I didn’t want to disappoint folks who had been looking forward to that conversation so I figured I’d go live anyway and field your questions. I’m glad I did! It was really interesting to hear what questions were on your minds and fun to field them on the fly. A number of folks have asked for the recording, so voilà, here it is!

As always, I’d love to hear what you think.

Since it’s been quite a while since I did an AMA on The Debrief, I’d love to get feedback on whether this is something that folks would be interested in on a regular basis. Future AMAs will likely be reserved for paid subscribers, which is a great reason to check out the next section of this newsletter!

↓↓↓

🎂 BIRTHDAY SALE! 🎂

What’s better than supporting work you value? Getting a great price while doing it!

This month, we’re celebrating one year of enlightening content and community building here on The Debrief.

In turn, I have a gift for you: The Debrief’s first-ever subscription sale!

Until Friday, July 31:

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All current and new paid subscribers (before Aug 1) will keep their low rates:

* If you’re already a subscriber, or you become one before August 1, you’ll avoid the price hike! (Annual subscriptions will renew at $60/year; monthly subs at $6/month. Cancel your subscription anytime.)

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Next Up!

TOMORROW at 12pm Eastern: Jaser AbuMousa

Jaser Abu Mousa, a Palestinian political analyst at the Washington, DC-based Middle East Institute lost his wife, two of his children, and additional close relatives in an Israeli missile strike on his home in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip shortly after October 7th, 2023. I received very positive feedback when he first appeared on The Debrief two months ago. Debriefers appreciated the opportunity to hear Jaser’s personal story and learn about the dire situation in Gaza.

I invited Jaser to come back on The Debrief to talk about the release of his new report for MEI: “The Strategic Cost of Palestinian Powerlessness: Why Restoring Palestinian Political Agency Is an Arab and International Security Imperative.” It just came out today so I’ve only had a chance to skim it so far, but it looks extremely interesting. I’m excited to read it before our live podcast tomorrow at 12pm Eastern.

Join us!

That’s it for now, folks.

More Debrief podcasts are in the works for this week — details forthcoming soon.

Hope to see many of you tomorrow. Meanwhile, be sure to take advantage of the birthday sale, if you’re not already a paid subscriber.

Big thanks for your support!

Debra

Lock in the best deal ever on an annual subscription to The Debrief.

The topics we discussed included:

* Rep. Balint’s fiery exchange with then-Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Epstein files that went viral, plus the issues that she is most passionate about tackling in Congress (housing, affordability)

* How Balint concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, why she wrote an op-ed about it and then lost some Jewish supporters, and why she doesn’t insist that others use the world “genocide” regarding Gaza

* Changing politics in the Democratic party on Israel-Palestine

* Thomas Massie’s amendment to strip $3.3 billion in military aid from a State Department funding bill — why Balint voted for the amendment despite Massie’s apparent “problem … with antisemitism,” why it was significant that some moderates like Jake Auchincloss also voted in favor, and Balint’s view of why Leader Hakeem Jeffries tried unsuccessfully to get the Democratic caucus to vote “no” on the amendment

* The incident in which CA State Senator Scott Wiener was hounded out of a trans rights event in San Francisco for being “terrible on Gaza” and why it left Balint feeling “shaken to her core”

* Why Balint supports a two-state solution — and why she believes that a segement of her current supporters will abandon her because of it

* How Balint hopes to be a bridge-builder within a Democratic party that is increasingly at war with itself over Israel-Palestine

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this conversation! Later in this post, you’ll find a transcript of the conversation.

🎂 BIRTHDAY SALE! 🎂

If you’re anything like me, you love a good deal.

This month, we’re celebrating one year of enlightening content and community building here on The Debrief. I’m so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for this work!

In turn, The Debrief has a gift for you: our first-ever subscription sale!

Until the end of July:

* 10% off new paid annual subscriptions: only $54 for 12 months!

* Monthly paid subs are $6/month

* Gift subscriptions are available, too, at the same great rates!

* Buy a sub to send to a friend and/or contact me if you’d like to gift a sub to a Debrief fan who wants to become a paid subscriber but can’t afford it

Prices will go up on August 1:

* New paid subscriptions will go up to the default prices Substack recommends for its authors: $80/year, $8/month

All current and new paid subscribers (before Aug 1) will keep their low rates:

* If you’re already a subscriber, or you become one before August 1, you’ll avoid the price hike! (Annual subscriptions will renew at $60/year; monthly subs at $6/month. Cancel your subscription anytime.)

* Lucky you! Thank you for being an early supporter of The Debrief!

Lock in the best deal ever on an annual subscription to The Debrief.

HOUSEKEEPING NOTES

* The podcast with Miles Taylor, originally scheduled for yesterday at 1pm ET, had to be postponed at the last minute. Apologies! I’ll keep you posted when Miles and I are able to reschedule.

* Instead, I did an impromptu Ask Me Anything. It was a lovely opportunity to hang out with 100+ of you and chat about some questions on your minds. I’ll send that video out soon. I’m interested in your feedback and interest in future AMAs.

TRANSCRIPT OF CONVERSATION WITH REP. BECCA BALINT

Note: This is an AI-generated transcript. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity. AI transcription errors likely remain.

Debra Shushan: I am so excited to welcome one of my favorite members of Congress who's joining us today. It is Congresswoman Becca Balint. She is Vermont's sole member in the House of Representatives. Vermont has two senators, but only one member in the House, folks. She is the first woman and LGBTQ person to represent Vermont in Congress. She is a fellow Jewish mom. And some of you may have seen, for example, there was a recent viral episode that happened when at a hearing with the Attorney General at the time, Pam Bondi, after questioning the Attorney General about the Epstein files, Pam Bondi looked down at a burn book that she had with nasty things to say. And she accused Congresswoman Balint of, of all things, anti-Semitism. Congresswoman Balint, you let her have it, didn't you?

Becca Balint: I did. I did. So, you know, you mentioned the burn book, right? And so it was clear to me that whoever prepared the burn book for her really hadn't done a lot of homework. It was, you know, what we've determined is because I was going after Howard Lutnick, I think that was, you know, how she decided to go after me. But it was... What you saw was my raw, unfiltered response.

DS: Oh, I could see it. I could see it. I think we could all see it and felt it and appreciated it. So here's where I want to... We're going to focus a lot on Israel-Palestine. We're going to talk about anti-Semitism. But before we do all of that, actually, because... I do not get the sense from you, Congresswoman Balint, that you are someone who came to Congress because, first and foremost, you wanted to legislate on Israel-Palestine. So I want to give you a chance to talk about you. What are the issues, for folks who are just getting to know you, that really animate you the most and made you want to represent your state in the House?

BB: I really appreciate that because you’re right. And actually, we always joke on my team that when I was running for Congress, people said, well, what are you most concerned about in terms of policy? And I said, I’m most concerned about policy. How to navigate the Middle East and Israel and Palestine because it’s very complicated and people don’t like to talk about nuance, right? And they said, don’t worry, you’re going to stake out your position. This isn’t going to come up all the time. And of course, like… right.

So I served in the legislature before I was in Congress. I was the first woman actually ever to lead the Senate in Vermont. And I did a lot of work on housing. Love it. Love it. Thinking about those families, thinking about those kids who are now, of course, adults, but what their daily economic struggles were that really shapes the work that I do in Congress. And I love people. That’s why I do what I do. I am drawn to this work because I can have amazing conversations with just about anyone.

I am insatiably curious, which is why I think I have been able in regards to trying to talk about Israel and Gaza and Palestine, why I’ve been able to try to stake out this, I won’t even say middle ground. I think it’s just holding multiple truths at once, trying to hold nuance. And I really see a place for me right now in doing that because I’m hearing from a lot of young Jews — actually, I just had a conversation with someone the day before yesterday. She said she had a very hard conversation with her grandmother who didn’t understand why she could be a young person not 100% supporting the actions of Israel. And they said, they really were having a hard time understanding one another. But she said, I see you trying to do that and that is giving me hope and confidence that I should keep doing what I’m doing.

It’s not an easy place to be because we do have people on the extremes that are trying to pull us there. And of course, there are perverse incentives also in Congress to stake out extreme positions for a whole host of reasons, including fundraising, quite frankly. I know that having studied history, it’s complicated. It’s messy. It’s not tidy. And we have to be willing to have difficult conversations and sit in those difficult conversations. And what I say is not drop bombs, truth bombs of one sort or another, and then leave. Like, no, you got to be able to sit in it. And so I’ve also heard from a lot of people — not just Jews, but people in Congress from various constituencies within the caucus saying, “I’m glad that you’re out there. I’m glad that you’re saying it. I’m glad that you are willing to do it because it’s giving me the confidence to do that more.”

But I got to tell you, Debra, I have been called nasty, nasty things just for trying to speak my truth. And a lot of people ask me — I’ll just go right to the heart of it — a lot of people ask me, how could I use the word “genocide” as it relates to what is happening in Gaza? And I will say to people, I don’t need you to agree with me. I’m not trying to sway anyone to my point of view. I went with J Street. I talked to people in the West Bank. I sat in on briefings. And I couldn’t sit with myself without really accepting that what I was seeing was creating this incredible cognitive dissonance in me. And it actually took one of my children, you know, as we talked about, two teenagers sitting around the table, and we talk about politics a lot. They want to know what I’m doing. And one of them asked me, like genuinely, it wasn’t a gotcha, it was genuinely. She said, do you think it’s a genocide, mom? Just like, you know, given what you know, and I had to say, “I do.” And then I had to really sit with that and figure out, okay, now, where do I go from here?

And I’ve lost a lot of Jewish supporters. I’ve lost Jewish people who have supported me in what I’m trying to do. And that’s painful. And also, it isn’t about me trying to sway anyone. It’s about me trying to sit in my truth. And I had somebody at a town hall, and I’m paraphrasing, but he basically said to me, “How could you? How do you use that word when your own grandfather was killed in the Holocaust? Like, how could you?” And I said to him, “It doesn’t give me any pleasure. It gives me no pleasure. In fact, it is painful. It’s painful for me.” And I said, “I know that you, you are also feeling that pain.” I said, “All I can tell you is it is the truth that I came to.” And it is my grandfather’s experience and my family’s trauma that pushes me to want us to do better. I want Israel to do better. So that was a long answer to your question. But just to give you guys an insight into who I am, I’m not somebody who’s trying to grab the headlines. I’m just trying to hold complexity and nuance and not get torn apart in the process, honestly.

DS: Well, Congresswoman, I, you know, speaking for myself, but I know also speaking for many of our viewers, there are a lot of people who are watching now and who will watch this podcast later on who really appreciate you, both Jews and non-Jews. Who think that what you're doing is super important. I have no doubt that you are hearing from Jewish constituents who are not happy. But there are many, many folks, and as you noted, especially younger Jews who need to hear exactly what you're saying. It's so important. And if they don't, frankly, they become alienated in many ways from the Jewish community, which is not something I think we should want.

BB: Exactly. And it's been really interesting because it's come up in spaces that I didn't necessarily anticipate. I speak a lot to lesbian, queer and trans organizations in and around the Hill. I speak, I was a guest speaker at an interns on the Hill sort of speakers engagement. And afterwards, the things that young people wanted to say to me! A lot of it was about Israel and Gaza. And they said, we see you as somebody that's trying to hold these two things between generations, between different parts of, you know, I'm a Democrat, different parts of our party. And they said, when we see you doing that, we feel like there's a place for us, both within Judaism and within the Democratic Party. And, you know, that's important to me.

DS: So let’s dig into some pieces of all of this. I read your September 2025 op-ed. This is the one where you indicated that you believe that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. And you’ve talked about that, coming to that conclusion. You write about it eloquently. I’ve already given folks a link. I’ll include the link when I post this podcast. There’s one thing in there that I want to ask you about that I think is interesting. You say, “I, Congresswoman Becca Balint, have come to this conclusion. And it’s important for me to talk about it. But I don’t think” (speaking in your voice) “that it is productive for us to have a litmus test to around the word, to try to force other people to use the word.” There very well may be people watching right now who disagree with that and who feel like it is super important to get folks to use that word. So why don’t you make that point in the op-ed? Why do you feel that way?

BB: I made that point because I do not see this issue in isolation to what I’m trying to do in Congress and as a leader, which is: where do we find the overlap? Whether I’m talking about climate change, whether I’m talking about LGBTQ issues, when I’m talking about, honestly, Medicare for all, or in this case, when we’re talking about wanting Palestinians and Jews to each have sovereignty, to have control of their own destiny, right? To live lives of meaning and security and safety. And so if I can’t have that conversation without giving someone permission to talk about it in a different way…

Because here’s what I hear from people in Congress. They’re like, “I know that what’s happening there is wrong,” right? They’ll say, “I do believe there may be some war crimes. I do believe that Netanyahu’s government is in violation of the Leahy laws. I’m with you in solidarity with that. We need to change that. But I’m not comfortable using that word for a whole host of reasons.” And I say, “OK, that’s OK — because I want you on my team. I want you on my team of trying to change policy because that’s what we’re talking about, right?” I’m a doer. I want to change policy and you don’t get policy change by embarrassing people, by shaming people, by constantly creating litmus tests. We just don’t. We as human beings, we don’t like to be shamed. We don’t like to be humiliated. Each of us.

And so I see it as an extension of the work that I’m trying to do in Congress. And if you can vote with us in stopping offensive weapon transfers... And you’re a vote on that amendment or that bill, but you’re still not saying the word “genocide.” Isn’t that what we want? We’re trying to move the Titanic here in Congress on any issue, right? You’re like trying to change things that have been a certain way for a long time, whatever the issue. And when we make it so black and white, you are either with us or against us, we are cleaving off parts of a coalition that we could bring together.

So that was why it was important for me to say that. And it’s true also within the progressive Jewish members in Congress and people who are going to be joining us. Some are comfortable using that word. Some aren’t. I don’t see the ones who aren’t comfortable using it as not being my allies. They’re absolutely my allies. It is about giving people some grace. And I know when I say that, sometimes people get very sad and angry because they feel like there can be no nuance when it comes to people being killed, whether it’s in Gaza or Palestine in the West Bank. And I understand that. I do, at a cellular level. But again, I’m a policymaker. And it’s math problem, right? It’s a math problem. I need votes. That’s how we move people. That’s how we move the Overton window of how we talk about things. And so that’s why it was important for me to include that. Does that make sense?

DS: Well, it makes plenty of sense to me, Congresswoman, and I’ve taken a similar approach in many ways, and I’ve sometimes gotten flack for it myself. That’s why I wanted you to talk about it a little bit, and I really appreciate you doing that. I’d love for you to talk a little bit from your perch on Capitol Hill about how you see the politics on Israel-Palestine changing on the Hill. Last week, for example, we saw 103 Democrats, including yourself, vote for the Massie Amendment against $3.3 billion in military aid for Israel. That was a titanic level shift.

BB: It really was.

DS: So if you could talk about it in the Democratic Party, but also I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Republican Party.

BB: So, I just want to pull the curtain back about how Congress works and operates right now with this particular party in power and under this particular Speaker. So many of the votes that happen are just about messaging and about cleaving and dividing the Democratic Party. And we know that and also... They can also be opportunities for us, again, to make a shift. So I want to be really clear.

I have found common cause with [Rep. Thomas] Massie on a couple things, including the Epstein files. I also know that he has said and done things that are very problematic as it relates to Jews. And there are things that seem to indicate that he has a problem himself with anti-Semitism. So I want to just acknowledge that because that also came into play.

There were a lot of what we call New Dems who are seen as the more moderate Dems, right? So it was not just a progressive Democratic vote that happened. And the fact that you had more moderate voters like Jake Auchincloss in Massachusetts. Like that was a bellwether.

DS: That was a surprise to me, I must say.

BB: It was a surprise and it was a bellwether. A Jewish member of Congress who is somebody who tends to vote more moderately when it relates to Israel. And I don’t think he would disagree with that characterization. He’s a great Member, very thoughtful. And when he started telling people that he was going to be voting for it, a lot of people noticed. So it goes back to what you were saying before about the use of the word “genocide” or not. Jake is not going to use that word, but he voted in support of … the amendment, which was to stop an arms transfer, essentially. And so that should be a real indication that there are other people thinking that way. And that’s why I say we can find our allies in a lot of different places.

We have a lot of problems with the Republicans, but look, there is a neo-Nazi thread within this Republican conference. And with some of their allies on the outside, you can look at some of the candidates they’re running, right? And so that is there, right? And so we don’t want to be in common cause with them and the way that they talk about Israel and the way that they talk about Jews, right? But we know that there are other Republicans who find it very unsettling that we are spending so much money on the war in Iran and so much money on Israel when we don’t have health care and housing and Medicaid and Medicare. So there’s common cause there, but they are not going to support it because they saw it as an opportunity to divide Dems. Which is why I think our leadership team really wanted to try to keep people voting “no,” but people want to be able to respond to what they’re hearing, to their voters in real time, and people want to change in policy.

DS: Yeah. And I have thoughts about what the Democratic leadership did there. I mean, I agree with folks like you who voted “yes” on the Massie Amendment because that was the vehicle that you had available.

BB: Exactly. That was what we had.

DS: You could have had a different vehicle if the Democratic leadership had gotten off their tuchases in advance of all of this, but they didn’t. So you voted for what you had and that was the right thing to do.

BB: Well, that’s it. That’s one of the hardest parts to be in Congress. You’re there. What comes before you? You have to make the decision the best way that you can. Some of my colleagues voted present. I’ve made a commitment to myself to never vote present because my Vermonters sent me there to vote. And in in some state legislatures have a present option. We don’t in Vermont. So that is just foreign to me. You make your decision as best you can. I’m not trying to throw shade on anyone who voted present because I understand why they did. They’re like, I don’t like the vehicle, you know, but you do the best you can with the information you have.

DS: That’s absolutely right. I want to switch gears just a little bit. And I want to talk about a recent incident that you’ve been outspoken about. Something that happened to Scott Wiener, California state senator running for Congress and he is gay himself. He’s been a real champion on trans rights in the California state legislature, went to a trans pride event and was basically hounded out of it over the issue of Gaza. You have described being “shaken to your core,” that’s a quote, by what happened to Scott Weiner. And I would love to hear your thoughts on that. And I want to ask you about one particular thing that was screamed at Scott Weiner that I still can’t wrap my head around and maybe you can help me. One of the things that was screamed at him by the small gaggle of activists about which I have not had positive things to say… They said to Scott Weiner, “You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel, you piece of s**t!” Can you talk about all of this?

BB: What they did to him was dehumanize him. To go after his basic human dignity and his identity, and again, it wasn’t even that he didn’t meet the litmus test, because he did. But what they said to him is, you didn’t condemn it fast enough. You didn’t use this word [genocide] quick enough. That’s been the criticism of him, right? And so we as leaders, we as humans, are not able to integrate more information? We’re not able to do that? And if we do, somehow we’re called phony or fake. And in the case of Scott Wiener, people saying, well, you stop being queer. You don’t have any right to be here, essentially.

DS: I don’t even understand what that means. How could you stop being queer? I can’t even wrap my head around it.

BB: That was one of the things that did shake me to my core. When we lose our basic human dignity, when people are seeing you as somehow less than human, that is the same thing that is happening in parts of the world where people are being killed because of their identity, the color of their skin, the kind of cultural background they have. I don't want to become part of that. And I'm going to be really transparent with you here. What shapes my thinking about this is the work of a woman who teaches at Harvard named Donna Hicks. She wrote a book called Dignity and her follow-up book was Leaning with Dignity. Donna Hicks worked in hotspot areas around the globe. And she said, “You can’t get to any kind of policy change. You can’t get to a prisoners swap or an agreement on boundaries if each party on the opposite side does not see the basic inherent human dignity in the party on the other side. It can't happen. And what I saw there was that people felt like [Wiener] was no longer human because he didn't say things or do things in exactly the way that he should have or on the timeline that they wanted him to have. That is dangerous thinking for any group. It's dangerous.

People ask me all the time, is there anti-Semitism? Do the Democrats have an anti-Semitism problem? This country has an anti-Semitism problem. This country does. In the same way that this country has a problem with sexism and has a problem with racism. And so it cuts across whether you're Democrat, Republican, or Independent. And wherever it is that we are going after people's basic human dignity, we have work to do. I've got work to do. I spend every day trying to be a better person. And what I saw in that video was It was people trying to berate him and shame him so he could no longer be welcome in his own community anymore. That's dangerous.

DS: In a recent piece, you told CNN that you believe that a day of reckoning [is coming], because you still believe that Jews should have a homeland. You believe in two states, a state of Israel, a state of Palestine, alongside. You believe a day of reckoning is likely coming among your current supporters who may abandon you because you still believe in a Jewish homeland, in two states. Can you talk about that and the extent to which [support for two states] may become a problematic position in the Democratic Party?

BB: Yeah, I think about this all the time. And I know that it's not just my supporters. I think the most recent poll I saw is almost half of American Jews under 35 believe that the Israel-Palestinian conflict can only be solved with creating one single country, including Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Arabs, and Muslims. Right? Let me borrow their framing. If that is the future, I do not believe we can get there until we have already established a two-state solution where people are in control of their own destiny and sovereignty. I know that right now, many progressives, at least outwardly, publicly say they no longer support a two-state solution, that it should be one state. I'm not there yet. I feel like given all of the incredible pain and suffering of both of these people right now and having spent time in Israel and the West Bank and talking to people on both sides of the issue, I feel like an incredible amount of healing needs to happen before we could get to that point. Does that make sense?

DS: I certainly hear what you’re saying. What’s so interesting to me about that quote that I read from you is, I mean, it’s one thing to say that more and more people, especially young Jews, believe in a one-state solution. Okay. But the fact that you feel like, at least for, I’m not saying for all of your supporters — but for some — that that is going to be like, nope, that’s the last straw. We won’t support anyone who believes in two states. I thought that was very interesting. Let me ask you a last question, because I want to be as respectful of your time as I can, even as I’m being greedy with it.

There is clearly a battle within the Democratic Party right now over this issue. I see it, for example, over Zohran Mamdani. Over Abdul El-Sayed. Between him and Haley Stevens for Senate in Michigan, which is such a clutch race, right? And you’ll see if you’re, God help you, on social media, folks who are Democrats on either side and the vitriol with which they are treating each other, which is, I think, maybe ought to give some of us pause to be a little bit worried about People ripping the Democratic Party apart when they don’t need to be doing that, I think. You, Congresswoman Balint, are obviously your bridge builder.

BB: Trying to be, yes.

DS: You’re trying to be. I think you’re going to have, for example, in Brad Lander, who ought to be joining you in Congress… Really impressive, important, progressive Jewish voice. You’re going to have more nuance, trying to hold complexity. So how do you do that? What is your role in the Democratic Party right now in this regard?

