech on Palestine.
IN THE NEWS
📊 A MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATS SUPPORT PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ACCORDING TO NEW POLL
A poll released by Gallup last week found that the number of Americans who sympathize with Palestinians is at its highest point since tracking began 25 years ago. The poll also found that support for Israel was at its lowest point since tracking began.
This trend is amplified among Democrats, of whom nearly 60% express more sympathy with Palestinians. Support for Israel among Democrats has dropped to its lowest point at 21%. Israel’s genocide in Gaza is a likely cause for the precipitous decline, with a drop of 15 percentage points between 2024 and 2025.
This poll is just the latest in a growing number of recent polls that have identified growing support for Palestinian rights and freedom among Democrats. Another Gallup poll published in late February showed that 60% of Democrats hold an unfavorable view of Israel–this is the first time that the majority of a party has held an unfavorable view of Israel.
IMEU Policy Project’s recently published poll found that nearly 30% of Biden 2020 voters who did not vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 indicated that ending Israel’s violence in Gaza was the most important motivation for their vote. Additionally, a poll published by The Economist/YouGov found that 35% of Democrats sympathize more with Palestinians–more than 3.5 times as many as those who sympathize more with Israelis (9%).
Poll after poll continues to demonstrate growing support for Palestinian rights among the Democratic base. As the Democratic Party sets its sights on the midterm elections and beyond, its leadership must listen to their voters and support ending US complicity in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
🍿 PALESTINIAN DOCUMENTARY FEATURING ISRAELI THEFT OF PALESTINIAN LAND WINS OSCAR
No Other Land, a documentary film about Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday, March 2. This is the first Palestinian film to ever win an Oscar.
The film was made by Basel Adra, a journalist from Masafer Yatta, with the help of filmmakers Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, and Hamdan Ballal. Through Basel’s story and those of his neighbors, the documentary provides a moving firsthand look at the brutal violence Israel inflicts on Palestinian families as it steals land owned and lived on by Palestinians, and forcibly transfers them from their homes.
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAY: In his acceptance speech for the Oscar, Basel Adra said: “About two months ago, I became a father. And my hope to my daughter, that she will not have to live the same life I am living now, always fearing — always — always fearing settlers’ violence, home demolitions and forceful displacements that my community, Masafer Yatta, is living and facing every day under the Israeli occupation. No Other Land reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.”
For years, Israel has sent heavily armed soldiers and bulldozers to Palestinian homes in the tight-knit community in order to destroy them and steal Palestinian land. These soldiers are known to beat, shoot, and even kill anyone who tries to stop them. These attacks continue today. Weapons shipments to Israel should be halted in response to these violations according to US law; instead, President Donald Trump has emboldened Israel’s illegal expansion of settlements by rescinding the Biden administration’s sanctions on settlers and settler organizations.
Masafer Yatta is located in the south of the illegally occupied West Bank and Palestinians have lived there since well before Israel’s military rule there began in 1967. In the early 1980s, the Israeli military designated Masafer Yatta as a restricted military zone, and in 1999 it moved to expel all residents of the community from their land. In 2022, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected the residents’ petitions on absurd legal grounds, allowing for the destruction of Palestinian homes and for the forcible transfer of Palestinians from the community.
PALESTINE/ISRAEL DEVELOPMENTS
❌ ISRAEL PROPOSES PLAN TO RESTRICT PALESTINIAN FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN GAZA FOR DAY AFTER
The Israeli military reportedly presented a plan to the United Nations and aid organizations that resembles a plan revealed last year that would restrict Palestinians to ghettos in Gaza and give the Israeli army full control over aid distribution–putting the Israeli commitment to the ceasefire and to a full withdrawal from Gaza in even greater doubt.
🔑 KEY CONTEXT: The following analysis about the origin of this proposal was included in the October 25, 2024 edition of the Palestine Policy Roundup: “Israeli-American businessman Mordechai “Moti” Kahana, the CEO of Global Delivery Company, is reportedly behind this effort. Kahana has stated that among his goals is to create a dystopian version of a “gated community” where “Palestinians would be subjected to biometric screenings in order to receive humanitarian aid” in so-called “humanitarian bubbles” in northern Gaza. The report notes that Kahana’s vision includes conditioning humanitarian aid on passing biometric tests to determine whether a Palestinian is a “terrorist”. Kahana has said that “terrorists will get the bullet”, and has joked about ethnic cleansing in Gaza. GDC’s proposal also includes a plan to partner with Constellis, which is a successor to the mercenary organization Blackwater, which was infamous for its killings of civilians during the Iraq war.”
The plan presented to the UN and aid organizations reportedly also allows for the use of private security contractors, but only in places under the control of the Israeli military. Clearly, Israel’s proposal demonstrates that it is not committed to seeing the ceasefire agreement, which requires a full Israeli military withdrawal from within Gaza, through to its end.
Further diminishing the amount of aid to be allowed into Gaza under this plan, only the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza would remain open, and all NGOs and their staff allowed to operate in the occupied territory would be vetted by Israel–which would effectively shut out UNRWA, the agency most capable of providing the necessary scale of humanitarian aid, after Israel’s ban went into effect earlier this year.
This proposal comes on the heels of Israel’s decision to obstruct all aid and fuel from entering Gaza in yet another violation of the ceasefire agreement. The Israeli government is also reportedly preparing to intensify its blockade of Gaza and to once again forcibly transfer Palestinians in the north of the occupied territory back to the south. Israeli authorities implemented another part of this plan over the weekend as they cut off electricity to Gaza. This plan would violate the ceasefire agreement and Israel would likely use the reaction to forced displacement as a pretext to break the ceasefire and resume its genocide in Gaza.
Photo: Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB, via Shutterstock. Stock Photo ID: 2378185979