BB: Yes, I really, I really appreciate this question because I was just talking, I was just talking with a friend of mine in Congress and I was like, how can I be the most effective I can be? Me, personally. Knowing who I am, how I operate. And she said to me something that made me a little teary. She said, “You're doing all the things. You have good relationships across the caucus. People trust you that you're not going to be publicly calling people out, shaming people, that it is about listening first.” Like, help me understand why you are taking the position that you do based on what your constituency is. Help me understand what's happening, that you had to take this vote versus another vote.

I'm an insatiably curious person, which I mentioned to you before. And I see my role as giving people the space to wrestle with complex issues without feeling like they're going to fall off the tightrope. Like I want them to see that I'm doing it. You can do it too. And that we as human beings can ask more of ourselves and each other than this moment seems to indicate that we can. Look, this [social media] isn't real life. It's not real life. And we measure the likes and the shares. I go out and talk to people face-to-face and people actually understand there’s a lot more complexity and nuance because they see it in their own lives.

I’m trying to hold that space. I’m trying to show up as a patient, kind person. I don’t believe that empathy is weakness. I don’t believe that staking out a complex position is a cop-out. That’s the human condition. And I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong. That's the other thing. That goes a long way in Congress to go back to someone and say, “You know what? I was wrong about that. You were right. And let me understand that better.” And I'll see how long I can do this. That's how I look at it. See how long I can do it.

DS: Well, thank you, Congresswoman Balint, so much. Thank you for doing what you do, which is obviously not easy in this environment, but so important that we have amazing, dedicated, brilliant public servants like yourself. So thank you so much for what you do. And thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today. Really, really appreciate it.

BB: I appreciate it, too. And I love to be able to have longer form conversations because often I’m on the news and it’s only for a few minutes. And this kind of rich conversation is so necessary.

DS: I think so, too. And I love it. And Congresswoman, you’re welcome back any time.

BB: Okay. I love that. Thank you so much, Debra.

Wishing you all a restful, rejuvenating weekend.

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics we tackled included:

* Syria: 13+ years of brutal civil war culminating in the fall of the al-Asad regime, the first 1.5 years of Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule in Syria, ongoing sectarian tensions in the country, the roles of key regional and international players, and the importance of lifting US and EU sanctions

* Lebanon: the US-Iran MOU vs. the Israel-Lebanon agreement, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, and Mission Impossible for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hizballah while hostilities are ongoing and Israel holds Lebanese territory

* Iran war: the danger of military escalation on top of the utter folly of launching the war in the first place, death of US soldiers and attacks against US bases and assets, the fight for control over the Strait of Hormuz, and the war’s impact on the Gulf states and their role in an eventual diplomatic settlement and new regional security arrangement

* Bab el-Mandeb: the Houthis’ closure of this Red Sea strait to Saudi shipping will compound the global economic crisis

* Israel-Palestine: updates on the dire situations in Gaza and the West Bank plus understanding how the occupation has played out differently in each, Israeli election updates, the role of Judaism and Orthodox religious authorities in Israel, the standoff over the draft of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli military, and the provision for unprecedented US-Israel defense integration in the NDAA (more on that here)

“Usually you have to take classes at the university to get the level of insight that [Debra] has... You have her here giving you that information now.”

That’s Wajeeh Lion speaking about the expertise I bring to this work. In very kindly urging his viewers to become paid subscribers to the Debrief he noted that the more paid subscribers a publication gets, the more the Substack promotes it. If you’d like to help The Debrief grow as we enter its second year, the best way to do that is to become a paid subscriber.

Will you please do that now?

Tips/donations in any amount are also appreciated! Thank you!

Coming Up This Week!

Friday (Fri, July 24) at 1pm Eastern:

Defiance & the Fight for American Democracy — with Miles Taylor

I’m delighted to host Miles Taylor on The Debrief! As many of you know, Miles is the founder of Defiance.org, a NYT bestselling author, and the anonymous writer of a 2018 NYT op-ed on being part of the resistance inside the first Trump administration. In April 2025, claiming that Miles’ actions could be treasonous, Trump issued a presidential memorandum ordering senior staff in his administration to launch an investigation against him.

That’s all for now!

With best wishes to you all,

Debra

It was a pleasure to host two brilliant young clergy for this thoughtful and heartfelt discussion. Rabbi Andy Kahn (bio) of the American Council for Judaism is a Reform rabbi, ordained by Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Amelia Wolf (bio) of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia is a Conservative rabbi, ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary.

The backdrop to our conversation was a study released in late 2025 by The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation. The findings that surprised me the most regarded demographics. Among current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

The topics Rabbis Amelia and Andy and I discussed included:

* Why students from “non-traditional” demographics are pursuing the rabbinate in far greater numbers than in previous generations

* Inter-generational conflicts between young rabbis and their congregations — and how rabbis and Jewish institutions can/should manage them

* Changing attitudes on Israel-Palestine among next-gen rabbis

* Controversies within the Reform and Conservative movements over Zionism and Israel — Specifically, we spoke about the Re-Charging Reform Judaism conference, which passed a resolution opposing the ordination of clergy who are not “committed to a Zionism that echoes the commitments of Reform Zionism.” It’s worth checking out Rabbi Andy’s response, which denounced “Zionism’s authoritarian takeover of Reform Judaism,” referring to it as a “slow-moving coup.” We also discussed the controversy over student objections to the Jewish Theological Seminary’s invitation to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to serve as a commencement speaker

* How this next generation of rabbis may change American Judaism

I think you’ll enjoy this thoughtful conversation — and, as always, I look forward to hearing what you think! If you find this conversation worthwhile, please hit “like” and share it to help others discover this podcast.

🎁 The Debrief’s birthday month continues! 🎁

July is shaping up to be an epic month on The Debrief.

Abdul El-Sayed. Ro Khanna. Wajahat Ali. Ami Fields-Meyer. Andrew Miller. Josh Leifer. Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn. Nadav Weiman. And there’s more to come (see below!).

I’m working hard to take The Debrief to the next level — and I need your help to do it.

If you value this work, become a paid subscriber now.

Tips/donations in any amount are also appreciated! Thank you!

Podcasts This Week!

Tomorrow (Mon, July 20) at 11am Eastern:

I’ll share analysis on the escalation between the US and Iran — joining Wajeeh Lion, a Saudi dissident and Middle East political analyst, for a conversation on his podcast.

Friday (Fri, July 24) at 1pm Eastern:

I’m excited to host Miles Taylor on The Debrief! As many of you know, Miles is the founder of Defiance.org, a NYT bestselling author, and the anonymous writer of a 2018 NYT op-ed on being part of the resistance inside the first Trump administration.

Looking forward to seeing many of you this week!

Warm regards,

Debra

Earlier this month, I brought you a podcast with Congressman Ro Khanna about US policy toward Israel-Palestine. Shortly after we spoke, Khanna went on a Palestinian-led tour of the West Bank, during which he was detained by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers. Nadav Weiman, the Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, was with Khanna when the Congressman was detained.

Nadav and I discussed:

* The details of Khanna’s West Bank detention — including the identities of the armed settlers and the role played by IDF soldiers

* Netanyahu’s spin on Khanna’s detention — and Nadav’s refutation of it. We also discussed efforts by Israeli Ambassador to the US Yehiel Leiter (himself a hardline settler who favors official West Bank annexation) and others to deflect attention from Khanna’s detention and his spotlighting of the plight of Palestinians under occupation and state-backed settler violence

* “VIP Version” of the Occupation — How Khanna’s experience pales in comparison to what Palestinians in the West Bank experience on a daily basis, as Israel’s Haaretz newspaper noted in this July 12 editorial and Khanna himself has emphasized.

* What people outside Israel can do: Nadav emphasized the importance of educating about the Occupation, speaking with elected representatives about it, and amplifying Palestinian voices from the West Bank and Gaza. I noted the massive shift within the Democratic party, thanks to grassroots pressure; this led yesterday to nearly half of House Democrats (including Rep. Khanna) voting to strip $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel from an annual appropriations bill

* Seeing the Occupation for yourself: As Congressman Khanna and I have done, there is no substitute for witnessing the Occupation yourself and hearing from Palestinians who suffer unbearable hardships under it. If you are in or going to visit Israel-Palestine, sign up for a Breaking the Silence tour to Hebron or the South Hebron Hills. Encourage friends and family to do the same! While you’re on the Breaking the Silence website, check out their resources, including testimonies by former Israeli soldiers

Video posted by Ro Khanna of his trip to the West Bank:

As always, I look forward to your thoughts and reactions. Let me know what you think in the comments! And please share so that more folks will get to hear from Nadav.

🎁 The Debrief’s birthday month continues! 🎁

July is shaping up to be an epic month on The Debrief.

Abdul El-Sayed. Ro Khanna. Wajahat Ali. Ami Fields-Meyer. Andrew Miller. Josh Leifer. Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn. Nadav Weiman. And there’s more to come.

I’m working hard to take The Debrief to the next level — and I need your help to do it.

Please become a paid subscriber now.

Tips/donations in any amount are also appreciated! Thank you!

The Next Generation of American Rabbis

TL;DR: Video is coming soon!

We had a second wonderful podcast today, featuring Rabbis Amelia Wolf and Andy Kahn, on the changing demographics of the American rabbinate, their implications for the future of Judaism in the US, and where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine. I had an incredible time speaking with these two young, brilliant, compassionate Jewish leaders. I’ll send out the podcast video over the weekend — along with a schedule for podcasts next week. Sorry to keep you in suspense, but it’s coming. Stay tuned!

That’s all for now, folks!

Tomorrow, I’ll head on a little journey to pick up my precious boy from sleep away camp. Can’t wait to see that kiddo again, hear about his adventures, and feed him his favorite foods when we get home. Yep, I’m a Jewish mother... shuddering to think how much weight my son has lost while he’s been away from my kitchen.

Warm regards,

Debra

We tackled the following topics:

* Resumption of the US-Israeli war against Iran with no clear endgame: What Andrew would advise the Trump Admin to do regarding the illegal, disastrous war it never should have started

* Mossad’s plot to cultivate Mahmoud Ahmedinejad as an Israeli asset and groom him to replace an overthrown Iranian regime: Andrew and I discussed this stranger-than-fiction effort and how Benjamin Netanyahu sold it to Donald Trump

* The US-Israel “exceptional relationship”: How it is different from America’s relationships with other allies and partners; why it’s bad for the US, Israel, and the Palestinians alike; and what it would mean to create a normal bilateral relationship

* US aid to Israel: Andrew shared his insider perspective on the development of the 10-year Obama-Netanyahu aid MOU that expires in 2028 and explained why he believes there should be no new US-Israel aid MOU

* The Massie Amendment to strip $3.3 billion in military aid for Israel from an appropriations bill: Andrew shared how he would have counseled House Democrats to vote. Following our podcast, 103 House Dems voted for the Massie Amendment, with only 98 voting against it and 10 voting present. This is a seismic shift for the Democratic party. I’ll have more to say about it soon!

* Provision in the NDAA for unprecedented US-Israel defense integration: Andrew explained why he opposes it NDAA Sections 219 (House) / 1217 (Senate). For more, see my podcast with former State Department official Josh Paul:

* Biden Admin mea culpas: There were officials in the Biden Admin who pushed to use US leverage to compel change in Israel’s campaign in Gaza that produced genocide (my word, not Andrew’s) against Palestinians. Senior decision-makers, including President Biden, overruled them. We spoke about the need for public accountability by senior Biden Admin officials and ensuring change in a future Democratic administration.

It’s a pleasure to be able to bring The Debrief’s viewers this conversation with Andrew Miller. He was extremely generous in sharing his insider knowledge, deep expertise, and honest analysis. I hope you found this podcast valuable! I’d love to hear your thoughts, as always.

🎉 The Debrief’s birthday month celebration continues! 🎉

July has already been an epic month on The Debrief.

Congressman Ro Khanna. Abdul El-Sayed. Wajahat Ali. Ami Fields-Meyer’s On Courage. Andrew Miller. Josh Leifer. And there’s much more to come!

I’m working hard to take The Debrief to the next level, and I need your help to do it. Thank you for your support this month — with a big shout out to our new paid subscribers!

Friends, let’s keep up the momentum.

If you haven’t yet, please become a paid subscriber now.

Tips/donations in any amount to celebrate The Debrief’s birthday are also appreciated! Thank you!

TOMORROW: Back-to-Back Podcasts!

We’ve got two podcasts in a row tomorrow! Please note the slight time change for the Nadav Weiman podcast.

TOMORROW (Thurs, July 16) at 11:30am Eastern ← ← Time Change!

Nadav Weiman: “I Joined Ro Khanna on His West Bank Visit. Here’s What I Saw”

Nadav Weiman, Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, accompanied Ro Khanna during the Congressman’s recent trip to the West Bank. Nadav was there when armed settlers and Israeli soldiers detained Rep. Khanna. While Prime Minister Netanyahu and numerous propagandists who weren’t there are spinning the event, Nadav will tell us what happened from his eyewitness perspective. He’ll also put the event in the wider context of state-backed settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

TOMORROW (Thurs, July 16) at 12:30pm Eastern:

Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn: The Next Generation of American Rabbis

For some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’ll welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

That’s all for now, friends! I hope to see many of you for one or both podcasts tomorrow.

Warm regards,

Debra

The contrast between Dr. El-Sayed and his opponent in the Democratic primary, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, is sharp. El-Sayed is a progressive candidate whose three overarching priorities are: Money Out of Politics, Money In Your Pocket, and Medicare for All. Stevens is a centrist supported by the Democratic establishment and buoyed by millions of dollars in outside spending — the majority of it by AIPAC-affiliated groups.

Israel-Palestine is a major point of difference between the candidates. Stevens rhetorically supports a two-state solution. In reality, however, she has been a reliable supporter of AIPAC’s efforts to thwart changes to US policy that could advance Palestinian statehood. I saw this first-hand when working with Congressman Andy Levin on his 2021 Two-State Solution Act. Stevens opposed it and AIPAC poured millions of dollars into her successful effort to defeat him in 2022. As for Dr. El-Sayed, you’ll hear him articulate his view in this podcast!

Abdul and I focused on the following topics:

* On Israel-Palestine, El-Sayed spoke about:

* Pursuing a policy rooted in international law and equal rights for Jewish Israelis and Palestinians

* Treating Israel as the US would treat any other country engaging in “rogue state behavior,” including occupation, apartheid, genocide, and offensive wars; he noted that as an Egyptian American, “I am just as harsh on the Egyptian government in terms of not wanting to send them unconditional military aid”

* Keeping Americans taxpayers’ dollars at home

* Ending American “hubris” in dictating “how other people should end long-term conflicts and reach an ultimate peace”

* Why reporters should stop asking ‘Does Israel have a right to exist?’

* AIPAC’s vast spending to defeat El-Sayed and support Stevens

* Democrats and Trump’s war against Iran: While Senate Democrats just blocked the $1.15 billion National Defense Authorization Act from moving forward in protest of the illegal and once-again-escalating Iran war, El-Sayed argued that Democrats can and must do much more to work for an end to the war

* Muslim-Jewish solidarity: Here’s a quote from Abdul:

I look forward to serving my Jewish Michigander sisters and brothers. Because it's when we come together in the ways that people tell us we can't, that we continue to emphasize what America can do. And as I've said to my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith in Michigan, you open the door for me and you welcome me, I'll walk through. You invite me, I'm gonna come. We may not agree on situations 6,000 miles away, but we will agree that you have a right to live peaceably as a Jewish American. That your dignity ought to always be protected. And you will not find somebody who's going to be more of a lion against antisemitism who doesn't share your faith. As somebody who understands what it's like to share a faith that is disfavored by some people. Because we have to live in an America where there are no disfavored people. And I'm looking forward to building that together.

* Why El-Sayed believes Michigan will be the first state to elect a Muslim American to the US Senate, how this is significant, and why he believes he is best placed to defeat Republican Mike Rogers in the general election in November

One logistical note — I was able to confirm this podcast only hours before going live, so I couldn’t notify you all about it in my previous emails. Sorry about that! I do hope that if you weren’t able to join live, you’ll find the recording worthwhile.

I’m very interested to hear what you think — let me know in the comments!

🎉 The Debrief is celebrating its first year and hitting its stride! 🎉

It’s no small feat to land podcasts with major political figures like Abdul El-Sayed, Congressman Ro Khanna, and Brad Lander.

The Debrief is becoming an indispensable destination for smart conversations on Israel-Palestine and the about the fast-moving currents in US politics around it. National politicians are taking note!

But here’s the thing. I need YOUR support in order to continue this work. Can I depend on you to step up and chip in?

Please become a paid subscriber.

Tips/donations in any amount are also appreciated! Thank you!

Much More to Come This Week!

TOMORROW (Wed, July 15) at 11:30am Eastern ←← New date/time

Andrew Miller: US aid to Israel and Resetting the US-Israel Relationship

Andrew Miller served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian affairs from 2022 to 2024. Prior to that, he served as a senior policy adviser to US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. During the Obama Administration, Andrew served as the director for Egypt and Israel military issues on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council and was involved in deliberations regarding US security assistance to Egypt and Israel and regarding Middle East peace. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Andrew had to reschedule due to a family illness. Thanks for your patience!

Thursday, July 16, at 11am Eastern ← ← Just Added!

Nadav Weiman: “I Joined Ro Khanna on His West Bank Visit. Here’s What I Saw”

Nadav Weiman, Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, accompanied Ro Khanna during the Congressman’s recent trip to the West Bank. Nadav was there when armed settlers and Israeli soldiers detained Rep. Khanna. While Prime Minister Netanyahu and numerous propagandists who weren’t there are spinning the event, Nadav will tell us what happened from his eyewitness perspective. He’ll also put the event in the wider context of state-backed settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Thursday, July 16, at 12:30pm Eastern:

Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn: The Next Generation of American Rabbis

For some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’ll welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

What a week! From Israeli election analysis to a conversation with Abdul El-Sayed and with much more to come as the week continues, it’s my pleasure to bring you a wealth of great content on The Debrief.

Please like, share, and support this work.

Many thanks!

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics we discussed included:

* Netanyahu as the continuing focus of the election: With multiple wars raging and the traumas of October 7th ongoing, rival camps are defined by their pro-Bibi and anti-Bibi positioning

* The surge by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and his Yashar party: Josh shared insights regarding Eisenkot’s non-charismatic populist appeal, his Mizrahi background and roots in Israel’s “periphery,” and his personal losses during the Gaza war

* Arab parties: Why the four parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel have not consolidated into a Joint List and what the electoral repercussions might be

* A Place for Us All: The new political party launched by leaders of the Standing Together movement and what impact it could have on the election

* Haredi draft: The rage in the ultra-Orthodox sector over the failure of the Netanyahu government to facilitate an exemption for men engaged in Torah study has created a major rift in the pro-Bibi camp

* Trump factor: Trump loves a winner and right now, Netanyahu isn’t looking like one. Will Trump operatives go so far as to make public overtures to the anti-Bibi camp?

* Election integrity and avoiding a January 6 redux: How the Netanyahu government may try to intimidate Arab voters and what can be done to ensure a fair election and peaceful transfer of power

Josh and I covered a lot of ground! As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What Israeli election-related topics would you like to see covered on future Debrief podcasts?

🎉 The Debrief is celebrating its first birthday this month! 🎉

We’re building momentum! This is a great time to show your support.

So many of you have shared with me how much you’ve come to value The Debrief. I love it! I believe in this work and its ability to educate, enlighten, build community, and even change hearts and minds.

Here’s the thing. We need more folks step up and chip in to make this work sustainable.

Please become a paid subscriber today.

Tips/donations in any amount are also appreciated! Thank you.

Coming Up!

TONIGHT at around 8pm Eastern:

I’ll go live on TRT World News to discuss the latest escalation in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

TOMORROW (Tues, July 14) at 11am Eastern:

Andrew Miller on US aid to Israel and Resetting the US-Israel Relationship

Andrew Miller served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian affairs from 2022 to 2024. Prior to that, he served as a senior policy adviser to US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. During the Obama Administration, Andrew served as the director for Egypt and Israel military issues on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council and was involved in deliberations regarding US security assistance to Egypt and Israel and regarding Middle East peace. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Thursday, July 16, at 12:30pm Eastern:

Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn on The Next Generation of American Rabbis

For some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’ll welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

Thanks for watching, reading, and supporting.

Warm regards,

Debra

Our discussion followed a recent episode of Ezra Klein’s podcast featuring ALFA’s co-directors, which is worth watching. That said — if you really want the good stuff, I recommend The Debrief’s podcasts with ALFA’s Israeli Co-Director May Pundak and Palestinian Co-Director Rula Hardal:

What are your reactions to Lawrence and my podcast? What are your thoughts on A Land for All? As always, I welcome your comments!

🎉 Exciting update as we celebrate The Debrief’s first birthday this month! 🎉

A generous supporter offered to match the next 10 paid subscriptions. We earned the match in less than a week!

Huge thanks to the 10 new paid subscribers who stepped up and helped The Debrief earn this matching grant! And heartfelt appreciation to this wonderful donor for her generosity and steadfast support!

The Debrief still needs many more folks to pitch in…

Let’s keep the birthday month momentum going!

Please become a paid subscriber now.

Tips/donations in any amount to celebrate The Debrief’s birthday are also appreciated! Thank you.

What’s Coming Up This Week?

Tomorrow (Mon, July 13) at 11am Eastern:

Joshua Leifer on Israeli Elections and Israel-Diaspora Relations

Josh Leifer is a columnist for Israel’s left-leaning newspaper Haaretz, a doctoral candidate in history at Yale University, and author of the award-winning book Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life. His essays and reporting have also appeared in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and elsewhere.

Tuesday, July 14, at 11am Eastern:

Andrew Miller on US aid to Israel and Resetting the US-Israel Relationship

Andrew Miller served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian affairs from 2022 to 2024. Prior to that, he served as a senior policy adviser to US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. During the Obama Administration, Andrew served as the director for Egypt and Israel military issues on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council and was involved in deliberations regarding US security assistance to Egypt and Israel and regarding Middle East peace. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Thursday, July 16, at 12:30pm Eastern:

Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn on The Next Generation of American Rabbis

For some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’ll welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

As you can see, we’ve got an exciting week lined up here on the Debrief!

I hope you’ll be able to join us live for one or more of these live conversations. (If you can’t, no worries — the videos will be delivered to your inbox. Podcast recordings are also available in The Debrief’s archive.)

Warm regards,

Debra

On Courage is a manual for Americans who are taking democratic backsliding in our country seriously and considering how we can fight back. It is highly relevant for readers in other countries, as well.

The topics Ami and I covered included:

* What a dissident is, why would people would choose to become dissidents when costs are potentially steep and success is not guaranteed, and leveraging our relative freedom and privilege to fight back before it gets harder to do so

* Four warning signs of an emerging authoritarian leader and their applicability in the current American context

* How technology (including smart phones, social media, and AI) make state repression easier — and steps we should take to protect ourselves

* “Double thinkers” — Mikhael Manekin of the Israeli anti-occupation group Smol Emuni (“Faithful Left”), and how “connected criticism” from inside a community can help to shift views

* “Imperfect coalitions” — the notion of creating broad coalitions to halt democratic backsliding, which includes people that have significant disagreements. Ami and I explored how this could be helpful in thinking about divergences within the democratic camp over Israel-Palestine

There’s much more in our conversation, and in the book itself. A listener noted in the live chat that they plan to recommend On Courage for their book group. It’s a great idea and potentially a way to foster a “political home” — something the book advises all of us to cultivate.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this conversation!

🎉 Exciting news as we celebrate The Debrief’s first birthday this month! 🎉

A generous supporter has offered to match the next 10 paid subscriptions — and we’re halfway to earning the match!

The Debrief has enriched this subscriber’s life, and she’s going above and beyond to encourage others to invest. I believe in this work and its ability to educate, enlighten, build community, and even change hearts and minds.

I love to hear from folks who love The Debrief! But here’s the thing. With a family to support, I can only continue this work if more folks step up and chip in.

This is a fantastic opportunity to extend your impact.

Please become a paid subscriber.

Tips/donations in any amount to celebrate The Debrief’s birthday are also appreciated! Thank you!

Take Action!

Urgent: Speak Out to Save Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s Life

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya probably didn’t set out to be a dissident. He is a renowned pediatrician and was the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital, until the Israeli military arrested him in December 2024. Along with 13 other Palestinian doctors, Dr. Abu Safiya is being held in administrative detention — without charge.

His life appears to be in imminent danger. Today, UN experts called for his immediate release, stating, “In light of ongoing reports of continued severe torture and the latest reports suggesting that his injuries could lead to imminent death, Israel must ensure that Dr. Abu Safiya has access to immediate and adequate medical care.”

Dr. Abu Safiya’s lawyer states that during a recent visit, his client was almost unrecognizable due to severe injuries sustained in Israeli detention. The lawyer quoted Dr. Abu Safiya as having told him, “They brought me here to kill me. I don’t see myself surviving. This is the end.”

Last month, liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an editorial calling on Israeli authorities to release Dr. Abu Safiya. The editorial argued:

“If Israel has evidence against Abu Safiya, it should indict him and present that evidence. If it doesn't have evidence against him, it needs to release him, and all the other jailed doctors, promptly.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen has demanded Dr. Abu Safiya’s release, as has Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez.

I’ve signed a petition from the Israeli organization Academia for Equality and I’d like to invite you to do so, as well. The petition is directed to “academic, medical, and legal communities in Israel” and calls on them “to act immediately to save the life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.” Academia for Equality works to advance equality, social justice, and Jewish-Arab partnership in academia and public life.

If you’d like to sign a petition directed to your Members of Congress, there are options for doing that, too. For example, I found petitions from CAIR and Doctors Against Genocide.

Thanks for taking action, friends!

Coming Up

Thursday, July 16, at 12:30pm Eastern

For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the hot topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’m delighted to welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

I hope to announce additional podcasts coming up soon, so stay tuned.

Thanks for your support of The Debrief!

Warm regards,

Debra

Progressive champion Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s endorsements include Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna,* as well as United Auto Workers. Meanwhile, Rep. Haley Stevens has the backing of Senator Chuck Schumer and AIPAC, whose support helped her to defeat progressive Jewish Rep. Andy Levin in 2022.

If you’re interested in diving into recent polling on the race, Zenith Research found last month that in head-to-head matchups, El-Sayed narrowly leads presumptive Republican nominee Mike Rogers 45% to 42%, while Stevens is in a dead heat with Rogers at 43% to 42%, respectively.

The Israel-Palestine issue is playing a significant role in the race, so it’s worth noting that continuing US military aid to Israel at current levels polls poorly among Michigan voters: 33% support vs. 54% opposition. David Sirota of The Lever just interviewed El-Sayed and it’s worth listening to what he had to say about Israel-Palestine, AIPAC, and protecting Jews against antisemitism. Meanwhile, here is an AIPAC video of Stevens and a clip of Mallory McMorrow criticizing Stevens for risking Michigan’s Senate seat by raising money through AIPAC.

As always, I’m interested in your comments on this podcast! Looking forward to hearing your reactions.

🎉 Exciting news as we celebrate The Debrief’s first birthday this month! 🎉

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Coming Up!

Mark your calendars! Scheduling for additional podcasts is (always) in progress.

TOMORROW (Tues, July 7) at 11am Eastern

I’m thrilled to speak with Ami Fields-Meyer about his just-published and extremely timely book On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear. If you’re an MS NOW fan, you may have seen Rachel Maddow raving about the book this week, so much so that she’s going to record the audio version. Ami and his co-author Julia Angwin draw lessons from individual dissidents and opposition organizations around the world — including some from Israel-Palestine that have been featured on The Debrief! Be sure to join us.

Thursday, July 16, at 12:30pm Eastern

For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the hot topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’m delighted to welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

* In Case You Missed It…

Last week’s conversation with Congressman Ro Khanna is a truly must-watch!

That’s all for now, folks! Hope to see many of you tomorrow morning for the conversation with Ami Fields-Mayer.

Warm regards,

Debra

* Unprecedented US-Israel defense integration in the NDAA: Rep. Khanna explained why he and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie have led the charge against Section 219 (224). He railed against both the Republican-led Rules Committee from blocking consideration of their amendment to strip this provision from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for unwillingness to block it in the Senate. Khanna was highly pessimistic about the possibility of blocking the provision from becoming law. (Please see additional commentary from me on the path forward below.)

* Aid and weapons sales to Israel: Rep. Khanna explained his strong opposition to a potential new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government on US aid to Israel — and stated what a future Democratic president should do with such an MOU if it is signed. We also drilled down beyond the Block the Bombs Act (which he cosponsors) on Khanna’s positioning on US arms sales to Israel.

* AIPAC: When I posed a question from a former longtime AIPAC staffer who follows The Debrief about Khanna’s strident criticism of AIPAC, Khanna explained his opposition to AIPAC’s policy agenda and tactics. He also noted that he remains willing to speak with the group despite its frequent attacks against him. He opposes attacks against AIPAC that characterize the organization as un-American. (The latter is an important point that I often make, as well.) Khanna also explained his preference for J Street’s policy agenda.

* Shifting US politics on Israel-Palestine — and Khanna’s role: Khanna spoke about his winning record in political endorsements this cycle and spoke about willingness to speak truth about genocide in Gaza as a sign of courage and an indication that a candidate will be willing to take on daunting political challenges required in order to fix America’s broken political and economic system.

* Israel-Palestine in the 2028 presidential race: Khanna gave his view on how the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee should position themself on I-P. His answer to this question sounds to my ears like an early draft of a 2028 stump speech. Just sayin’!

Additional commentary about the NDAA provision in the first bullet point: I don’t doubt Khanna’s assessment that it will be hard to defeat this provision. But there are still opportunities to try. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Senator Peter Welch have both filed amendments regarding the analogous provision in the Senate’s version of the NDAA (Section 1217). Van Hollen’s amendments would strip the section altogether. Welch’s would only allow the provision to take effect only if the Secretary of Defense certifies that Israel’s military and security forces have not “engaged in wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure, crimes against humanity, or ethnic cleansing in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, or any other geographic area that came under the administration of the Government of Israel after June 5, 1967” during the three years prior to the bill’s adoption. If you haven’t seen it already, definitely check out my podcast with Josh Paul of A New Policy, which goes into depth about this NDAA provision. His organization is spearheading efforts against Section 1217.

I would love to hear what you think of my conversation with Congressman Khanna! As always, I’ll be reading your comments (and responding to as many as I can). Please share this post widely!

If you watched this podcast to the end, you heard my pitch for new paid subscribers. Some wonderful folks have already jumped in — which is a huge boost!

🎉 Thanks so much for supporting The Debrief on its first birthday! 🎉

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Coming Up Next!

Mark your calendars! Scheduling for additional podcasts is in progress.

Tuesday, July 7, at 11am Eastern ← ← please note new date/time

I’m thrilled to speak with Ami Fields-Meyer about his just-published and extremely timely book On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear. If you’re an MS NOW fan, you may have seen Rachel Maddow raving about the book this week, so much so that she’s going to record the audio version. Ami and his co-author Julia Angwin draw lessons from individual dissidents and opposition organizations around the world — including some from Israel-Palestine that have been featured on The Debrief! Be sure to join us.

Thursday, July 16, at 12:30pm Eastern

For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to do a podcast on the future of the US rabbinate. The Atra Center for Rabbinic Innovation released a study in late 2025 that included some findings that surprised me — and made me want to learn more. Among them were the demographics of current rabbinical students, only 30% of whom identify as men, while 58% identify as women and 12% as nonbinary. Further, 51% identify as LGBTQ, a huge jump from 15% among rabbis ordained 10-20 years ago. Last but not least, 16% of rabbinical students converted to Judaism and 12% identify as a race other than white.

To discuss that and what implications it might have, as well as the hot topic of where the next generation of American rabbis stands on Israel-Palestine, I’m delighted to welcome Rabbi Amelia Wolf of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia and Rabbi Andy Kahn of the American Council for Judaism to The Debrief.

Wishing fellow Americans a meaningful July 4th!

250 years down. Let’s commit to working together to create a United States of America that’s worthy of our children, grandchildren, and successive generations — a multiracial/ethnic/religious democracy in which everyone is able to thrive.

All the best,

Debra

Our conversation covered some of the same territory as my podcast yesterday with the fabulous Jess Craven, but it’s unique. This one (with Lawrence) was a conversation between two progressive Jewish Americans whose views overlap, with interesting differences that sparked thoughtful and hopefully fruitful dialogue.

We touched upon the advertised title of the discussion (“Will the Democratic Party Tear Itself Apart Over Israel-Palestine?”), addressing the recent attack against Scott Wiener by a small group of extremist thugs. We also covered ground inspired by Lawrence’s recent essay, “Zionist,” and spoke about genocide in Gaza and why we use that word.

If you’re interested in Zionism — what it was at its inception, what it looks like in practice in Israel today, how it came to focus on the Land of Israel/Ottoman-then-Mandatory Palestine, and why a critical mass of Jews came to embrace it against the backdrop of murderous pogroms and then the Holocaust — you’ll get a basic, necessarily incomplete primer.

This conversation will also be of interest to viewers who would like a working understanding of key Jewish organizations that focus on Israel-Palestine and where they fall on the political-ideological spectrum.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think! Comments are most welcome.

🎉 The Debrief is celebrating its one-year anniversary in July! 🎉

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One-time tips/donations in any amount are most welcome!

Becoming a free subscriber and sharing this work is also appreciated! Thank you!

TOMORROW (Thurs, July 2), 11:15am Eastern ← new time

This is a big deal, folks! Ro Khanna — Congressman from CA-17, progressive champion, and likely 2028 presidential candidate — will be making his debut on The Debrief!

TIMING NOTE: Khanna’s staff requested a slightly earlier start time, so we’ll get under way at 11:15am Eastern. I anticipate that we’ll only have 30 minutes with the Congressman.

It would be fabulous to have a robust audience for the live podcast! I hope you’ll join us!

Ro Khanna has long been a progressive leader pushing to change US policy on Israel-Palestine. Since Israel’s onslaught against Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack, Khanna has moved further to the left and spearheaded a number of significant efforts.

He is currently pushing to strip a provision mandating US-Israeli military integration from the National Defense Authorization Act, cosponsors the Block the Bombs Act, supports the UN commission’s finding that Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza, is leading a resolution calling for accountability regarding Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, led a letter pushing for US recognition of Palestinian statehood, and became the first lawmaker to sign Track AIPAC’s PEACE Pledge. He also led the charge to pass a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to prohibit the US military from conducting unauthorized hostilities in Iran.

Friday, July 3, at 11am Eastern

Just in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I’ll speak with Ami Fields-Meyer about his new book, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear. It couldn’t be more timely. Ami is fresh off his interview with Rachel Maddow and I’m delighted to welcome him to The Debrief!

That’s it for now!

I hope to see you tomorrow at 11:15am Eastern for the conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna!

If you appreciate this work, and want to show your support as The Debrief celebrates its first birthday, please become a paid subscriber now.

Warm regards,

Debra

I just started reading On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear, which I mention for two reasons: 1) The book’s co-author Ami Fields-Meyer will join The Debrief this Friday at 11am Eastern — more details below on this exciting addition to our schedule for the week; and 2) Jess Craven provides a great real-life example of what it can look like to stand up against authoritarianism and mobilize others to do the same. I highly recommend subscribing to her Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter for daily actions you can take to fight for democracy.

The topics Jess and I spoke about included:

* The recent attack on Congressional candidate Scott Wiener at a San Francisco trans rights march over his positions on Gaza: We discussed why it was terrible, I shared how I think about whether it was antisemitic, and we considered the practice of asking candidates mandatory yes-no questions on Israel’s commission of genocide in Gaza. Jess made an important point about “calling people in” as they evolve on an issue.

* Should a pro-democracy newsletter include actions on US policy toward Israel-Palestine? Jess spoke about how she has grappled with this question for Chop Wood, Carry Water and I shared why I think it certainly can (and probably should).

* AIPAC: I shared why I don’t think it’s smart for a bill to take aim solely at AIPAC — while also explaining why I have been extremely critical of the organization for a long time. We spoke about criticizing AIPAC without being antisemitic; AIPAC, the Israeli government and the Foreign Agents Registration Act; and how to think about Mamdani, AIPAC, and Gramscian monsters. (BTW, I mentioned it was not easy to find the full video of Mamdani’s speech. Since I love you all, I’ll share it with you, here!)

* Current legislation on US policy toward Israel-Palestine: We spoke about the pending measure in the National Defense Authorization Act to mandate unprecedented US-Israel defense integration (for much more on that, tune in to my upcoming conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna this Thurs at 11:30am Eastern (link) and check out my recent podcast with Josh Paul of A New Policy). We also talked about significant new US-Israel intelligence cooperation legislation and pending appropriation of another $3.3 billion in security assistance for Israel.

* Note: Be like congressional staffers, policy analysts, and diplomats and subscribe to Lara Friedman’s weekly legislative round-up if you want comprehensive updates and analysis of Congressional action vis-a-vis the Middle East!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts! I hope you’ll share your reactions to Jess and my conversation.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I need your help! Please pitch in to help me continue this work. Subscribing and sharing my work is great! Paid subscribers are needed and appreciated! One-time tips/donations in any amount are most welcome!

Thank you.

Tomorrow (Wed, July 1) at 12pm Eastern

I’m looking forward to joining Lawrence Winnerman and Cliff Schecter of Blue Amp Media for this timely conversation! Check out the description and graphic below. The link is here (or look for a notification in your email or the Substack app when we go live).

Thursday, July 2, 11:30am Eastern

Ro Khanna — Congressman from CA-17, progressive champion, and likely 2028 presidential candidate — will be making his debut on The Debrief!

Khanna has long been a progressive leader pushing to change US policy on Israel-Palestine. Since Israel’s onslaught against Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack, Khanna has moved further to the left and spearheaded a number of significant efforts.

He is currently pushing to strip a provision mandating US-Israeli military integration from the National Defense Authorization Act, cosponsors the Block the Bombs Act, supports the UN commission’s finding that Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza, is leading a resolution calling for accountability regarding Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, led a letter pushing for US recognition of Palestinian statehood, and became the first lawmaker to sign Track AIPAC’s PEACE Pledge. He also led the charge to pass a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to prohibit the US military from conducting unauthorized hostilities in Iran.

I’m delighted to speak with Rep. Khanna about these policy initiatives, his vision for US policy on Israel-Palestine, how that vision fits into his broader progressive agenda, and how he sees the issue playing out in the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election.

You won’t want to miss this conversation!

JUST ADDED! Friday, July 3, at 11am Eastern

Just in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I’ll speak with Ami Fields-Meyer about his new book, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear. It couldn’t be more timely. Ami is fresh off his interview with Rachel Maddow and I’m delighted to welcome him to The Debrief!

That’s it for now — but there’s so much more coming up this week.

If you appreciate this work, and want to show your support as The Debrief wraps up its first year, please take the leap and become a paid subscriber now.

Warm regards, and see you soon!

Debra

Among other great features of our discussion, it was the first time I’ve heard anyone use “Tevye” (the main character in Fiddler on the Roof) as a verb. Loved it.

The topics we discussed included:

* Big Picture takeaway: How the Mamdani Sweep (all three of his endorsed congressional candidates winning their races) is highly significant, with caveats about what it can tell us about the state of the Democratic party and US politics on Israel-Palestine nationwide

* Brad Lander’s blowout win over Rep. Dan Goldman in NY-10: Why he emphasized Israel-Palestine and took on AIPAC, and is he really a Zionist (and does that matter)?

* Micah Lasher’s victory in NY-12: Rep. Jerry Nadler’s retirement, the issue of AI regulation in the race, and a little hubbub over Micah Lasher’s skirting of a question about Israel at a candidate forum

* Victories of DSA-affiliated, Mamdani-endorsed candidates Darializa Avila Chevalier & Claire Valdez: Avila Chevalier’s takedown of Rep. Adriano Espaillat, her pro-Palestine activism, and anti-AIPAC rhetoric in NY-13; Democratic Socialists of America vs. Working Families Party in NY-7

* Controversy over Mamdani’s recent anti-AIPAC rhetoric: Were the Mayor’s Gramscian “monsters” analogy and reference to “dark money” out of bounds?

* Rabbi Hughes-Robinson’s counsel to Jewish New Yorkers who feel alienated in their city

It was truly a joy to get to speak with Margo! As always, I’m looking forward to your comments.

Friends, if you find conversations like this one meaningful, please subscribe or upgrade to a paid subscription to help me continue this work.

Want to buy me a coffee to show your support? One-time donations in any amount are welcome.

What’s Coming Up Next on The Debrief?

We’ve got two exciting podcasts scheduled for next week:

Wednesday, July 1, at 2:30pm Eastern:

The Next Generation of American Rabbis: Who Are They & Where Do They Stand on Israel-Palestine?

I’ll be hosting Rabbis Amelia Wolf & Andy Kahn, ordained in the Conservative and Reform movements respectively, for this conversation relating to the future of Jewish life in the US.

Thursday, July 2, at 11:30am Eastern:

A Conversation with Congressman Ro Khanna

As viewers who saw The Debrief’s podcast with Josh Paul know, Ro Khanna tried to strip a provision for US-Israel defense integration out of the Defense Authorization Act. I’ll ask Khanna — a possible 2028 presidential contender — about that legislation, future US aid to Israel, and where the Democratic party stands on Israel-Palestine.

Mark your calendars and join us!

Further Resources on the NY Primary

Related Debrief Podcasts:

Substack Articles mentioned in today’s podcast:

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, “On AIPAC and Bogeymen,” June 22, 2026

Eli Kowaz, “Brad Lander’s Zionism-Without-Zionism,” June 17, 2026

Thanks for tuning in to The Debrief! I’m grateful for your support.

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics we spoke about included:

* The JCPOA — the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under President Barack Obama with the P5+1, Donald Trump’s disastrous decision to abrogate the deal in 2018, and whether the Trump Admin is likely to get a deal as good as the JCPOA was

* Venezuela Counterfactual — the role Operation Absolute Resolve played in Trump’s decision to join Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in launching war against Iran, and whether Trump would’ve made the same decision had the Venezuela operation gone poorly

* Unprecedented leverage for Iran — While under the JCPOA, the US and other signatories had the right to “snap back” sanctions on Iran, now it is Iran that has the ability to damage to the world economy by snapping back the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

* The Israel-Lebanon Dimension — Why Israel’s ongoing occupation of Lebanon will continue to frustrate attempts to get a US-Iran deal and what must happen to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and provide security to the north of Israel

* The US-Iran deal, Netanyahu, and Israeli public opinion — How angry Israeli reactions to Iran’s war victory and the US-Iran deal, Netanyahu’s stubborn pursuit of his own personal-political interests, and the upcoming Israeli election are likely to impact the US-Iran talks

Big thanks to AngryMaleVet for having me on his program! As always, I’m looking forward to hearing what y’all think.

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. I need your help in order to continue this work. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Up Next:

Wednesday, June 24, at 11am Eastern:

Shifting gears back to US domestic politics…

As all of The Debrief’s subscribers in New York will know, tomorrow is Election Day in the Empire State. In deep blue NYC, the winners of the Democratic primaries are nearly assured to receive seats in Congress.

On Wednesday, join me and Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson post-election to break down the results. Margo is the new Executive Director of New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA), which “promote[s] the values of liberal Jewish New Yorkers to influence state and local policies, politics, and the communal discourse.” NYJA’s former ED, Phylisa Wisdom, took over the helm of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Office to Combat Antisemitism.

In NY-10, will Debrief alum Brad Lander succeed in dethroning Congressman Dan Goldman?

Who will emerge victorious in the crowded field vying to replace retiring Congressman Jerry Nadler in NY-12? Will it be Micah Lasher, Alex Bores, Jack Schlossberg, George Conway, or someone else?

What will happen in NY-13, where AIPAC-backed Congressman Adriano Espaillat faces a challenge from Mamdani-endorsed candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who has a long history of pro-Palestine activism?

Who will succeed retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez in NY-7? Will Claire Valdez, a Queens Assembly Member who is endorsed by Mayor Mamdani and a member of the DSA prevail over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso?

Join Margo and me to discuss the much-anticipated election results and what they mean for NYC’s Jewish community.

Resources to Dive Deeper on US-Iran-Israel-Lebanon

Folks who have been with The Debrief know that we’ve had so many insightful conversations since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran. I’ll just recommend a few resources here. Check out The Debrief’s podcast archive for more!

* My June 16, 2026 appearance on TRT World Now:

* Poll on Israeli attitudes toward Iran war, US-Iran deal, war in Lebanon, & Netanyahu (by Hebrew University and the Agam Institute) that I referenced in today’s podcast

Hope to see many of you on Wednesday at 11am!

Til then, thanks for reading and watching, folks.

Sending huge thanks to The Debrief’s paid subscribers for your investment in this work.

Warm regards,

Debra

We centered our conversation around “A Letter from the Margins: On the price of being heard, of the story in the glosses, and the love beneath the rage.” It’s a brilliant, poignant, honest, challenging piece, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Our conversation included the following topics:

* Mo’s personal background: Growing up in a prominent Jerusalemite family that found itself in Egypt, Kuwait, and Jordan following the Nakba, attending boarding school in the UK, and coming to the US to study at Berkeley with an eye to entering public service

* How microaggressions against Palestinians motivated Mo’s piece: He spoke of a “dismissal of our humanity as Palestinians constantly and almost unthinkingly” and perpetually “being asked to legitimate ourselves”

* The Palestinian audit: How, as a Palestinian, Mo feels that his politics — and even his existence — are constantly being “audited”

* Encountering American Jews, as a Palestinian: Mo recognized a “mutual traumatic hyper-vigilance” and prioritization of education so that “if you have to leave this country you can go somewhere else and start again with just your degree.” He also noted a profound irony in Jewish American support for all social justice causes… except for the Palestinian cause

* The need to recognize the context behind events — e.g. the October 7 attack — without condoning violations of human rights and international law

* Genocide: Its definition, application to Israel-Palestine, and litmus tests regarding the use of the term

* Zionism and its multitudes: Mo recognizes Jewish longing for a place of safety to call home — but notes “a strain of Jewish supremacy” in Zionism that not only deprives Palestinians of their freedom but also guarantees future atrocities because “you cannot subjugate a people forever”

* A future of freedom, safety, and equality for all between the river and the sea: Mo believes it’s not for him to dictate whether there should be one state, two states, confederation, etc. His concern is with principles, including equality and human rights. “What matters to me is, does a citizen on the street have the same rights as a citizen next to them without looking at their ID card?”

This podcast is available to all, for free, but your support is appreciated and necessary.

Please like, share, and subscribe to The Debrief — paid if you are able. You can also leave a one-time tip in any amount. Thank you!

Mo told me (correctly!) that The Debrief has a “LOVELY audience” and he thanked folks who watched the podcast live for their great notes in the chat.

We’re both looking forward to your comments on this post, as well.

Thanks so much for watching. More soon!

Warmly,

Debra

Our conversation came against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s recent announcement of a long-sought deal to end the disastrous and illegal US-Israeli war — or at least Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the US counter-blockade.

While Israel is not a party to the agreement, its interests are deeply impacted. Pakistani mediators claim that the agreement includes an end to the fighting in Lebanon, a key Iranian demand. Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister insisted today that Israeli forces will continue to occupy southern Lebanon and demolish houses there, while keeping the swath of territory “cleared of local residents.” An Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh nearly derailed the agreement yesterday and Israeli forces continue to shell Hizballah targets today.

There is good reason to fear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will play spoiler. Over the next 60 days, the US and Iran will attempt to negotiate a nuclear deal that would give Iran substantial financial benefits, while likely being no stronger (and potentially weaker) than the JCPOA, which Netanyahu helped kill. If Trump proves unable to restrain Israel in Lebanon, the fragile ceasefire could collapse.

Against that backdrop, Avrum and I discussed the following topics:

* Losers from the US-Israeli war against Iran: There are many! Avrum named Trump, Netanyahu, and the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as the people of Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, and Israel. (I would add many others, including the US, Gulf states, Europe, and people all over the world suffering economic losses and food shortages.) By contrast, US adversaries are the winners: the reconstituted Iranian regime, China, and to a lesser extent, Russia.

* Israeli public opinion: Avrum contends that “wars are the only alternative” for Israelis for the last 80 years. While Israelis weren’t happy about yet another war, they were willing to “suffer a little bit more” to finally “solve the problem” of Iran and its so-called proxies. Being forced to stand down without achieving any the war aims he articulated would seriously hurt Netanyahu’s domestic standing months before elections.

* Israel made a play for regional hegemony and has instead been “tamed”: Avrum argued that while this is “difficult,” “painful,” and “costly,” it is good for Israel. A watershed moment has arrived that holds opportunities for Israel, if it pays the price in “Palestinian currency.”

* “Fifty shades of Right”: This is how Burg describes Israel’s Jewish-led political parties, from Yair Golan’s Democrats to Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power. In particular, he railed against their unwillingness to sit with Arab-led parties in a governing coalition. “That bloc, this bloc, they’re all the same for me,” said Avrum. “Non-democratic, patronizing, Jewish white supremacists.”

* Why there are no women leading Israeli political parties today: Avrum posits that two key factors are the influence of the Israeli military and the increasing centrality of the rabbinic establishment. As he put it, “Not one woman was a Chief of Staff [of the IDF], not one woman was a Chief Rabbi, and these two establishments are so dominant in shaping and molding the psyche of Israelis that they find it so difficult to have a female political leader.”

* The crisis over the Haredim refusal to participate in the draft: Once again, Avrum was blunt: “The ultra-Orthodox are both parasites and idiots.” He argued that the Haredim “should be the champions of peace.” By supporting the warmongering policies of the right wing, they increase the need for soldiers — and the pressure on their communities to enlist.

* All of Its Citizens Party: We closed by discussing the party Avrum co-founded. He anticipates that his party will support Standing Together, which will shortly announce its run in the upcoming elections. He hopes to shift Israeli discourse and open space for the concept that “Israel belongs to all of its citizens, Jews and non-Jews alike and equally.”

I hope you found this conversation as interesting as I did! As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Debrief is earning a reputation as home of “the most intelligent and interesting interviews on Substack” — to quote one subscriber. If you value this work, become a paid subscriber.

You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount.

Up Next:

Wednesday, June 17, at 12pm Eastern: MO HUSSEINI

I’m delighted to announce Mo Husseini’s debut on The Debrief is coming up on Wednesday! Mo Husseini is a Palestinian American storyteller who comes from a prominent Jerusalem family, grew up across the Middle East (Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan), and has dedicated his heart and soul to changing minds and breaking the status quo on Israel-Palestine.

He co-directed “The Path Forward” with Julie Cohen after October 7, is writing a book with New Israel Fund’s Daniel Sokatch, and has a leadership role with Standing Together. For more about him, check out Mo’s website here. Also, if you haven’t already, read Mo’s incredible writing! I can’t recommend his most recent piece on Substack (“A Letter from the Margins”) more highly:

You won’t want to miss hearing from Mo! As always, bring your questions.

Deeper Dive: Resources for the Discussion with Avrum Burg

* Josh Paul of A New Policy discussed NDAA Section 224 on The Debrief:

* Rula Daood of Standing Together’s Appearance on The Debrief:

* Ben Samuels analysis in Ha’aretz (“Trump and Netanyahu Are Hurtling Toward a Rupture That Could Shock U.S.-Israel Ties”): ”Netanyahu spent months banking on the fact that he knew how to read Trump better than anyone. Recent days have only demonstrated the extent to which Netanyahu achieved the opposite of what he intended, mortgaging the U.S.-Israel relationship in the process.”

* All of Its Citizens Party’s website

As I sign off, I want to give a big shout out to The Debrief’s paid subscribers. Your support makes this work possible and I deeply appreciate your vote of confidence in The Debrief!

For those who aren’t yet paid subscribers, please consider taking the plunge now and show your support!

Subscribing for free and sharing The Debrief’s posts is also helpful and appreciated.

I’m excited for the conversation with Mo Husseini on Wednesday and hope to see many of you there!

Warmly,

Debra

The topics we discussed included:

* Josh’s resignation from the State Department in October 2023 over the Biden Administration’s decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel for use in its war in Gaza

* The current state of US aid to Israel under the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that expires in 2028

* The dramatic shift in US public opinion toward Israel and how it led Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (and the Trump Administration and Members of Congress) to reconsider how to lock in US military support for Israel

* Section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — how it mandates US-Israeli military integration and expands defense research cooperation, developments without parallel in any other US defense relationship (including NATO and AUKUS)

* Why Section 224 of the NDAA is deeply problematic — for example, it: 1) removes transparency, takes away US leverage, and lacks human rights conditions, 2) provides Israel access to sensitive US technology (e.g. cyber and biological weapons) despite prior misuse and insufficient safeguards, and 3) would be difficult and costly to unwind and give Israel leverage over the US that could make it difficult to oppose future Israeli actions

* Which Members of Congress oppose Section 224 (shout outs to Reps. Ro Khanna and Sara Jacobs!) and what further opportunities exist to push MOCs to strip the provision from the NDAA

* What other Israel-Palestine legislation Josh is tracking, including the problematic Section 622 of the Intelligence Authorization Act, which would enforce a massive increase in US intelligence sharing with Israel

This was an important and highly informative conversation — one I definitely recommend sharing!

The Debrief is earning a reputation as home of “the most intelligent and interesting interviews on Substack” — to quote one subscriber. If you value this work, become a paid subscriber.

Show your support with a one-time donation in any amount.

Thank you!

Helpful Resources:

* Short overview of Section 224 of the NDAA by analyst Ben Freeman in Responsible Statecraft

* Deeper dive into Section 224 and the implications of a “defense industrial model” replacing the traditional aid relationship by Steven Simon of the Quincy Institute

* A New Policy’s detailed section-by-section analysis of Section 224

* Benjamin Netanyahu’s letter to Rep. Marlin Stutzman, in which he refers to the new US-Israel defense partnership as “my plan”

* Rep. Sara Jacobs on why she supported Rep. Khanna’s attempt to strike Section 224 from the NDAA (from the House Foreign Affairs Committee markup - 3 mins)

* Analysis of Section 622 of the Intelligence Authorization Act by Paul Pillar of Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies

* Lara Friedman’s weekly Legislative Round-ups for the Foundation for Middle East Peace: If you really want to keep up with what Congress is doing on everything related to Israel-Palestine/Middle East, Lara’s updates are essential. You can find them on FMEP’s resource page. And Lara has started posting on Substack, so give her a follow/subscribe.

* Debrief with Matt Duss: Rethinking Democrats’ Foreign Policy on Israel-Palestine (May 2026)

How Can I Take Action?

We’re waiting for the result of the Senate Armed Service Committee’s markup of the NDAA. Meanwhile, it’s not too late to weigh in with your Members of Congress.

* A New Policy has teamed up with Demand Progress and a number of additional organizations on an advocacy action that enables voters to ask their lawmakers to oppose Section 224’s inclusion in the NDAA

* You can call your Members of Congress on your own, if you prefer. Jess Craven, the fabulous author of Chop Wood, Carry Water, asked me to write a call script. It’s at the end of her Instagram post and below. You can use it for both Senators and House Reps; the phone number works for both chambers. At this point, there’s no need to mention the markup. You can change the second sentence of the script to: “I’m calling to ask the [Senator / Congress Member] to oppose including Section 224 in the National Defense Authorization Act.”

That’s it for now, folks. I hope you found this podcast helpful! As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’ll be in touch again soon.

Warm regards,

Debra

Here’s some of what we discussed:

* What brought Tamar and Gili, both Israeli Americans who grew up in Israel and now live in NYC, to peace activism and how October 7th impacted them

* NYC’s Israel Day Parade - Why Gili & Tamar feel it doesn’t represent them and why their organization Israelis for Peace protested it (along with Standing Together NYC)

* Participation of Bezalel Smotrich and other members of the Netanyahu government that “belong in the Hague not in NYC,” per Tamar’s sign above — and how parade organizers and politician participants (e.g. Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Chuck Schumer) responded to this

* Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s non-participation, yet another Jewish communal meltdown, and why Mamdani made the right call by not attending

* How Mayor Mamdani feels about Jews and Jewish safety — hear it from two Israeli New Yorkers who know him and have spent time with him at Jewish and Israeli events

* Brad Lander vs. Representative Dan Goldman square off in the NY-10 primary: Gili and Tamar assessed what’s at stake and explain their choice as NY-10 voters

I had a great time speaking with these two wonderful Israeli American peace activists and hope you find the conversation worthwhile. I’ll share resources below and look forward to your comments!

Friends, if you appreciate the people and conversations The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll invest in this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you!

Resources for a Deeper Dive:

Links, articles/op-eds, and more Debrief podcasts on Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander! Enjoy!

* Gili Getz and Tamar Glezerman: They’re both amazing creative professionals, in addition to being activists! Please click to check out their websites and learn more about their work

* Connect with Israelis for Peace: Check them out on Instagram and X/Twitter

* Times of Israel on Gili Getz receiving T’ruah’s Raphael Lemkin Award: “Mamdani praises leftist Israelis peace activist at Jewish progressive group’s gala”

* Rabbi Jill Jacobs op-ed in JTA: “New York needs a Jewish parade, not an Israel parade”

* Michael Lange’s piece on NYC’s Congressional primaries: “The Dress Rehearsal for 2028: June 23rd is an early preview of the Presidential Primary”

* My October 2025 piece (right before the NYC mayoral election):

* Brad Lander’s first Debrief appearance, in October 2025 to discuss his cross-endorsement with Zohran Mamdani

* Brad Lander’s second Debrief appearance, in February 2026 to discuss his congressional campaign in NY-10

* Rabbi/Professor Shaul Magid joined The Debrief in October 2025 to discuss the Jewish schism emerging over Zohran Mamdani

* Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum joined The Debrief in November 2025, the day after the mayoral election, to discuss why she endorsed Mamdani and how the Jewish community could move forward

Thanks for reading and watching! I’ll be in touch soon to let you know what’s up next on The Debrief.

Have a peaceful weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

Debra

The topics we spoke about included:

* What has radically changed since Daniel and colleagues issued “Breaking the Israel-Palestine Status Quo” in 2021 in an attempt to impact the Biden Admin’s foreign policy — and what remains the same

* Why the UN Security Council codified Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan (“probably the most criminal resolution” it has ever passed) and how Trump’s Board of Peace is providing cover for Israel to retake territory in Gaza

* Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s role as Saboteur in Chief as he attempts to block a US-Iran deal — and its relationship to Donald Trump’s sudden demand that certain Arab and Muslim countries join the Abraham Accords

* The Israeli Right’s conception of Greater Israel — going beyond territorial expansion to establishing regional dominance

* What Daniel, who has testified multiple times to the UN Security Council, would say to them today. Here’s an excerpt:

As always, I’m looking forward to your comments!

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Up Next: Tomorrow at 11am Eastern

Join Gili Getz, Tamar Glezerman, and me for The Debrief’s next podcast!

We’ll talk about New York City’s annual Israel Day parade, which was held on Sunday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not attend, and predictably, some Jews had another loud Mamdani Meltdown.™️

Who showed up? A coterie of far-right Israeli ministers that, one could argue, no person of conscience should parade alongside.

It included Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whom President Joe Biden could and should have sanctioned him under a 2024 Executive Order. (At the time, I made the case for Biden to sanction both Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.) The Israeli delegation included a cast of characters from the Netanyahu government who have made heinous statements and are responsible for genocide in Gaza and additional war crimes.

While many Jews were melting down over Mamdani, Israelis for Peace — in which Gili and Tamar are organizers — showed up to protest Smotrich & Co. In the photo, you’ll see Tamar protesting. She’s wearing the always-in-style FCK BNGVR t-shirt.

Tamar and Gili, both NYC-based Israelis, will join me to debrief the Israel Day parade and talk about Mayor Mamdani and his relationship with Jewish New Yorkers.

Resources Related to the Podcast with Daniel Levy

* “What Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right really mean when they invoke ‘Greater Israel’” - Daniel’s op-ed in The Guardian from April 2026

* Daniel’s recent Substack piece on Israeli sabotage in the US-Iran talks and more:

* Deep dive with Zaha Hassan on Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza (free excerpt, but this full episode is available exclusively to paid subscribers — upgrade here):

* Architecture of Gaza’s Abandonment featuring Jaser Abu Mousa (I’m getting phenomenal feedback on this recent episode — it’s a must-watch):

* Trita Parsi on the US-Israel-Iran war, Trump’s failures, and Netanyahu’s sabotage:

Looking forward to seeing some of you tomorrow at 11am Eastern!

All the best,

Debra

A fellow at the Washington, DC-based Middle East Institute and 2025 Yale Peace Fellow, Jaser lost his wife, two of his children, and additional close relatives in an Israeli missile strike on his home in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip shortly after October 7th, 2023.

Please note that we experienced audio difficulties from 2:45 to 6:15. You can skip over those few minutes or simply forego the intro altogether and start the video at 6:15.

The topics Jaser and I covered included:

* Jaser’s personal story: Life before October 7th, 2023; the attack that killed and injured his family members (and nearly missed him); his journey to the United Arab Emirates with his two surviving (but seriously injured) children; and his experience as a Yale Peace Fellow

* The Gaza "ceasefire”: Serial Israeli violations — including bombings, killings, land seizure — and why Jaser sees the “ceasefire” as a “holding pattern that serves everyone’s interests except those of the people living under it”

* The map of control: What Israel retains (in yellow), the unmarked “yellow line” dividing areas under Israeli and Palestinian control, and what life is like for over 2 million Palestinians living in roughly 40% of the densely populated Gaza Strip (roughly 25 miles long by 3.7 to 7.5 miles wide)

Note: As Jaser and I discussed, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared today that Israel will seize more territory, for a total of 70% of the Gaza Strip — in violation of the ceasefire and the UN Security Council-approved Trump plan.

* What could happen before Israel’s elections: Why Jaser is “expecting the worst to happen” in the next few months before Israelis go to the polls

* Hamas’s exploitation of Palestinian civilians: How Hamas sees Palestinians as pawns in its struggle against Israel

* Public opinion of Hamas among Gazans: Jaser estimated that only 18-25% of Gazans approve of Hamas and discussed the 2025 anti-Hamas demonstrations

* “Managing the conflict” and the Netanyahu-Hamas relationship: Jaser explained how these policies catastrophically backfired on both Israelis and Palestinians — and why they must end

* Disarming Hamas: Jaser explained why he believes the current approach to disarmament is dangerous and designed for Hamas to refuse, while noting that most Hamas weapons have already been eliminated

This Debrief was both intense and deeply informative. I’m so grateful to Jaser for entrusting me with this conversation. I strongly encourage you to head on over to Jaser’s Substack (here), check out his work, and subscribe!

And speaking of subscribing…

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

As always, I look forward to your comments on this podcast!

What’s Coming Up?

Thursday, June 4 at 3pm Eastern:

Folks, you will want to mark your calendars for this upcoming podcast with Daniel Levy! You may know him as President of the U.S./Middle East Project, former Israeli negotiator in peace talks and advisor in the Israeli Prime Minister‘s office, and/or Zeteo contributor.

To whet your appetite, watch his testimony before the UN Security Council (from February 2025):

Join Daniel and me on The Debrief next week!

More Resources on Gaza:

In my last few posts, I’ve been recommending additional resources, including previous related episodes of The Debrief for folks who want to take a deeper dive.

I’d love to hear if you’ve found that valuable!

We’ve done many podcasts on Gaza, so I’ll pick a few of them. Of course, you can check out The Debrief’s full podcast archive here.

How Bad Is the UNSC-Endorsed Trump Plan for Gaza? with Zaha Hassan of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The post contains clips anyone can check out, but this excellent episode is reserved for paid subscribers… in case you need another reason to upgrade now!

Holocaust and genocide studies scholar Omer Bartov on concluding Israel committed genocide in Gaza

This was The Debrief’s first-ever podcast, not to be confused with our more recent episode on Omer’s new book, Israel: What Went Wrong?. That is here.

A Gazan’s Quest for Palestinian Freedom with Khalil Sayegh

Khalil Sayegh provides another important first-person account. Among other things, we discussed what it was like for Khalil — as a Christian — to live under Hamas’ rule.

One Last Thing…

Just in the last couple of days, The Debrief gained a number of new paid subscribers, which made this possible:

If you’re one of the lovely folks (still less than 5% of total subscribers) who has invested in The Debrief, I have a message for you:

Thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart. You make this work possible. Because of you, I know that it’s worthwhile.

I’m so grateful.

Observing Eid al-Adha, I hope you’ll all join me in wishing The Debrief’s Muslim subscribers an EID MUBARAK!

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics Matt and I covered included:

* Trump’s Iran war quagmire: President Trump is desperate to find a “plausible victory narrative” to end “one of the stupidest wars” the US has fought, while Israeli PM Netanyahu (who is determined to stay in power and out of jail) is doing all he can to torpedo any agreement that fails to meet his requirements.

* Abraham Accords and the war against Iran: Yesterday, Trump resurfaced the Abraham Accords with a delusional edict deeming it “mandatory” for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, and Jordan to join the Accords and normalize relations with Israel as part of a deal to end the Iran war.

Matt made the case that the Accords enabled the disastrous war against Iran by creating a “united front and a defense network against potential Iranian attack” that gave Netanyahu the confidence to launch war, believing that Israel would be able to absorb Iranian retaliation with help from the US and the Arab Gulf states.

* Abraham Accords as a gambit to marginalize the Palestinian issue: Despite the fig leaf of preventing (officially declared) Israeli annexation of the West Bank, the Accords buttressed Netanyahu’s claim Israel could normalize regional relations without ending the Occupation. This produced an explosion that many of us warned about, in the form of Hamas’ ghastly October 7th attack.

* The Biden Admin’s embrace of the Abraham Accords: Matt offered his analysis of this poor decision: “Joe Biden is very bad at foreign policy” and Biden’s team was overly cautious politically — which led not only to poor choices on Israel-Palestine, but also missing the opportunity to revive the JCPOA.

* Reimagining Democratic foreign policy on Israel-Palestine: Matt argued for a foreign policy that advances US security and prosperity while upholding values like human rights and dignity. Policy on Israel-Palestine should be consistent with these values, rather than carving out an Israel exception. Specifically, Matt argued that the US should not provide weapons to Israel for use in enacting apartheid and genocide, and should sanction leaders responsible for such policies.

* Senator Chris Van Hollen’s NYT op-ed: The piece, which calls for withdrawing aid and conditioning arms sales to Israel, provides further indication of movement on Israel-Palestine within the Democratic party.

Matt and I discussed Van Hollen’s call for “a last-gasp effort to salvage a two-state solution” and against “re-enlist[ing] the senior Democratic decision makers who whitewashed the truth during the Biden administration and refuse to acknowledge their complicity.”

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

I hope you’ll find the conversation with Matt Duss valuable and thought-provoking! As always, I’m interested in your comments.

Coming Up This Week!

Thursday, May 28, at 12pm Eastern:

I’ll be honored to speak with Jaser Abu Mousa, a Palestinian political analyst and Yale Peace Fellow who survived the genocide in Gaza and is now a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. Check him out here on Substack! He’s putting out a Gaza Biweekly that’s a must-read to understand what’s happening in the Strip (especially now that the Iran war has pushed Gaza from the headlines). Here’s the latest installment, entitled “Moving On Without Peace.” He also published this heart-wrenching piece about his son Hmaid on what should have been Hmaid’s 21st birthday.

Resources for Diving Deeper

If my conversation with Matt Duss left you wanting more, here are some excellent resources:

* Matt’s recent co-authored Foreign Policy piece “How the Abraham Accords Fueled a New Era of Conflict”

* ICYMI, my conversation yesterday with Wajahat Ali and Omar Baddar on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali touched on some of the same themes that Matt and I focused on today:

* Great episode of The Debrief featuring Rob Malley (former Biden envoy on Iran who also held senior Middle East policy roles in the Clinton and Obama admins), in which we discuss Malley’s new book and specifically his claim that the two-state solution is “dead and maybe was never that alive to begin with”:

* Two Debrief episodes featuring Rula Hardal and May Pundak, the Palestinian and Israeli co-directors of A Land for All — the movement for a confederation in Israel-Palestine that Matt Duss referred to as an alternative to a conventional two-state solution:

That’s it for now, folks! Big thanks for your support!

Hope to see many of you on Thursday.

Warmly,

Debra

Waj, Omar, and I focused on President Trump’s inept attempts to extricate the US (and himself, personally) from the illegal and ill-fated disaster that has characterized the US-Israeli war against Iran. We also analyzed Trump’s latest laughably absurd gambit to get Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Muslim countries to join the Abraham Accords as part of a deal with Iran. (Good luck with that, Donald!)

Meanwhile, Trump has neither the self-control nor any adults in the room with him to stop from posting things like this on his social media:

Iran expert Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins-SAIS put it well: “It is this kind of grotesque behavior that undermines diplomacy and unites Iranians in defense of their country.”

In addition to discussing the Iran war quagmire, Waj, Omar, and I spoke about the DNC’s belatedly released autopsy report and its failure to mention the impact of President Biden’s disastrous Gaza policy, from which VP Kamala Harris failed to distance herself. While a number of Democratic candidates and elected officials are moving away from uncritical support for Israel, the DNC and Democratic leadership in Congress continue to lag behind.

As we made clear, the policies of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu — combined with the sadistic optics of his National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir — are doing long-term and quite possibly irreparable harm to core Israeli interests, including Israel’s relations with the US and the rest of the world.

If Israel’s opposition is able to unseat Netanyahu and his coalition, it will need to do more than just change the optics and end the attacks on what remains of Israeli democracy, in order to win back the US and the world. It would have to fundamentally change Israel’s policies toward Palestinians and regional states. Unfortunately, there is no indication that a Prime Minister Naftali Bennett would do so.

I hope you find this podcast insightful. As always, I welcome your feedback!

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. I need your help in order to continue this work. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

There’s Much More Coming Up This Week on The Debrief!

TOMORROW, May 26, at 12pm Eastern:

I’ll be hosting the great Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy, who folks will know as a top progressive foreign policy thinker and former advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders.

Matt is a prolific writer and I’m especially keen to talk with him about his recent piece on the Abraham Accords. We’ll also discuss what the Democratic Party’s foreign policy platform should look like going forward.

THURSDAY, May 28, at 12pm Eastern:

I’ll be honored to speak with Jaser Abu Mousa, a Palestinian political analyst and Yale Peace Fellow who survived the genocide in Gaza and is now a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute.

Check him out right here on Substack! He’s putting out a Gaza Biweekly that’s a must-read to understand what’s happening in the Strip (especially now that the Iran war has completely pushed Gaza from the headlines). Here’s the latest installment, entitled “Moving On Without Peace.” He also published this heart-wrenching piece about his son Hmaid on what should have been Hmaid’s 21st birthday.

Wishing you all a meaningful Memorial Day!

Warmly,

Debra

We had a great turnout yesterday for The Debrief’s conversation featuring fellow fabulous Jewish women fighters for democracy, civil rights, and universal human rights Rabbi Sandra Lawson and Stephanie G Wilson, PhD.

We missed those who weren’t able to make it — but on the bright side, you’ve got some great weekend viewing ahead of you!

Our free-wheeling conversation focused on four topics:

* Shavuot: This two-day Jewish holiday, a harvest festival that commemorates the revelation of the Torah to the Jews at Sinai, continues til sundown tonight. Rabbi Sandra wrote a poignant reflection on the holiday and what it means to celebrate it in our current political and social context. In addition to discussing the holiday, Rabbi Sandra took some Judaism-related questions from the audience and we all got to benefit from her thoughtful responses.

* Evisceration of the Voting Rights Act: We spoke about the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais and how it is designed to effectively wipe out what is left of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a crowning achievement of the Civil Rights Movement, which prohibited racial discrimination in congressional redistricting. We addressed how the Jewish community is and should be responding to this grievous rollback of civil rights protections, which impacts all of us.

* Deadly attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego: It faded all too quickly from the headlines, but it was important for us as Jewish leaders to speak out about the attack and the imperative of Jewish solidarity with Muslim Americans.

* Nick Kristof’s NYT piece on sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees: We offered our reactions to the piece, the well-documented facts regarding widespread rape and torture of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, and the ensuing Jewish communal meltdown.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Helpful Resources Related to This Podcast:

* Rabbi Sandra’s Shavuot reflection:

2. Analysis of the Callais decision:

* Heather Cox Richardson’s piece on SCOTUS’s decision and how we can understand Callais and the subsequent response to it as analogous to post-Civil War efforts by white southerners to monopolize power by suppressing Black men from exercising their newfound voting rights

* The Brennan Center for Justice on how Congress should respond to Callais

* My message to our Muslim friends and neighbors in the aftermath of the San Diego shooting, to which I later added this key context regarding the teen shooters’ goal of civil war by accelerating the disintegration of America’s social fabric:

* As context for our discussion of the Kristof piece, there are SO MANY GREAT RESOURCES on The Debrief and you can peruse them all in our podcast archive. Allow me to recommend these three podcasts, in particular. Watch them yourself and share with others who would benefit from watching/listening to them!

For starters, my conversation with Sari Bashi of The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel is a must-watch (obvious trigger warning):

For anyone (still) in denial and disbelief that Israel could be perpetrate systemic abuses against Palestinian detainees, my discussion with Prof. Omer Bartov on his new book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, is mandatory viewing:

My friend Michael Sfard is one of Israel’s leading human rights lawyers and an incredible human being. I highly recommend this illuminating conversation with a person tirelessly committed to the struggle for equality, justice, human rights, and democracy in Israel-Palestine:

That’s a lot of great content. And there’s much more coming up on The Debrief, of course!

Oh? Anything Good Coming Up This Week?

Lol, of course! Here’s what we’ve got on the schedule —

TUESDAY, May 26, at 12pm Eastern:

I’ll be hosting the great Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy, who folks will know as a top progressive foreign policy thinker and former advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders.

Matt is a prolific writer and I’m especially keen to talk with him about his recent piece on the Abraham Accords. We’ll also discuss what the Democratic Party’s foreign policy platform should look like going forward.

THURSDAY, May 28, at 12pm Eastern:

I’ll be honored to speak with Jaser Abu Mousa, a Palestinian political analyst and Yale Peace Fellow who survived the genocide in Gaza and is now a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute.

Check him out right here on Substack! He’s putting out a Gaza Biweekly that’s a must-read to understand what’s happening in the Strip (especially now that the Iran war has completely pushed Gaza from the headlines). Here’s the latest installment, entitled “Moving On Without Peace.” He also published this heart-wrenching piece about his son Hmaid on what should have been Hmaid’s 21st birthday.

If You Appreciate This Great Content…

…and you want to see The Debrief survive and THRIVE, please do your part by subscribing, sharing, and becoming a paid subscriber and donor! Huge thanks for your support!

That’s all for now, folks.

Looking forward to seeing you this coming week!

Til then, wishing you a Chag Sukkot Sameach (happy Sukkot holiday) and an enjoyable, meaningful Memorial Day weekend.

Warmly,

Debra

P.S. The Debrief now has its own pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. If you’re on those platforms, stop on over and give us a like/follow! I’m also on Instagram. I’m not super active there, but you can also find me on Bluesky and X. Some day, inshallah, I’ll have the resources to hire an assistant to manage The Debrief’s social media so I can focus on producing more content for you!

Allah yirhamhum. May God have mercy on the victims.

Sending love and strength,

Debra

Warning: This video includes graphic information about sexual violence and torture, including rape.

This conversation was hard for Sari, too, I know, and I’m so grateful for her voice and her work. She represents the best of Israeli and Palestinian civil society — which deserves our support and solidarity. It’s been an honor to work with her and many others over the past nine years of my career. I’m grateful to be able to bring them to you on The Debrief. Be sure to scroll down to the end of this post for a list of resources, with links.

The topics Sari and I spoke about included:

* PCATI’s 36-year fight against the torture of Palestinian detainees — and the 1999 Israeli Supreme Court ruling that deemed torture illegal, but with a critical “exception that became the rule”

* The Israeli government’s subsequent adoption of a system for regularizing torture — under it, Shin Bet interrogators could get permission for “enhanced interrogation,” including sexual abuse

* Routine sexual violence and torture against Palestinian detainees since October 7 — as well as the deaths of an unprecedented number of jailed Palestinians

* Responding to backlash against Nick Kristof’s piece, including allegations of “blood libel” — and in particular, the question of the use of dogs in torture and sexual violence

* The Sde Teiman case — in which charges were dropped against five Israeli soldiers whose alleged rape of a Palestinian prisoner was (partially) caught on a leaked video

* Hamas’ sexual violence against Israeli victims on October 7 — and why it is so difficult for Israelis, Palestinians, and their supporters of each “side” to believe and empathize with each other

* The torture of Sari’s husband, a Palestinian from Gaza, in Israeli prison — and how she responded when he confided in her about his experience

* Knesset’s passage of a law creating a special military court to try alleged October 7 perpetrators — and why PCATI is sounding the alarm that the court will “fast track show trials leading to mass executions by denying defendants due process”

That’s a lot, I know, and there’s much more in the video. Resources and links coming in a second but first, please read this appeal.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Resources/Links:

* PCATI’s website: I encourage you to use their resources and support their work!

* Gift link to Nick Kristof’s NYT piece

* B’Tselem reports: Living Hell: The Israeli Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps (January 2026); Welcome to Hell (August 2024)

* UN Human Rights Council report: “More than a human can bear”: Israel’s systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023

* The Guardian’s reporting on the Sde Teiman case

* Debrief podcast on Sari’s memoir, Upside-Down Love: Free clips at this link but the full podcast is for paid subscribers. It’s a great time to support The Debrief!

* Debrief podcast with Omer Bartov on his book, Israel: What Went Wrong?: This is essential viewing if you want to understand Israel’s post-October 7 atrocities/genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and it provides helpful context for sexual violence and torture against Palestinian detainees, too.

* The Debrief’s podcast archive: As the amazing and fabulous Jess Craven says here and below, it’s worth checking out these conversations. Who am I to argue? Seriously, I’m so grateful for her support and loved doing this podcast with her.

Thanks for reading, watching, and sharing this podcast, folks. And of course, thanks for your support.

Watch this space — I’ll be back in touch soon with info about more must-watch podcasts here on The Debrief.

Warmly,

Debra

The topics Dania and I discussed included:

* Bearing the brunt of Iran’s retaliation for US-Israeli attacks: ~80% of Iranian missile attacks have targeted the Gulf, compared to 17% aimed at Israel

* Economic woes: their causes and likely impact on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and others in the region depending on their humanitarian and reconstruction aid

* The Gulf Cooperation Council: six Arab monarchies, what binds them together, and instances when they’ve been torn apart (e.g. the anti-Qatar blockade)

* Prognosis for the GCC: tensions between UAE and Saudi Arabia, UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC, and also reasons for continued coordination

* Israel as a “revisionist power”: how the Saudis and other Gulf states have revised threat perceptions of Israel, while UAE doubles down on Abraham Accords ties

* Iran and the GCC: Gulf states’ changed perception of Iran and how that will affect their future approach to the Iranian regime

* US-GCC ties: how the Gulf states’ reliance on the US security umbrella (and financial investments in the Trumps and Witkoffs) failed and what that will mean for relations going forward

If wonky conversations about the Middle East are your thing (guilty over here), this conversation is for you. I think we kept it accessible, so you don’t need to be a Middle East expert in order to watch and (hopefully!) learn. As always, I’d love to hear what you think!

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. I need your help in order to continue this work. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Coming Up Next: A Hard, Important Conversation

Thursday, May 14 at 11am Eastern:

Sexual Violence and Torture of Palestinians in Israeli Prisons with Sari Bashi

Following the publication of Nick Kristof’s NYT piece in which she is quoted, Sari Bashi of The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) will return to The Debrief to discuss the well-documented fact of sexual violence and torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Hamas committed sexual violence on/after October 7th, documented in the just-released report of the Civil Commission on Oct. 7th crimes. The Commission details horrifying crimes committed against Israelis.

I hope it goes without saying that rapes by Hamas don’t provide license for rapes by Israeli soldiers, prison guards, or settlers.

As Kristof puts it, “Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.”

This is an extremely difficult topic. Speaking about it on The Debrief won’t be easy. However, it’s immoral for us to walk away, or worse, smear Kristof, NYT, and others who are bringing victims’ testimonies to light — as some are currently doing.

In addition, Sari and I will discuss Israel’s move to establish a military tribunal for mass prosecutions of Palestinians allegedly involved in the October 7 attack.

Under the Special Tribunal Law just passed by the Knesset, PCATI and other human rights organizations warn that suspects will lack “basic procedural protections essential to a fair trial.” Sari told NPR that the special tribunal could amount to “show trials and mass executions based on confessions extracted through torture.”

If you have questions you would like Sari and me to discuss, please let me know.

Thanks for watching, reading, sharing, and supporting The Debrief!

I hope to see many of you on Thursday at 11am Eastern.

Warm regards,

Debra

We covered a lot of ground, including:

* The domestic economic fallout from the Iran war — 55% of Americans say their financial situation is getting worse, which is the highest percentage in 25 years

* The Trump administration’s failure to achieve any of the war’s goals — while making us all worse off

* The illegality of the war and the Republican-controlled Congress’ refusal to uphold the Constitution & the War Powers Resolution — for more, see my podcast with former State Department lawyer Brian Finucane, of which here’s a taste:

* How the tactics of the Israeli occupation in the West Bank are increasingly impacting Israelis who are not aligned with the Netanyahu regime (you can read about Dr. Alex Sinclair, who was detained and had his kippah adorned with Israeli and Palestinian flags desecrated here)

* Israel’s new death penalty law for Palestinians only (see The Debrief’s podcast on that here), and Ben-Gvir’s depraved 50th birthday cake with the golden noose

* Israel’s war in Lebanon, occupation of territory in Lebanon and Syria, and the potential for Israeli perpetual control and settlements in both countries

* Israel’s upcoming election, Netanyahu’s fortunes, and the need for the Israeli opposition to embrace predominantly Palestinian Arab political parties

* Saudi Arabia’s refusal to let the US use bases and airspace for “Project Freedom” and the Iran war’s fallout for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Like I said, we covered a lot! I’d love to hear what you all think.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

TOMORROW (Friday, May 8) at 12pm Eastern: Gulf States Under Pressure

Waj and I touched on Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in our discussion today — and if you want to take a deeper dive into this topic, please join me and Dr. Dania Thafer tomorrow at 12pm Eastern.

We’ll examine the Saudi-US fight over “Project Freedom,” the Saudi-UAE rift and UAE’s departure from OPEC, and whether the GCC might actually collapse.

Dr. Dania Thafer (bio) is the Executive Director of the Gulf International Forum and professorial lecturer at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.

Hope to see you tomorrow and/or Friday!

Warm regards,

Debra

The key topics we examined included:

* The triple illegality of the Iran war, which violates: 1) the Constitution, 2) the UN Charter, and now that the 60-day mark has passed: 3) the War Powers Resolution

* Why the Trump Administration’s claims that it is not violating the War Powers Resolution — because “hostilities … have terminated” — lack merit

* Whether war can be justified by the argument that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon

* US conduct of the war and abandoning the directive to minimize civilian casualties

* Legal status of Israel’s war in Lebanon

* Why the undermining of laws at home in the US and abroad matters

* What Americans should push our Members of Congress and those running for elected office to do

* Accountability — what it looks like and whether it will be possible to achieve it

Was this discussion helpful? Illuminating? I’d love to hear what you think!

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Catch me on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali tomorrow at 1pm Eastern!

Many of you are big fans of Wajahat Ali — and that includes my mother, who made sure to tell Waj that he’s handsome the last time we were on air together. Ah, the things that wonderful 80-year-old Jewish ladies can get away with!

Tune into The Debrief / Left Hook around 1pm tomorrow and you’ll be in good company!

Friday, May 8, at 12pm Eastern: Gulf States Under Pressure

In the podcast I did on Friday, Iran expert Trita Parsi made the bold claim that the Iran war will lead to the breakup of the Gulf Cooperation Council — the regional organization of six Gulf Arab monarchies that formed in 1981. Whether the GCC might actually collapse is an open question, but there’s no doubt that the Gulf order is under considerable pressure, with UAE’s announced withdrawal from the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel as the most recent sign.

To discuss how the US-Israeli war against Iran is impacting the Gulf states and what the future may hold, I’m pleased to welcome Gulf expert Dr. Dania Thafer (bio) to The Debrief. Dr. Thafer is the Executive Director of the Gulf International Forum and professorial lecturer at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.

Hope to see you tomorrow and/or Friday!

Warm regards,

Debra

Today, May 1, marks the 60th day of the ill-conceived, now thrice illegal, and ultimately failed US-Israeli war against Iran. Trita and I took stock of where we are now and the bigger picture fallout from the war, focusing on the following topics:

* How Trump’s hubris and Truth Social posts sabotaged a deal to extricate the US (and Trump himself) from the failed war

* The Islamic Republic’s victory against two nuclear-armed states despite terrible losses — and what this means for US power projection going forward

* The Iranian regime’s continued ability to function despite the assassination of ~60% of its top leaders

* How US-Israeli attacks against Iran have likely pushed Iranians toward developing nuclear weapons, despite their limited deterrence value

* UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC and why the war may prove the death knell for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

* Ramifications of the war for Israel — including a backlash on the American right that is “faster and far more furious” than the earlier drop in support on the left

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Trita and my discussion!

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

For More on the Big Picture…

Trita recently moderated a Quincy Institute panel discussion that delved further into the question of whether Trump’s Middle East war will lead to the end of American primacy. You can check it out below and find key takeaways here.

In Case You Missed It

Israeli American scholar of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Dr. Omer Bartov, and I did a podcast yesterday on his important new book, Israel: What Went Wrong? You can find watch/listen to it here. To whet your appetite, here’s a clip:

Wishing you all a good weekend! I’ll be back in touch soon.

All the best til then,

Debra

Dr. Bartov was my first-ever guest on The Debrief and it was a pleasure to welcome him back to discuss his latest book, Israel: What Went Wrong? It’s a must-read explanation for how a state founded upon the ashes of the Holocaust could perpetrate mass war crimes (arguably even genocide) in Gaza following Hamas’ horrific attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. (It’s also much more than that.)

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

* Deepening occupation and “managing the conflict” — how this led to a paroxysm of violence in the form of Hamas’ October 7 atrocities

* The Netanyahu government’s exploitation of the Hamas attack to commit atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza and intensify ethnic cleansing in the West Bank

* Psychological impact of October 7 and the Gaza genocide on Jewish Israelis across the political spectrum

* Settler colonialism — Bartov’s case for how it applies to Jewish settlement in Israel-Palestine and what it can help us to understand about October 7 and the Gaza genocide

* Zionism — How it went terribly wrong and why Bartov thinks it is irredeemable

* Lack of a constitution — How this has undermined Israeli democracy, undermined Palestinian rights, and set the stage for the ongoing judicial coup

* International intervention — Why it is imperative for the US, Europe, and others to force Israel to change course (and the likely consequences if they don’t)

I noticed there was plenty of discussion going on in the chat! Feel free to keep the discussion going here by sharing your thoughts and reactions in the comments.

Friends, I’m building The Debrief into an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand the crisis in Israel-Palestine and how they can make a difference.

~ In order to continue and expand this work, I need your help! ~

Will you please consider becoming a paid subscriber now? You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Next Up!

TOMORROW at 11am Eastern:

Iran expert Trita Parsi joins me to discuss the latest on the Middle East war debacle. How will it end and what are the long-term ramifications? Many of us have relied on Trita’s cogent analysis throughout the past two months since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran. I’m delighted to welcome him to The Debrief! Please note that this will be a short podcast (~30 minutes). Try to tune in at the top of the hour, if you can.

Notes for Folks Who Want to Ask Questions During Podcasts

I love to integrate audience questions into The Debrief’s podcasts whenever possible.

You can help me by:

* Sending your questions to me ahead of time, if possible. You can use the subscriber chat, message me directly, or comment when I post announcements for upcoming podcasts.

* Keep questions you put into the live chat short. I monitor the chat myself and can’t read lengthy comments and moderate a conversation at the same time.

Tomorrow is MAY DAY

For all of you democracy fans out there, here’s a reminder that tomorrow is May Day! Indivisible and other pro-democracy organizations that helped organize the No Kings protests are calling on Americans to show our economic power by boycotting work, school, and shopping. You can also check if there are events happening near you at mobilize.us.

That’s it for now! Hope to see some of you tomorrow at 11am.

Warm regards,

Debra

Jess, of course, writes the extremely valuable and wildly popular newsletter “Chop Wood, Carry Water” that promotes eminently doable action items five days a week for Americans who wants to get more involved in the fight for our democracy. (Subscribe now, if you haven’t already!)

Jess has over 181,000 subscribers on Substack, while I have… ahem… considerably fewer. So when Jess recently became a paid subscriber to The Debrief, I was stunned and honored that she’d been following my work and found it valuable enough to support.

Being the opportunist that I am, I immediately contacted Jess and invited her to be a guest on The Debrief. I’m so delighted she said “yes”!

Here are some topics you’ll find in this podcast:

* The current state of the national redistricting battle initiated by Donald Trump and the GOP and why it’s a big deal that Dems fought back… more of this, please!

* The importance of eliminating partisan gerrymandering going forward, as championed by Dems in CA, VA, and elsewhere; on this point, AOC’s retort to GOP whining about the Virginia referendum is pitch-perfect

* The dark money, misleading NO campaign in the Virginia referendum and Jess’ prescription for ensuring that such efforts don’t breed cynicism and indifference

* California’s gubernatorial race, the angry MAGA candidates who could win, and my concern that misogyny could be impacting Democrat Katie Porter’s candidacy

* The Iran war, Trump’s stupidity and hubris, Netanyahu’s Situation Room persuasion, how this is playing with American voters, and whether/how we can get voters to consider foreign policy when they go to the polls

* Parenting through Trumpism: I loved hearing about Jess’s experience and thoughtful maternal insights! Interested folks can read this piece I wrote about parenting through this time

Friends, if you — like Jess Craven! — appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. If a paid subscription isn’t for you right now, subscribe for free. Most content on The Debrief isn’t paywalled. Thank you!

Note for fellow nerds about the Strait of Hormuz and the Peloponnesian War: Since Jess stumped me with her question, I’m coming back to her and you with answers. The Peloponnesian War featured one of the earliest naval blockades in recorded history, in which Sparta and its allies defeated Athens (a much stronger naval power) by blockading a strait and thus depriving Athens of vital grain supplies its people needed to survive. The strait in question was not the Strait of Hormuz. It was the Hellespont — or what we today call the Dardanelles — which connect the Aegean and Black Seas. Control over the strategic Dardanelles also played an important role in World Wars I and II.

It’s been a minute since I’d thought about Athenian and Spartan naval battles, so thanks to Jess for compelling me to grab my well-thumbed but neglected copy of Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War. I didn’t know that Jess was a history nerd, but I’m here for it! Speaking of Thucydides, if you want to read a thoughtful piece about how members of the Trump administration learned all the wrong lessons from Thucydides (yes, I too am skeptical they’ve ever heard of him), check out Dr. Stewart Patrick’s op-ed.

I hope you all enjoy Jess and my conversation. As always, I’d be happy to hear your thoughts.

Podcast schedule for next week coming soon!

As a teaser, I’m excited to share that Dr. Omer Bartov will be returning to The Debrief! As fans who have been with me from the very beginning may recall, Omer was my first podcast guest last July. He had just published his headline-making NYT op-ed explaining why he (a leading Holocaust and genocide scholar) had concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

This time, we’ll talk about his newly published book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, which is also making waves. You can check out reviews in NYT and The Guardian.

Stay tuned!

I wish you all a good weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

Debra

The topics we discussed included:

* The possibility that President Donald Trump will use nuclear weapons against Iran, including two scenarios in which he might do that

* The procedure by which a US president launches a nuclear strike — and the utterly unconstrained nature of it (which should keep us all up at night!)

* The JCPOA, which Joe argues “wasn’t just the crowning achievement of Barack Obama’s presidency” but of “this generation… the strongest nuclear agreement in this century”

* The Omani-mediated nuclear deal with Iran that was on the table at the end of February; it was abandoned by Trump in favor of war, despite having reportedly been even better than the JCPOA

* The question of whether Israel might use nuclear weapons against Iran, and an apparent Iranian attempt to demonstrate its (potential) ability to knock out an Israeli reactor

* The likelihood of global nuclear weapons proliferation, resulting from the Trump administration’s military actions and abandonment of US allies

* High-priority nuclear policy recommendations for Democrats to pursue in Congress and the White House when American voters return them to power

I hope you’ll watch/listen, share, and let me know what you think.

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. I need your help in order to continue this work. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Victory in Virginia… and the beginning of the legal battle!

Before I go, I’d be quite remiss if I didn’t say a word about our victory in the Virginia redistricting referendum.

I hope you’ll check out my short video with top takeaways.

Please note that since I made the video — which is still worth watching! — there has been an important new development.

The legal battle over the referendum, which we knew was coming, is on. A judge in Tazewell County (in deep-red southwestern VA) ruled that the referendum and the underlying constitutional amendment approved by VA voters were invalid.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit by the Republican National Committee.

Further, the judge issued a permanent injunction, which bars state officials from certifying the results of the election and blocks the state from implementing the new districts specified in the voter-approved maps.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is immediately filing an appeal in the Court of Appeals.

Much more to come.

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

With best wishes,

Debra

Some key visuals to add here that illustrate:

* This race was very close, with YES winning by a roughly 2-point margin. Remember, Virginia is a (bluish) purple state.

* Virginia’s new maps reflect a helluva gerrymander. Cook Political Report shows how they may take Virginia from a 6D, 5R congressional delegation to a 10D, 1R balance. As I state in the video, gerrymandering is fundamentally bad. Turning a (bluish) purple state into one with that has overwhelmingly blue representation in Washington is not a good thing — but we had no choice. As Kelly Hall of the Fairness Project put it, “We cannot bring a stick to a knife fight.” Certainly not, where the fate of democracy is concerned.

* Representation of Virginia’s conservative western and southern regions will decrease, with the progressive bastion of northern Virginia carved up and combined with voters throughout much of the rest of the state. It’s understandable that turnout in those regions was high and voters there are unhappy… but they should place the blame on Trump and the GOP for starting this anti-democratic fight! They’ve reaped what they sowed.

Thanks for reading and watching! Let me know what you think.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, be sure to subscribe. Please consider supporting my work by becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

* What’s at stake: Virginians are voting on an emergency temporary measure to safeguard our midterm elections, which could net four House seats for Democrats

* How we got here: Trump proclaimed that the GOP is “entitled to five more [House] seats in Texas” in the 2026 midterm elections… and the TX GOP complied

* How the redistricting fight is shaping up: NYT provided this helpful snapshot of where we. CA stepped up; VA must follow suit to offset TX, MO, NC, OH, and FL

* The MAGA dark money misinformation campaign: All those flyers and robocalls my neighbors and I have been receiving and who’s behind them

* What about the argument that “the answer to authoritarianism isn’t gerrymandering”? Unfortunately, it is the answer. If the choices are puke (temporary gerrymander) or explode (sit back and watch the GOP destroy democracy), we must vote YES

* What can Virginians do?

* VOTE YES TOMORROW in person between 6am and 7pm! Check your polling place here and acceptable forms of ID here

* CHECK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS & FRIENDS to remind them to vote (and tell them why they should vote YES!)

* SIGN UP TO BE A POLL GREETER with Virginians for Fair Elections here. Hand out sample ballots at the polls, answer questions, dispel misinformation

* ELECTION DAY CANVASSING to get out the vote: Find local canvassing opportunities here

* SHARE THIS PODCAST ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WITH NEIGHBORS

* What can non-Virginians do? Phone and text banking is pretty much done at this point (as far as I can tell), but you too can share this podcast on social media and with friends and family in Virginia! DemCast also has a social media toolkit.

Sic Semper Tyrannis! Thus Always to Tyrants! Vote YES to save democracy, Virginia!

Next Up… Tomorrow at 3pm Eastern (note new time!):

We need to talk about President Trump, Iran’s nuclear program, the US president’s to have virtually uninhibited authority to use nuclear weapons, and how we can keep Americans and the world safe.

For this important conversation, I’ll be joined by Joe Cirincione, a veteran nuclear weapons policy specialist. Most recently, Joe served as president of Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. He is the author of the books Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons, and Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats. He has worked on nuclear weapons policy in Washington for over 35 years and is considered one of the top experts in the field. During this time, he worked at a number of think-tanks, and for nearly a decade, served as professional staff on the US House of Representatives Committees on Armed Services and Government Operations. He writes the Strategy & History newsletter on Substack.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights and advocacy The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

I look forward to seeing some of you tomorrow. Be sure to vote, Virginians!

Warm regards,

Debra

This podcast showcases what I hope will become the hallmark of The Debrief: tackling tough topics with sharp intellect, uncompromising integrity, and lots of heart.

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

* Apartheid: Michael authored a 2020 legal opinion for Israeli human rights org Yesh Din, concluding that Israel was committing the crime of apartheid in the West Bank. How did he look at the issue of apartheid then and now?

* Genocide: Did Israel commit genocide in Gaza? Michael provides a close reading of relevant statutes and how they have been interpreted by international courts

* Occupation: Responding to those who deny that the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) are occupied — and who claim that people who speak about “apartheid” and “genocide” with regard to Israel are ipso facto antisemitic

* ICJ’s 2024 ruling that Israel’s continued presence in the OPT is unlawful: Why Michael believes this will eventually result in material consequences for Israel

* Israel’s legal system: Its unwillingness (and perhaps inability) to hold Israelis to account for potential crimes committed against Palestinians

* Zygmunt Bauman: The famed sociologist’s life and work and how it has influenced the path of his grandson (Michael!)

* The future of Israel-Palestine: What Michael is fighting for — and what he believes will happen if Israel’s opposition prevails in this year’s elections

I would love to hear what you think! I hope you’ll share this podcast widely on social media, among your networks, and with family and friends who should see it.

Friends, allow me to share a message from the fabulous Richard Goldwasser:

Rich says it better than I ever could. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue and expand this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you!

As promised, here are some relevant links for Michael Sfard:

* Occupied from Within: A Journey to the Roots of the Constitutional Coup - English translation of Michael’s book, which is due to be released this summer

* The Wall and the Gate: Israel, Palestine, and the Legal Battle for Human Rights - Michael’s seminal 2021 book

* Modernity and the Holocaust - I read the first edition in grad school; this 2002 edition has a new afterward by author Zygmunt Bauman! I’m trying to track down the later essay Michael referenced — I suspect it may be chapter entitled “The Holocaust’s Life as a Ghost.

* M. Gessen, “How to Be a Good Citizen When Your Country Does Bad Things” (Nov. 2025 NYT piece featuring Michael Sfard and others)

* Judi Rudoren, “A Champion for the Displaced in Israel” (2012 NYT profile of Sfard)

* Shany Littman, “Human Rights Lawyer Michael Sfard Wants to Expose the Dark Side of Israel’s High Court” (2025 Haaretz interview with Sfard)

* Michael Sfard Law Office

* Follow Michael on Facebook and X

Pro-Tip!

If you’ve subscribed to The Debrief but are not receiving emails and notifications of live podcasts, here are some troubleshooting tips from Substack. Try adding drshushan@substack.com to your contact list.

That’s it from me for now. More soon!

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics Péter and I discussed included:

* Hungary under Orbán as a central node for the global far-right movement, complete with its own CPAC spinoff that holds annual confabs

* How Orbán and Fidesz hollowed out Hungary’s democracy and consolidated a corrupt competitive authoritarian regime during Orbán’s 16-year rule

* How Péter Magyar and his upstart Tisza party defeated Orbán — with lessons for those fighting for democracy in the US, Israel, and elsewhere

* Orbán’s concession of the race to Magyar (which, as we Americans know, wasn’t a given)

* How Orbán advanced the interests of Putin, Netanyahu, and Trump within the European Union

* What’s next for Hungary, as Magyar and Tisza work to undo Orbánism, root out corruption, rebuild democracy, recommit to Europe, and pursue accountability

The defeat of Orbán is a huge step for Hungary, but now the hard work begins. Success in rebuilding a durable democracy isn’t guaranteed. Let’s all root for Hungary and follow its progress, bearing in mind that all of our futures are intertwined as we collectively fight for democracy against far-right movements around the globe.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

What’s Up Next?

Tomorrow (Tues, April 14) at 11am Eastern:

I’ll be joining three pro-democracy organizations — Markers for Democracy, Downtown Nasty Women Social Group, and Team Min — for a Zoom conversation about the Middle East, US foreign policy, and Jewish American politics. I’ll offer some remarks and then we’ll have Q&A. I’m pleased to join the impressive roster of speakers these groups have hosted. Thanks to Ellen Bender of Markers for Democracy’s leadership team for the invitation and her early support of The Debrief!

All are welcome to join us tomorrow. RSVP here.

Tomorrow at 9:20pm Eastern:

I’ll be a guest on Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang on Siriux XM Progress. Tune in live to hear me in conversation with quick-witted comedian, actor, and NYT bestselling author John Fugelsang! I’m excited to chat with John and hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Wednesday, April 15, at 10:30am Eastern:

I’ve had the privilege of moderating webinars and congressional briefings with Michael Sfard — one of Israel’s top human rights lawyers — but this will be his first appearance on The Debrief. To know Michael is to know that his top-flight intellect is matched only by his unflagging commitment to human rights and universal application of international law. His Tel Aviv/Jaffa-based law office has represented human rights and peace organizations and Palestinian communities since 2004, specializing in Israeli constitutional and administrative law, the laws of war, and human rights law.

Michael is the author of several books, including Occupation from Within: A Journey to the Roots of the Constitutional Coup, the English translation of which will come out later this year. He has been featured in The New York Times multiple times (most recently in this piece on Israeli dissidents by M. Gessen), as well as in Haaretz (here), where he frequently publishes op-eds.

Truly, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

That’s it for now, folks!

Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Warmly,

Debra

If you’re looking for analysis of what is likely to happen in the Israel-Lebanon and US-Iran negotiations, a prescription for what path forward should look like, an assessment of the current situation on the ground, AND/OR as deep a dive into Lebanese internal politics and the history of Israeli-Lebanese relations as you can get in a single podcast… this one’s for you!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The key topics Nadim and I discussed included:

* The immense human toll of Israel’s war in Lebanon since March 2 — especially from the post-ceasefire “Black Wednesday” strikes two days ago

* Hizballah — its history, aims, evolving political role, relationship to Iran, current strength, and attitudes toward it within Lebanese society

* Lebanon’s fractious and complicated history — confessional divides, weak state, and legacy of external intervention

* Israeli-Lebanese relations — from war in 1948, to relative quiet through the 1960s, to invasion and occupation amid Lebanon’s civil war, to the 2006 war, to October 7 and the subsequent war, to today

* What the key parties want — the Netanyahu government (Gazafication, permanent buffer zone, possible settlements), the Lebanese government, Hizballah and Iran

* A better future — strengthening the Lebanese state; disarming Hizballah; multinational security; and peace, justice, and accountability

Here are some resources to check out:

* Nadim’s April 2 op-ed in Just Security: “Washington Is Backing the Wrong Lebanon Strategy” (which lays out what the US should do instead)

* Nadim’s March 26 commentary: “Lebanon Needs a Legal Strategy Against Israeli Violence”

* Website for Arab Reform Initiative

I’d love to hear what you think! Please share with others who will appreciate this podcast.

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. I need your help in order to continue this work. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

I’ll be back in your inbox soon with info on what’s on The Debrief next week.

We all deserve a peaceful weekend. I hope you’re able to have one.

Shabbat shalom,

Debra

The topics we discussed included:

* Israel’s new discriminatory death penalty law: how it targets Palestinians exclusively and amounts to de jure annexation of the West Bank, and ACRI’s fight to get Israel’s Supreme Court to overturn the law

* The cruelty is the point: How National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir channeled the violence and brutality of Israel’s post-October 7 campaign in Gaza into his campaign for the death penalty law (golden noose lapel pins and all)

* Fighting for the freedom to protest the Iran war: How ACRI is fighting back as the Netanyahu government has sought to prevent anti-war protests and Ben-Gvir’s police have violently attacked protesters

* Forcing the IDF to restrict violent settler ringleaders: As state-backed settler terrorism accelerates and drives more Palestinians from their land, ACRI is trying novel legal approaches that target settler ringleaders

* Concerns that Netanyahu will grow increase repression as elections approach and how ACRI is preparing for that eventuality

That’s just a taste — there was much more to this insightful and candid conversation. I highly recommend checking out ACRI’s important work! Their website is here.

You Won’t Want to Miss This!

Friday, April 10, at 11am Eastern:

Since the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire yesterday, shortly before President Trump’s deadline for unleashing the termination of Iranian civilization, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s determination to continue the Israeli war against Lebanon has become a major barrier to ending the Middle East crisis. The Israeli war against Lebanon, which began after Hizballah lobbed missiles at Israel following the start of the US-Israeli attack against Iran, has shattered what remained of the November 2024 ceasefire and displaced nearly one-fifth of Lebanon’s population.

Today, Israel unleashed intense strikes that reportedly killed 182 people — the highest death toll in a single day since the start of the Israel-Hizballah war. With Iran insisting that the ceasefire must extend to Lebanon, the fate of the US-Iran ceasefire hangs in the balance.

Nadim Houry, Executive Director of Arab Reform Initiative, recently published a thoughtful analysis in Just Security, critiquing both Israel’s actions and Washington’s strategy in Lebanon. I’m looking forward to speaking with him about these latest pivotal developments and considering what a path to peace, stability, and accountability for Lebanon and Israel might entail.

Join us!

Speaking of the Purported US-Iran Ceasefire…

I joined TRT World Now last night, shortly after news of the ceasefire broke to share my analysis on the unfolding developments. As you’ll see, one of the topics I emphasized was the potential for PM Netanyahu to play the role of spoiler by insisting on continuing the war in Lebanon — and the need for President Trump to use his considerable leverage vis-a-vis Netanyahu.

I’d love to hear what you think!

Friends, I’ve been working hard to bring you top-tier, multifaceted analysis to keep you informed throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran. I need your help in order to continue this work. If you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also show your support with a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.

Hang in there, folks. I hope to see you on Friday!

Warm regards,

Debra

Some of the key topics we discussed were:

* The unprecedented nature of the US-Israeli war against Iran, in historical perspective

* How Trump’s personal interests in money, power, and glory are shaping US foreign policy

* Current (bad) options for US foreign policy and what Aaron would advise President Trump to do now

* Israeli aims in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria and how Netanyahu is trying to reshape the broader Middle East

* Gulf states’ divergent foreign policy aims/interests and Saudi Crown Prince MBS’s interventions with Trump

* Why Trump can compel Netanyahu to end the war at any time (perhaps not for the reasons you think)

* The deleterious impact of the war on US-Israeli relations and on the safety of Jews in the US and the broader Diaspora

We packed quite a bit into a relatively short episode of The Debrief! I highly recommend it and hope that you’ll share it far and wide.

Friends, if you appreciate my work, I hope you’ll pitch in to support The Debrief. If you’re not a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one now. You can also leave a tip (one-time donation). Big thanks!

Wishing folks who are celebrating chag sameach (happy holiday), a zissen Pesach (a sweet Passover), and a happy Easter!

Warm regards,

Debra

I’m visiting my family out here to celebrate my niece’s bat mitzvah this weekend, which gave my mother the opportunity to tell Waj he’s handsome and that she’s a big fan. So that was fun for everyone involved! She’s ready to join the Jewish grandmother contingent of Waj’s ever-growing fan club.

Waj and I kicked off our conversation by discussing the anti-democratic push by Trump, Israel’s far right, and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu himself to secure a pardon for Netanyahu — who is still on trial for bribery, fraud, and break of public trust. In Haaretz, Dahlia Scheindlin wrote about the latest developments in that effort. As we noted, Trump and Netanyahu work closely with other right-wing leaders (including Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Argentina’s Javier Milei) to support each others’ authoritarian projects at home and foreign policies abroad.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As the disastrous US-Israeli war against Iran closes out its first month, we discussed the rising threats against Jewish Americans and increasing Islamophobia against Muslim Americans. The safety of Diaspora Jewry is not a significant concern for Netanyahu, whose most reliable supporters in the US are Christian Zionists. Many Jewish Americans oppose Netanyahu and Trump’s war against Iran — though we lack reliable polling that would enable us to determine the extent of support/opposition. I noted a poll by the Jewish People Policy Institute that surveyed “connected Jews” — a curated group of respondents who are “more engaged in Jewish communal life and more attentive to Israel and Jewish issues than the broader public.” In Jewish Currents, Jonathan Nathan-Kazis underscores the unrepresentative “right-leaning, pro-Israel bias” of the sample.

We spoke about the growing backlash against AIPAC and the danger that more Americans will be seduced by far-right antisemitic figures like Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and Candace Owens, as Democratic leadership maintains ties to AIPAC. As I recently discussed with former Congresswoman Marie Newman, AIPAC suffered serious setbacks in the Illinois Democratic primaries, where millions in spending through shell PACs couldn’t stop the victory of Daniel Biss and a strong second-place finish by Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois’ ninth congressional district. Top 2028 Democratic contenders are taking notice and pledging not to accept money from AIPAC.

As we closed, Waj asked me how the US should reset its relationship with Israel. To begin, US foreign policy toward Israel must be consistent with US and international law — including laws regulating arms transfers, such as the Leahy Law, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the Arms Export Control Act. (For those interested in diving deeper, you can check out this primer on domestic and international law relating to arms transfers, published by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.) In addition, future US policy on Israel-Palestine must be oriented toward achieving justice, equality, and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis — in accordance with United Nations resolutions and domestic and international legal obligations. The Democrats’ days of paying lip service to a two-state solution for Israel-Palestine, while issuing black checks that support right-wing Israeli governments in entrenching the Occupation must end.

I’d love to hear what you think!

Next Up on The Debrief

Monday, March 30, at 1pm Eastern:

I’m delighted to announced that Aaron David Miller — one of the premier experts on US policy in the Middle East — will join me to discuss where Trump and Netanyahu’s war against Iran is going and how it can be brought to an end. A senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Aaron served at the State Department for a quarter-century (from 1978 to 2003). During that time, he helped formulate US policy on the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli peace process, most recently as the senior advisor for Arab-Israeli negotiations. Aaron is a frequent commentator on CNN, NPR and the BBC and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations as well as a past resident scholar at the Georgetown Center for Strategic and International Studies. Between 2003 and 2006, Aaron served as president of Seeds of Peace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Miller is a co-chair of the New Israel Fund’s International Council. He has written five books, including The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have (and Doesn’t Want) Another Great President.

Friends, if you appreciate my work, I hope you’ll pitch in to support The Debrief. If you’re not a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one now. You can also leave a one-time donation. Thank you!

I hope to see you on Monday for the discussion with Aaron David Miller!

Warm regards,

Debra

* AIPAC’s heavy involvement in Democratic primary elections in Illinois last week and what the results across four congressional races tell us about its influence

* How AIPAC became toxic for many Illinois voters

* How voters in Illinois’ 9th district, with its significant Jewish population, rejected AIPAC’s preferred candidate in favor of Daniel Biss (and Kat Abughazala)

* How dark money from AIPAC, AI, Crypto, and others corrodes American politics and public trust

* Democratic Party leadership’s refusal to reject AIPAC & other PAC money — and Marie’s picks for Members of Congress she’d like to see in leadership roles

* What Americans can and should do right now to fight for democracy

I hope you enjoy the conversation. As always, I’d love to hear what you think!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Up & Coming

I’ll be on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali on Friday afternoon. Timing is TBD. I’ll update in The Debrief’s subscriber chat and on my Substack page when I have more details to share.

Inshallah, I’ll be joining Waj from sunny southern California. The Shushan family is heading out to the left coast for my niece’s bat mitzvah. Thanks to Republicans’ refusal to fund TSA and Trump’s dispatching ICE to some airports, flying feels a wee bit daunting. Wish us luck!

Friends, if you appreciate The Debrief, I hope you’ll pitch in to support my work. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one now. You can also leave a tip, which is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Warm regards,

Debra

I drew many of my questions from Eric’s seminal article, “Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism.” While he wrote it in June 2017, early in Donald Trump’s first term, it is more relevant than ever today. I highly recommend reading it.

The topics we discussed included:

* Eric’s undercover research on white nationalist movements and why his subjects didn’t find it odd to encounter a Black man in their spaces

* Why Eric believes that antisemitism forms the “theoretical core” of white nationalism

* The centrality of the Great Replacement Theory to white nationalism

* Jewish whiteness as provisional and revocable

* How Israeli policies, especially since October 7th, have complicated the fight against antisemitism

* The use of historical analogies, such as European fascism, to understand America in Trump’s second term

* Breaking down the MAGA coalition into its component parts — and where figures like Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson, and Candace Owens fit in

* Building community to fight against white nationalism and for a multiracial, inclusive democracy

I learned so much from this conversation and I hope you did (or will), too! I’d love to hear what you think.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Now This Is Super Exciting!

Coming up this Thursday, March 19, at 12pm Eastern:

At the end of my conversation with Eric K. Ward, he spoke of the importance of building community, which is so important during these times — and it’s something I want to do here on The Debrief. So this Thursday, we’ll have have Office Hours for the first time over Zoom, featuring moderated discussion and an opportunity to “ask me anything.” We’ll have an opportunity to see each other, speak together, and build community in a safe space, at a time when so many of us desperately need it. I’m really looking forward to this and hope you’ll be there!

Paid subscribers will receive a separate email tomorrow morning with the video link to join.

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I hope you’ll become one now. You can also show your support for The Debrief with a one-time donation, which is greatly appreciated.

Looking Ahead to Next Week…

Tuesday, March 24, at 2:30pm Eastern:

Former Congresswoman Marie Newman, who represented Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District covering parts of Chicago and its suburbs, will join us to debrief the results of Illinois’ primary elections (which are taking place as I write).

AIPAC is playing a major role in several Illinois Democratic primaries, reportedly spending a gobsmacking $22 million in targeting four House races. In IL-09, AIPAC- affiliated groups targeted frontrunner Daniel Biss, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor who has a deep personal connection to Israel but doesn’t believe in blank-check US support for it. AIPAC’s spending against Biss may (inadvertently?) boost his opponent Kat Abughazaleh, a Palestinian-American who advocates cutting all aid to Israel. This raises the prospect of a repeat of the primary result in New Jersey’s 11th district. In that race, AIPAC spent $2 million against former Congressman Tom Malinowski, a pro-Israel moderate. He was narrowly defeated by Analilia Mejia, who is significantly to Malinowski’s left on Israel-Palestine.

Newman has plenty of experience tangling with AIPAC and has recently written that “AIPAC has a toxic brand problem… They look to be the new kiss of death for campaigns.” We’ll have much to discuss!

Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing paid subscribers in Office Hours on Thursday!

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics we covered included:

* Iranians’ reaction to the US-Israeli attack and why those who were excited about the prospect of regime change have curbed their enthusiasm

* The survival of the Iranian regime through the US-Israeli onslaught and the significance of Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father as Supreme Leader

* The possibility of “invasion” by US and Israeli-armed Iranian Kurds based in Iraq and why Arash believes this would be disastrous

* The prospect of civil war, for which the regime is preparing by arming its supporters

* Why no one should’ve been surprised at Iran’s regionalization of the conflict and blocking the Strait of Hormuz (We’re looking at you, Donald Trump.)

* The nature of the threat Iran posed to Israel and (to a lesser extent) the US — and why diplomacy was the better way to deal with them

As always, I’d like to hear what you think!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coming Up Next!

Tuesday, March 17, at 1pm Eastern:

Racial justice activist Eric K. Ward is Executive Vice President of Race Forward and a nationally recognized expert on the relationship between authoritarian movements, hate violence, and preserving inclusive democracy. He has tracked and responded to bigoted violence across the country for more than three decades. Previously, Currently the Executive Director of Western States Center and a Senior Fellow with Southern Poverty Law Center Executive.

Among his seminal works is an article entitled “Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Annihilates White Nationalism.” In that piece, he writes: “Antisemitism…is a particular and potent form of racism so central to White supremacy that Black people would not win our freedom without tearing it down.” I look forward to speaking with Eric about antisemitism, racism, and the fight against white supremacy and authoritarianism.

Thursday, March 19, at 12pm Eastern:

I’m excited to announce that on Thursday, we’ll have Office Hours for the first time over Zoom, featuring moderated discussion and an opportunity to “ask me anything.” We’ll have an opportunity to see each other, speak together, and build community in a safe space, at a time when so many of us desperately need it. I’m really looking forward to this and hope you’ll be there! Encourage friends to subscribe and join you (or gift them a subscription)!

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I hope you’ll become one now. If you’d like to support The Debrief with a one-time donation, that would also be greatly appreciated.

Looking Ahead to Next Week…

Tuesday, March 24, at 2:30pm Eastern:

Former Congresswoman Marie Newman, who represented Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District covering parts of Chicago and its suburbs, will join us to debrief the results of Illinois’ primary elections (which take place tomorrow) — and more. AIPAC is playing a major role in several Illinois Democratic primaries, including in IL-09, where AIPAC- affiliated groups are reportedly spending roughly $5 million to defeat frontrunner Daniel Biss. Newman has plenty of experience tangling with AIPAC and has recently written that “AIPAC has a toxic brand problem… They look to be the new kiss of death for campaigns.”

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Warmly,

Debra

It’s always a privilege and a pleasure to speak with my friend Avrum Burg, former Speaker of Israel’s Knesset. It’s even more wonderful to receive great feedback and hear that the conversation was meaningful for The Debrief’s audience. Here’s a lovely message I received from David C. that I’d like to share with you all:

Thank you so much for the talk you had with Avrum. I know it might sounds strange but it moved me to tears. So much you talked about are so extremely important in these times. The two most important things to me is empathy and exchange of ideas. I got an hour of that with you.

The topics Avrum and I spoke about included:

* The current situation for civilians in the region — particularly in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon

* Why support for the war among most Israelis (particularly Israeli Jews) is high

* Avrum’s critique of the war and argument for investing in peace

* Israeli media and its coverage of the war

* PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s motivations for war

* The lack of an alternative vision from Israel’s opposition parties (with few exceptions)

* Tucker Carlson and his challenge to Christian Zionism (a subject about which Avrum and I will have to agree to disagree)

* Attacks on Jews in the Diaspora and how Israeli Jews

I hope that you’ll find the conversation meaningful and thought-provoking. Avrum and I would love to hear what you think!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Next Up on The Debrief…

Monday, March 16, at 12pm Eastern:

Dr. Arash Azizi is a postdoctoral associate at Yale University and a contributing writer at the Atlantic. He is the author of What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom (2024) and The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US and Iran’s Global Ambitions (2020). Currently, he is writing a book on Iran and Israel.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, Arash’s analysis has been much in demand. He has been interviewed on ABC News, CNN, NPR, and by other broadcasters around the world. I’m pleased to be able to host him on The Debrief to talk about what Iranians want, the current reality on the ground in Iran during the bombardment by the US and Israel, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (whom Arash has dubbed the “Nepo-tollah”), the state of the ruling regime, and what the future may hold for Iranians following the war.

Tuesday, March 17, at 1pm Eastern:

Racial justice activist Eric K. Ward is Executive Vice President of Race Forward and a nationally recognized expert on the relationship between authoritarian movements, hate violence, and preserving inclusive democracy. He has tracked and responded to bigoted violence across the country for more than three decades. Previously, Currently the Executive Director of Western States Center and a Senior Fellow with Southern Poverty Law Center Executive.

Among his seminal works is an article entitled “Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Annihilates White Nationalism.” In that piece, he writes: “Antisemitism…is a particular and potent form of racism so central to White supremacy that Black people would not win our freedom without tearing it down.” I look forward to speaking with Eric about antisemitism, racism, and the fight against white supremacy and authoritarianism.

Thursday, March 19, at 12pm Eastern:

I’m excited to announce that on Thursday, we’ll have Office Hours — which will feature moderated discussion and an opportunity to “ask me anything.” Prior to Office Hours, I’ll share a Zoom link with paid subscribers. We’ll have an opportunity to see each other, speak together, and build community in a safe space, at a time when so many of us desperately need it. I’m really looking forward to this and hope you’ll be there!

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I hope you’ll become one now. If you’d like to support The Debrief with a one-time donation, that would also be greatly appreciated.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Warmly,

Debra

The topics Tim and I discussed included:

* Christian Zionism, and why evangelical Christians are obsessed with Israel and the Middle East (for more on this and the topic above, see Tim’s video)

* How Christian Zionists — including Pastor John Hagee of Christians United for Israel — view war against Iran

* Reports that US military leaders have justified the war using apocalyptic Christian theology, prompting Members of Congress to seek an investigation

* US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Tucker Carlson, and antisemitism

* Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, his pastor Doug Wilson, and how Christian nationalism may be impacting the US-Israeli war against Iran

* US Senate candidate James Talarico (D-TX), his progressive Christian ethos, and the backlash against him from some Christian nationalists — check out one of Tim’s podcasts with Talarico here

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

This is a tremendously consequential time for American democracy, Israel-Palestine, and the broader Middle East. I’m working hard at The Debrief to inform and enlighten, bringing you analysis and incisive discussions that you won’t find elsewhere. If you value this work, would you consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation?

I’d be so grateful. Thanks!

For more of The Debrief’s content on the Iran war, check out the podcast archive.

I put out a 10-minute explainer on the day Israel and the US launched the war against Iran; had a great conversation on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali; spoke with former Deputy Head of Israel’s National Security Council Eran Etzion about Netanyahu’s motivations for war; and and talked to former director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center Merissa Khurma about the war’s regional consequences.

There’s much more coming up over the next week, including a conversation with former Israeli Knesset Speaker Avrum Burg on Sunday at 11:30am Eastern.

Additional details on upcoming events coming your way shortly.

Warm regards,

Debra

We had another illuminating conversation today about the US-Israeli war against Iran today! This time, Merissa Khurma joined me to unpack the regional consequences of the war for the broader Middle East. It was a lively discussion showcasing Merissa’s deep regional knowledge and expertise.

Merissa Khurma is Founder and CEO of Amena Strategies, a fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University, former Director of the Middle East Program at The Wilson Center (before the Trump Administration killed it), and a former Jordanian diplomat. See her full bio and check out her work at Amena Strategies and Foundation here.

Topics we discussed included:

* Whether the war will lead to a fundamental reordering of the Middle East

* The role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council states — including consideration of reporting that Saudi Crown Prince MBS lobbied Trump for war

* Impact on Lebanon of renewed war between Israel and Hizballah

* Public opinion in the Middle East regarding the war against Iran

* Impact of ongoing Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank on Arab governments and public opinion

* Overt religious dimensions to the war and dangers they could pose

As always, I’d love to hear what you think! Share your thoughts in the comments.

More Coming Up This Week!

Thursday, March 12 — Time TBA:

Just added! Former Israeli Knesset Speaker Avrum Burg will return to The Debrief to share his reflections on the war and current public opinion in Israel. As you’ll know if you’ve seen him previously on The Debrief, Avrum is a fascinating thinker. You won’t want to miss this conversation. For info on the schedule, check The Debrief’s chat, where I’ll post the timing as soon as I know it (likely tomorrow). Also, make sure you’re subscribed to The Debrief to receive a notification when Avrum and I go live.

Friday, March 13 at 2pm Eastern:

With the US at war — led by a tattooed Secretary of Defense who has brought misogynist, theocracy-supporting preacher Doug Wilson to lead a Pentagon prayer service and spoken approvingly of rebuilding the temple on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif — we need to have a serious conversation about the role white Christian nationalism is playing in US foreign policy under Donald Trump.

It’s not just Pete Hegseth, of course. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist pastor, believes Israel is entitled to control much of the Middle East. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has lectured Europeans about the “urgent threat” to the survival of “Western civilization” based in part on “Christian faith.” House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Capitol Hill office is adorned with the Appeal to Heaven flag. The The Military Religious Freedom Foundation reports receiving calls from US servicemembers regarding religious comments made by US commanders regarding the war in Iran. (Members of Congress are calling for an investigation by the Pentagon.) Evangelical leaders laid hands on Donald Trump in the Oval Office yesterday, praying for him and expressing gratitude for his “courageous decision to strike the terrorist regime in Iran.”

I’m delighted to welcome Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals back to The Debrief. We’ll also speak about Democratic nominee for US Senate from Texas James Talarico and the alternative vision of Christianity he powerfully represents. Tim has interviewed Talarico on multiple occasions, including here.

This is a tremendously consequential time for American democracy, Israel-Palestine, and the broader Middle East. I’m working hard at The Debrief to inform and enlighten, bringing you analysis and incisive discussions that you won’t find elsewhere. If you value this work, would you consider chipping in to keep it going? I’d be so grateful. Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Hang in there,

Debra

P.S. For more of The Debrief’s content on the Iran war, check out the podcast archive. I put out this 10-minute explainer on the day Israel and the US launched the war against Iran that lots of folks found helpful. I had a great conversation (as always!) on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali that you’ll enjoy. Former Deputy Head of Israel’s National Security Council Eran Etzion and I had a meaty discussion that delved deep into PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s motivations for war and the likely consequences.

At the outset of our conversation, Eran stated:

Netanyahu has his own set of personal, political, and I would say criminal interests, irrespective of the interests of the State of Israel, the people of Israel, its relations with the US, its national security, and so on… Unfortunately, I would argue that [Netanyahu’s] considerations, [which are] essentially illegitimate, [are] calling the shots.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here are the main topics we discussed:

* Netanyahu’s use of war to evade jail and responsibility for October 7, Gaza, and Qatargate, attempting to win the Oct ‘26 election despite lagging in polls

* Bibi’s placement of cronies and ideologues in key security positions, ensuring lack of pushback against his drive to war — yes, the parallels to the US are clear!

* Israel’s mass displacement in Lebanon and pending ground invasion, rather than working with Lebanon’s govt, US, France, and others to disarm Hizballah

* Netanyahu’s granting “license to kill” to “terrorist settlers” in the West Bank and further immiseration of Gaza while the world is distracted by the Iran war

* Public opinion toward war in Israel driven by October 7th trauma, Netanyahu’s control of the media, and the lack of an alternative vision from the opposition

* Deterioration of support for Israel in the United States, which will accelerate as a result of Trump and Netanyahu’s war

You’re going to want to share this conversation with friends! And please feel encouraged to add your thoughts in the comments.

Next Podcast Coming Your Way

Tuesday, March 10 at 12pm Eastern:

With the US at war — led by a tattooed Secretary of Defense who has brought misogynist, theocracy-supporting preacher Doug Wilson to lead a Pentagon prayer service and spoken approvingly of rebuilding the temple on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif — we need to have a serious conversation about the role white Christian nationalism is playing in US foreign policy under Donald Trump.

It’s not just Pete Hegseth, of course. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist pastor, believes Israel is entitled to control much of the Middle East. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has lectured Europeans about the “urgent threat” to the survival of “Western civilization” based in part on “Christian faith.” House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Capitol Hill office is adorned with the Appeal to Heaven flag. The The Military Religious Freedom Foundation reports receiving calls from US servicemembers regarding religious comments made by US commanders regarding the war in Iran. Evangelical leaders laid hands on Donald Trump in the Oval Office yesterday, praying for him and expressing gratitude for his “courageous decision to strike the terrorist regime in Iran.”

To discuss this, I’m delighted to welcome Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals back to The Debrief (by popular demand!). In addition to discussing the role white Christian nationalism and the role it is playing in US foreign policy, I’m looking forward to speaking with him about Democratic nominee for US Senate from Texas James Talarico and the alternative vision of Christianity he powerfully represents. Tim has interviewed Talarico on multiple occasions, including here.

I hope you’ll join Tim and me on Tuesday!

Warmly,

Debra

This is a tremendously consequential time for American democracy, Israel-Palestine, and the broader Middle East. I’m working hard here at The Debrief to inform and enlighten, bringing you analysis and incisive discussions that you won’t find elsewhere. Friends, if you value this work, would you consider chipping in to keep it going? I’d be so grateful. Thanks!

P.S. In case you missed any of the great content on The Debrief this week, it’s all available in the podcast archive. I put out this 10-minute explainer on the day Israel and the US launched the war against Iran that lots of folks found helpful. I had a great conversation (as always!) on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali that you’ll enjoy. And paid subscribers got to savor a wonderful discussion with Sari Bashi on her memoir, Upside-Down Love.

Topics featured in our discussion included:

* Netanyahu and Trump’s motivations for war against Iran

* War and mass displacement in Lebanon, courtesy of Hizballah and Israel

* Declaration of “religious war” by Lindsey Graham and others

* Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens (wrongly!) blame Chabad

* Jewish Americans’ reactions to the war against Iran

* Congressional Republicans betrayal of the Constitution on war powers

* Democrats’ shifting politics on Israel (feat. Gavin Newsom and Ruben Gallego)

* Why James Talarico, Jasmine Crockett, Chris Van Hollen, Brad Lander, and Zohran Mamdani bring us hope (yes, we can/must add more women to this list!)

And there was much more!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It’s always a pleasure and privilege to speak with Waj. These are dark times and the sane among us — including Muslims, Jews, and all of our allies — have to build bonds of solidarity.

Coming up next on The Debrief…

TOMORROW at 9am ET:

Earlier this week, I attended a private roundtable in DC at which Eran Etzion shared his analysis and insights into the US-Israeli war against Iran, holding a room of Middle East policy experts rapt with attention. A former Deputy Head of Israel’s National Security Council and strong opponent of PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government, Eran has a fierce intellect, strategic acumen, and impressive candor. I’m delighted to be be able to feature him on The Debrief.

Tune in and please subscribe and share. As always, I’m grateful for your support.

Warm regards,

Debra

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In addition to what I said in the video, I’ll add here that I’m praying for the safety of US service members and my friends and family and all civilians in the region.

I hope for a swift end to military operations and return to diplomacy, accountability for violations of US and international law, Congressional assertion of its Constitutional powers, and a better future for the Iranian people.

I hope you find the video helpful and welcome your thoughts.

Please feel welcome/encouraged to share!

Specifically, Brad and I spoke about:

* Pivoting from local NYC politics to running for Congress in NY’s 10th Congressional district

* Challenging Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary

* Taking on AIPAC, its toxic role in American politics and Democratic primaries, and the Democratic Party burying its 2024 election autopsy over Gaza findings

* Supporting the Block the Bombs Act and opposing occupation and genocide — while fighting for safety, freedom, and equality for Israelis and Palestinians

* Assessing Mayor Mamdani’s first weeks in office and prospects for repair among a divided Jewish community in New York (and beyond)

* Committing to public service and what it requires in the era of Trump (with a tip of the hat to President Harry S Truman and our fellow Truman Scholars!)

I can’t recommend this conversation enough and hope that you’ll share it with your networks. If you’d like to (re-)watch Brad and my previous conversation in October, just before the NYC mayoral election, you can do that here.

If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the lovely Mr. Rogers-esque ad introducing Brad Lander’s congressional campaign, which takes on AIPAC out of the gate:

CELEBRATE PURIM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE DEBRIEF!

Huge thanks to Brad Lander for making this Jewish holiday-themed pitch for folks to become paid subscribers to The Debrief:

I think people should make a Purim contribution.

You know, you’re thinking about Shushan, you’re celebrating, you can’t tell Haman from Mordechai.

Go ahead and throw Debra Shushan a subscription!

For those who are less familiar with Purim, which begins this Monday evening, it marks the story from the Book of Esther, in which Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai saved the Jewish people in 4th century BCE Persia — specifically, its capital, Shushan! — from a genocide plotted by the king’s advisor Haman. On Purim, Jews read the megillah (below) and there is a tradition whereby (some) Jews drink alcohol until they can’t distinguish between the cursed Haman and heroic Mordechai.

All to say… I agree with Brad! It would be delightful, meaaningful, and so greatly appreciated if you (Jewish or not!) would join me in celebrating Purim by becoming a paid subscriber to The Debrief. If you do, I’ll tell you the story of why my husband and I changed our last names to Shushan when we got married! It’s a good one.

Tues, March 3 at 12pm ET: Upside-Down Love with Sari Bashi

The Debrief’s author book talk with Sari Bashi is coming up next week! Just released in English and already a USA Today bestseller, Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices is the impossibly unlikely love story of Sari and her husband Osama, who are now living and raising their children in the West Bank.

Options for ordering the book are here.

Sari is brilliant and thoughtful, a founder of the Israeli Gaza-focused human rights organization Gisha and now the Executive Director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI). She’s also an alum of The Debrief and I’m excited to welcome her back to talk about her book and new role at PCATI.

The book talk with Sari is exclusively for paid subscribers. Please join up and support The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

I’d love to hear your questions and comments for Sari! Please send them here:

One last thing…

I’ll be attending the J Street convention this Sunday and Monday. If you’ll be there and would like to meet up, drop me a line.

Warm regards, as always!

Debra

Spanning US domestic politics and Trumpian foreign policy, Waj and I discussed:

* The DNC’s secret autopsy of the 2024 election: Per reporting yesterday from Axios, the internal report “concluded that Harris lost significant support because of the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza.” Concerned that releasing such findings could prove explosive, the autopsy “has been under lock and key since party leaders decided last year to hide it from the public.” Waj and I shared our thoughts on a Democratic establishment that is dangerously avoiding a reckoning and the need for change.

* AIPAC’s desperate interventions in Democratic Congressional primaries: We reflected on AIPAC’s use of GOP megadonors’ money to determine the results of Democratic primaries. In particular, we discussed AIPAC’s intervention in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district, where it spent $2.3 million to defeat moderate Tom Malinowski. We also spoke about races in Illinois and Michigan. I highly recommend reading Malinowski’s piece, A Cautionary Note to Fellow Dems from an AIPAC Target.

* US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee’s Christian Zionism: We unpacked Tucker Carlson’s interview with Amb. Mike Huckabee in Ben-Gurion Airport. While many at home and in the Arab world have (justifiably) slammed Huckabee for stating “it would be fine if [Israel] took it all,” referring to a large swath of the Middle East, I emphasized a less-noticed claim by Huckabee that “Area C is Israel.” Area C accounts for 60% of the West Bank and is occupied Palestinian territory. Huckabee, however, has apparently annexed it to Israel, to the delight of Christian Zionists and Israel’s settlement movement.

* Potential US war against Iran: Waj and I break down why President Trump appears on the brink of launching a war against Iran — as well as the reasons it would be illegal, foolhardy, dangerous for our service members, costly for American consumers, unpopular, and prone to unintended consequences.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this conversation!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Exciting News:

Brad Lander returns to The Debrief on Wednesday at 10am ET!

Brad Lander and I had a great conversation in October, in which we discussed his and Zohran Mamdani’s cross endorsement in the NYC mayoral primary, the importance of Muslim-Jewish solidarity, and attacks on Mamdani from within the Jewish community. Now, Lander is running for Congress in New York’s 10th Congressional district and I’m delighted to welcome him back to The Debrief. We’ll discuss why he’s running for Congress; the meaning of his campaign’s ‘Fight, Don’t Fold’ motto; and his stances on key issues, including workers’ rights, ICE, Israel-Palestine, and AIPAC.

Let me know if you have questions you’d like me to raise with Brad. This conversation will be open to all, with no paywall. Join us and let friends know!

Book Talk with Sari Bashi on Tues, March 3

The Debrief’s first-ever book talk with author Sari Bashi is coming up next week! Just released in English and already a USA Today bestseller, Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices is the impossibly unlikely love story of Sari and her husband Osama, who are now living and raising their children in the West Bank.

To get ready for our book talk with Sari, you’re warmly invited to read Upside-Down Love. Your questions and comments for Sari will be most welcome! Options for ordering the book are here.

The book talk with Sari is exclusively for paid subscribers. Please join up and support The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

That’s it for now! I hope to see many of you on Wednesday for the conversation with Brad Lander.

Warmly,

Debra

More specifically, we spoke about:

* UnXeptable’s origins in 2020 when PM Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges and its activities during the judicial overhaul and post-October 7

* Netanyahu’s evasion of responsibility for his alleged corruption, manipulation of the media, and lack of transparency and accountability for the October 7 massacre

* Why Offir believes that liberal Jewish Americans should actively support pro-democracy parties in Israel’s 2026 election

* Naftali Bennett — former and possible future PM — and his support for annexation and openness to forming a coalition with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich

* Yair Golan and his Democrats party: how committed are they to fighting for Palestinian statehood?

* Palestinian citizens of Israel, the neglect and suffering of their communities, and the importance of increasing their voter turnout to match that of Jewish Israelis

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In one part of our conversation that I especially appreciated, Offir offered the reflection that UnXeptable should have been louder in opposition to Israel’s atrocities (my word) in Gaza post-October 7. As I noted, Esther Sperber made a similar point in our recent conversation. Esther’s realization would lead her to launch Smol Emuni US.

I’d love to hear what you think! Do you see a connection between rising authoritarianism in Israel and the US? If you’re a Jewish American, are you interested in getting involved in this year’s Knesset election?

For more from UnXeptable, check out:

* UnXeptable on Linktree

* UnXeptable on YouTube

* “The Landlords” of the West Bank - a documentary by Kann (Israel’s public broadcaster) on Smotrich and the settlement movement’s land theft, funded by Israeli taxpayers. Thanks to UnXeptable for subtitling this report in English and disseminating it widely!

Reminder: Get Ready for Our Book Talk with Sari Bashi on Tues, March 3!

The Debrief will have its first-ever book talk with author Sari Bashi. Just released in English and already a USA Today bestseller, Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices is the impossibly unlikely love story of Sari and her husband Osama, who are now living and raising their children in the West Bank.

To get ready for our book talk with Sari, you’re warmly invited to read Upside-Down Love. Options for ordering the book are here.

I’ll be asking for your questions and comments ahead of the conversation with Sari. If there’s interest, this could be the start of The Debrief’s Book Club. Let me know what you think! Spread the word to friends!

The book talk with Sari is exclusively for paid subscribers. Please join up and support The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

Information on our next conversations on The Debrief coming soon.

Meanwhile… Shabbat Shalom, Ramadan Kareem, Blessed Lent, and sending warm regards to everyone!

Debra

The frame for our conversation was an opinion piece Sam recently published on the impacts of Israel’s increasing attacks on UNRWA, the UN organization mandated to provide basic services for Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem), Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Specifically, our conversation included:

* The current humanitarian situation for Palestinians in the largely destroyed Gaza Strip, four months after a “ceasefire” began on October 10, 2025

* Children in Gaza, the lasting effects of malnutrition, and the partial extent to which UNRWA has been able to resume education after 2+ years of learning loss

* UNRWA’s history, mandate, and role in the “educational revolution” that made Palestinians among the most educated people in the Arab world

* The post-October 7th intensification of Israel’s campaign against UNRWA and the impact of two Israeli anti-UNRWA laws that went into effect in early 2025

* Israel’s attacks on UNRWA facilities — including the near-destruction of UNRWA’s compound in East Jerusalem

* Debunking attacks on textbooks used in UNRWA schools and the myth that they are responsible for Palestinians’ animosity towards Israel

* Responses to claims that UNRWA is responsible for Palestinian dependency and perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem

Want a short taste of our conversation before you plunge into the full video/podcast? Here’s a clip of Sam responding to my question abut the impact of the Israeli Knesset’s anti-UNRWA laws and the intensification of Israeli attacks against UNRWA:

As always, I welcome your reactions and comments! During our live conversation, I was pleased to see in the chat how much our audience appreciated the opportunity to learn about UNRWA’s operations and hear Sam respond to oft-repeated attacks against UNRWA. If there are folks in your network who might find this conversation interesting and helpful, please feel encouraged to share!

Friends, thanks for reading, watching, and listening to The Debrief. I keep most of my work public so it can be widely accessible. Nonetheless, I rely on paid subscribers to sustain this work. If you value The Debrief’s podcasts and writing and you’d like to help it reach a wider audience, would you consider becoming a paid subscriber? I’d be incredibly grateful.

Tomorrow at 1pm Eastern: UnXeptable Co-Founder Offir Gutelzon joins The Debrief

Israel faces pivotal Knesset elections this year which will determine whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — already the longest-serving premier in Israeli history — will remain in office or potentially face accountability for his alleged personal corruption and his government’s policies before, on, and since October 7th, 2023.

For our first in a series of discussions on The Debrief about the 2026 Israeli elections, I’m delighted to welcome Offir Gutelzon, co-founder of the Israeli expat pro-democracy group UnXeptable. Following Netanyahu’s indictment on corruption charges in 2020, Gutelzon joined with fellow Israeli expats in Silicon Valley to form the group that has since proliferated, establishing branches across North America and the world. The group led pro-democracy, anti-judicial overhaul protests that crescendoed in September 2023. After October 7, it pivoted to supporting Israel’s war effort in Gaza.

I’m looking forward to a robust discussion with Offir about the 2026 election, how he hopes Jewish Americans will get involved, and what he sees as the likely implications of the vote not only for Israel’s future but for Palestinians living in the occupied/annexed West Bank and the decimated Gaza Strip.

Once again, I welcome your questions! Please feel free to share them in the comments or send them to me directly.

Coming Up Soon: Get Ready for Our Book Talk with Sari Bashi on Tues, March 3!

The Debrief will have its first-ever book talk with author Sari Bashi. Just released in English and already a USA Today bestseller, Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices is the impossibly unlikely love story of Sari and her husband Osama, who are now living and raising their children in the West Bank.

To get ready for our book talk with Sari, you’re warmly invited to read Upside-Down Love. Options for ordering the book are here.

I’ll be asking for your questions and comments ahead of the conversation with Sari. If there’s interest, this could be the start of The Debrief’s Book Club. Let me know what you think! Spread the word to friends!

The book talk with Sari is exclusively for paid subscribers. Please join up and support The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

Thanks, Folks! Hope to see many of you tomorrow.

Warmly,

Debra

Announcing the dramatic steps, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich enthused: “We are deepening our roots in all parts of the Land of Israel and burying the idea of a Palestinian state.”

In order to take a deep dive into these latest moves and their consequences, as well as to consider the crucial question of whether Israel’s accelerating annexation of the West Bank can be stopped, I turned to my friend Yehuda Shaul.

One of the foremost experts on Israel’s settlement and annexation of the West Bank, Yehuda serves as Co-Director of Ofek - The Israeli Center for Public Affairs. In 2004, he co-founded the Israeli human rights organization Breaking the Silence, together with a group of fellow discharged soldiers from the IDF.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The topics we discussed included:

* Yehuda’s background (growing up in an ultra-Orthodox family and attending high school in a settlement) and how he came to establish Breaking the Silence

* The ways in which Trump’s first term turbo charged Israel’s settlement movement that today holds the reins of power within the Netanyahu government

* The government’s radical coalition agreement and its early annexationist steps (I’ve written quite a bit on this, including here and here.)

* The latest measures adopted by Israel’s Security Cabinet and their significance in burying the Oslo Accords and expediting settlement and land sales/theft

* The role of settler violence and herding outposts in displacing Palestinian communities

* An assessment of President Biden’s Executive Order that provided for sanctions on violent settlers and entities that facilitate the settler enterprise

* The need for greater international solidarity among progressives — analogous to the illiberal global alliance on the right that has buoyed the settler movement

* Why Yehuda calls himself a “two-state extremist,” what Zionism means to him, and why he opposes the “instrumentalization of the fight against antisemitism”

It was an extremely rich conversation! I hope you’ll (re-)watch or listen to the podcast and share with your networks. I look forward to your comments.

Want More from The Debrief on West Bank annexation? Check Out:

* Avner Gvaryahu: Fighting Against Occupation and for Israel’s Future (Nov 2025)

* Becca Strober: West Bank on Fire, An Update on Settler Violence from the Ground (Nov 2025)

Are You Ready for The Debrief’s First Book Talk on Tues, March 3?

The Debrief will have its first-ever book talk with author Sari Bashi. Just released in English and already a USA Today bestseller, Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices is the impossibly unlikely love story of Sari and her husband Osama, who are today raising their family in the West Bank.

To get ready for our book talk with Sari, you’re warmly invited to read Upside-Down Love. Options for ordering the book are here.

I’ll be asking for your questions and comments ahead of the conversation with Sari. If there’s interest, this could be the start of The Debrief’s Book Club. Let me know what you think! Spread the word to friends!

The book talk with Sari is exclusively for paid subscribers. Please join up and support The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

Next Week on The Debrief: UNRWA & UnXeptable

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 12pm ET: Sam Rose, Acting Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza will discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza ahead of the first meeting meeting of Trump’s Gaza “Board of Peace.” I’ll ask him about Israel’s battle against UNRWA, the organization mandated by the UN to provide essential services for Palestinian refugees, and constraints on its ability to function in the Gaza Strip.

Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1pm ET: Offir Gutelzon of UnXeptable, a grassroots movement of Israeli expats in the US fighting for Israeli democracy and “opposing the actions of the current Israeli government to turn Israel into a messianic theocracy,” joins me to discuss Israel’s future and how Jews in the Diaspora can make an impact.

Got Feedback on The Debrief? I’d be happy to hear from you.

Take care of yourselves and each other out there!

Warm regards,

Debra

In addition to shedding light on those questions, Esther and I also discussed:

* Why Esther co-founded an organization for Americans interested in “building a courageous Orthodox Jewish voice for peace and to end the occupation”

* The relationship between Esther’s new group and Smol Emuni in Israel, including collaborative projects like a Gap Year Fellowship program

* Why Orthodox Jews in the US are almost a mirror opposite of other Jewish Americans, politically — and how that has not always been true

* Painful political differences among her family of nine siblings (most in Israel) since October 7th and how Esther has navigated them

* The fanatical Religious Zionism of Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose power greatly outstrips their support among Israelis

* Hope for a different political trajectory in Israel, starting with this year’s upcoming Knesset elections

* While I hadn’t planned it… Mayor Zohran Mamdani snuck into the conversation, along with his pick to head NYC’s Office to Combat Antisemitism (Esther’s and my friend Phylisa Wisdom — mazel tov!)

If you’re interested in learning more about, and connecting with, Smol Emuni US — be sure to check out their website here.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support this work, please become a free or paid subscriber.

Get Ready for The Debrief’s First Book Talk on Tues, March 3!

The Debrief will have its first-ever book talk with author Sari Bashi. Just released in English and already a USA Today bestseller, Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices is the impossibly unlikely love story of Sari and her husband Osama, who are today raising their family in the West Bank:

Osama is a Palestinian professor, originally from Gaza, who cannot leave the West Bank city of Ramallah. Sari is an Israeli-American lawyer and long-distance runner who petitions Israel’s Supreme Court for his right to travel freely. When the case began, neither expected to fall in love-and when it was over, nobody expected their love to endure.

First published in Hebrew in 2021, Osama and Sari’s star-crossed romance-an intimate, vulnerable portrait of an astoundingly resilient Israeli-Palestinian relationship-has since become a beacon of hope in the aftermath of October 7, 2023… Upside-Down Love speaks to the unique circumstances of this specific moment in history, while also illustrating a timeless truth: Love will triumph over bigotry and destruction.

To get ready for our book talk with Sari, you’re warmly invited to read Upside-Down Love. Options for ordering the book are here.

I’ll be asking for your questions and comments ahead of the conversation with Sari. If there’s interest, this could be the start of The Debrief’s Book Club. Let me know what you think! Spread the word to friends!

The book talk with Sari is exclusively for paid subscribers. Please join up and support The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Live Conversations:

Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 1pm ET: I’ll be in conversation with Rabbi Sandra Lawson (Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice) and Stephanie G Wilson, PhD (Host of Freedom Over Fascism) on Black and Jewish understandings of Trump’s authoritarianism and how we can all come together to fight it.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 1pm ET: Yehuda Shaul, the tireless and brilliant co-director of Ofek: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs and co-founder of Breaking the Silence, joins me to provide an on-the-ground update on Israel’s ongoing annexation of the West Bank — and an analysis of what the international community can/should do in response.

Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1pm ET: Offir Gutelzon of UnXeptable, a grassroots movement of Israeli expats in the US fighting for Israeli democracy and “opposing the actions of the current Israeli government to turn Israel into a messianic theocracy,” joins me to discuss Israel’s future and how Jews in the Diaspora can make an impact.

That’s all for now, folks! I look forward to your comments on my conversation with Esther Sperber.

Warmly,

Debra

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The questions Jo-Ann and I discussed included:

* Israel’s charges against Barghouti — and why international observers, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, claim that his trial violated international law

* Jo-Ann’s relationship with the Barghouti’s family and associates and why Fadwa and Arab Barghouti (finally) agreed to grant her an on-the-record interview

* Marwan Barghouti’s commitment to a two-state solution, despite the Israeli government’s rejection of it and the treatment he has endured in Israeli prison

* Why the Netanyahu government refuses to release Barghouti, including the role played by Kahanist Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir

* Barghouti’s popularity among the Palestinian public

* Support for Barghouti’s release among (a few) prominent Israeli figures, in particular former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon

* International support for Marwan’s release, including by The Elders (to learn more, visit the website of the Free Marwan campaign)

Thanks to Jo-Ann and all who joined us live today!

Keep your eye out for info on upcoming guests on The Debrief. Coming soon!

Take care and shabbat shalom,

Debra

The topics Yehuda, Brandon, and I spoke about included:

* The backstory to the making of Holding Liat

* Why Yehuda chose to advocate for Israeli-Palestinian peace and not focus narrowly on Liat’s release, even at the price of conflict with family members

* Yehuda’s contention that the hostages and their families (including his) were used to promote an agenda that he vehemently opposed

* Portrayal of Palestinians in the film

* Holding Liat’s reception by viewers and critics

* Yehuda’s political differences with his brother, historian Joel Beinin, and how Holding Liat impacted their relationship

* The powerful ending of the film at Yad Vashem (Israel’s Holocaust museum)

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This conversation is available to everyone! I hope you’ll appreciate it (almost) as much as I enjoyed speaking with Brandon and Yehuda. Please feel free and encouraged to share it. As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. For information on Holding Liat’s showtimes and how you can request a screening, check the film’s website here.

What’s on The Debrief this week?

I’m so glad you asked! We’ve got two great live conversations coming up!

Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 12pm ET: Lara Friedman joins Office Hours with Dr. Shushan

I’m delighted to announce that Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, will be my special guest for this month’s edition of Office Hours with Dr. Shushan — an exclusive feature for The Debrief’s paid subscribers. As many of you already know, Lara is one of the sharpest analysts on Israel-Palestine and US foreign policy. Her Weekly Legislative Round-Ups are indispensable reading for congressional staff, advocates, analysts alike — anyone who wants to understand what Members of Congress are doing and saying related to the Middle East. Lara pulls no punches, so you can expect to hear an unfiltered discussion between Lara and me on US policy and Gaza’s future, Trump’s Board of Peace, the Jewish-American community and Israel-Palestine, the Palestine exception to free speech, and more. As always, your questions are welcome.

Bottom line: You won’t want to miss this conversation. If you’re not already a paid subscriber to The Debrief, this is a great time to upgrade. Thanks!

Friday, Jan. 30 at 12pm ET: Jo-Ann Mort and I discuss Marwan Barghouti

During her recent reporting trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank, independent journalist (and activist, poet, and more) Jo-Ann Mort: A Precise Chaos interviewed Fadwa and Arab Barghouti — the wife and son of Marwan Barghouti. Her article on the Palestinian leader will be published in The New Republic this week. Marwan Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison, following a trial criticized by legal observers for breaching international law. The Elders, a group of respected international statesmen have called for Barghouti’s release, as has a former director of the Shin Bet. Join Jo-Ann and me as we as we discuss the leader many Palestinians refer to as “their Mandela.”

Looking forward to seeing you this week!

A Last Word

I can’t conclude this message without acknowledging the apparent murder of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Patrol agents. This is a pivotal time in the trajectory of the United States and what we Americans do now matters a great deal. I hope you are finding ways you can help. (I suggest some in this recent piece.) None of us can do everything, but we all must do something. Our future depends on it.

With love and solidarity,

Debra

It’s my belief that Americans generally — and Jewish Americans specifically — are insufficiently exposed to Palestinians and their national narrative and personal histories. One piece of remediating the pathologies of US foreign policy on Israel-Palestine is addressing this issue. It’s also vital for counteracting the prevalence of hasbara (literally “explanation” in Hebrew, but the term also refers to Israel propaganda/public diplomacy) within the Jewish community.

In our discussion, Khalil shared his experiences:

* Growing up in Gaza City through events including the Second Intifada, Israel’s 2005 Disengagement from the Strip, 2006 Palestinian elections and Hamas’ subsequent “coup,” and the 2008-09 war (“Operation Cast Lead”)

* Attending both UNRWA and Hamas-run government schools

* Living under Hamas’ rule as a Christian, including being arressted multiple times (one of them for wearing a keffiyeh!)

* Moving to the West Bank as an unaccompanied minor and living there “illegally” (unable to obtain required documentation from Israeli occupation authorities)

* Reacting to Hamas’ war crimes on 10/7 and Israel’s subsequent genocide, during the latter of which Khalil’s father and sister were both killed

Khalil also explained why he is so concerned about the unchecked situation in the West Bank, including state-backed settler violence/terrorism. He told us about his work at the Agora Initiative, the organization he founded in 2023, and I encourage you to check out their website here.

I hope you’ll join me in thanking Khalil for sharing his experiences and analysis with us!

That’s it for now.

Thanks for your support! Please consider subscribing if you haven’t already. I’m especially grateful to my paid subscribers for supporting this work and making it possible for me to continue and expand it! If you can sustain The Debrief with a paid subscription, I’d greatly appreciate it.

If you haven’t already read the statement given by Becca good (grieving widow of Renee Macklin Good, who was killed by an ICE agent) be sure to do so. I pray that Renee’s family, especially her kids and Becca, will be enveloped in love and support. May her memory be for a blessing and a revolution.

Take care of yourselves this weekend. If you’re head out to protest, be safe.

Shabbat shalom,

Debra

We discussed so many important topics! They included:

* The illegality of Operation Absolute Resolve, which violated US treaty obligations (UN Charter), domestic US law, and constitutes WAR vs. Venezuela

* The role of Congress, which the Trump Administration illegally bypassed and is failing to fulfill its Constitutional obligations — triggering an Article I crisis

* Maduro’s status as a POW and whether he will be able to claim head of state immunity (see Chimène Keitner’s article, which Brian referenced, here)

* Seizure of oil and its role in motivating Trump’s war against Venezuela

* Ramifications of the US attack on the post-WW2 internatonal legal order (with a few words from me about Stephen Miller)

* Trump’s threats against Greenland and the impact on NATO

* Nuclear proliferation and which countries are most likely to start developing nuclear weapons as a result of Trump’s foreign policy

I hope you’ll watch if you weren’t able to join us live, and that everyone will share with folks in their networks who would benefit from watching this conversation.

Please take to heart Brian and my exhortations to contact your Members of Congress, especially with war powers votes fast approaching. The Senate is expected to vote tomorrow on Senator Tim Kaine’s resolution to require approval from Congress before any additional military action against Venezuela. Senator Ruben Gallego has just announced his intention to introduce a war powers resolution focused on Greenland. In addition to the Senate, the House of Representatives must take action, as well — so contact your Members in both chambers. The Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121.

My friend Cat Rowland, Director of Government Affairs at We Build Progress, has a great primer on Congressional action related to Venezuela here. Highly recommend.

As always, thanks for supporting The Debrief. Please be sure to subscribe! If you value this work and are able, please consider helping me to sustain and grow it through a paid subscription.

I’ll be in touch soon regarding upcoming podcasts and a subscriber survey.

Warmly,

Debra

Thanks so much to those who joined me in checking in on Michael and Australia’s Jewish community after this horrific trauma. Michael’s astute observations of dynamics in the Australian Jewish community, broader Australian society, and Australian politics made for a very stimulating conversation.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The topics Michael and I discussed included:

* The Australian Jewish community’s grieving process — which Michael feels is shifting from shock and sadness to anger

* The broad support for the Australian Jewish community from across the rest of Australian society following the Bondi Beach massacre

* How the Australian Jewish community’s tiny size and demographics are impacting the response of its leadership — which is pushing for some problematic measures that would restrict free speech and conflate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism

* How Australian society is reacting to the bravery of Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Syrian Muslim immigrant who saved lives during the Bondi Beach massacre

* Reaction to the claim made by Alex Ryvchin, a leader of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, that “Australia can’t recover” after the attack at Bondi Beach

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this timely and heartfelt discussion.

THURSDAY (Dec. 18) at 12pm Eastern: Office Hours with Dr. Shushan, featuring Ben Lorber

Join Ben Lorber and me for an important program on white Christian nationalism and antisemitism — with an opportunity to ask your questions.

I’m pleased to bring my paid subscribers a conversation with Ben Lorber, who is doing cutting-edge work tracking and writing about mounting antisemitism on the Right; the instrumentalization of Israel criticism to popularize anti-Jewish conspiracy theories; and the ongoing courting of Christian Zionists by the Netanyahu government, even as Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and others seek to convert Jews and bring about the End Times. Check out the work Ben has published lately on his Substack — it’s really good stuff.

Ben is a Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates, a think tank that works to understand and counter authoritarian movements, where he focuses on antisemitism and white Christian nationalism. Ben’s work has appeared on PBS, NPR, The Nation, The Hill, and Jewish Currents, and his analysis has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and many other outlets. He is co-author of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism (2024).

Office Hours with Dr. Shushan is a monthly premium benefit offered to The Debrief’s paid subscribers. Please be sure you’ve upgraded your subscription and join us! Feel free to message me with questions you’d like to hear Ben and me discuss.

Chanukah / Christmas / Year-End Subscription Challenge

I’m delighted to welcome our new paid subscribers who have upgraded their subscriptions since I announced the end-of-year subscription challenge! I greatly appreciate the wonderful response. That said, we still have a way to go before achieving the goal of 36 new paid subscribers by the end of 2025. I’d be so grateful if more fans of The Debrief could step up and show their support for this work.

Spread the light! Become a paid subscriber to The Debrief and enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from supporting work that matters to you. Thank you!

I hope to see many of you tomorrow for Office Hours with Ben Lorber as our special guest.

Warmly,

Debra

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Yesterday, I offered some initial thoughts just prior to the start of Chanukah, when the news of the Australia massacre was quite fresh. If you haven’t seen the video yet, you can watch it here:

In this particular tragedy, the victims were Jews gathered to celebrate Chanukah at the beach — including a 10 year-old, a Holocaust survivor, and at least one rabbi. The father and son who allegedly perpetrated the attack appear to have been connected with the Islamic State — based on reporting from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that two Islamic State flags were found in their car at Bondi Beach. The horrific story also has a hero: Ahmed al-Ahmed, the a Syrian immigrant to Australia who likely saved lives by selflessly tackling and disarming one of the shooters. This courageous Muslim man remains hospitalized for the bullet wounds he sustained.

As Waj and I discuss in detail, some MAGA provocateurs are intent on using this horrific tragedy to spread Islamophobia. Here’s an example from Laura Loomer, who falsely claims that Ahmed al-Ahmed is not Muslim and equates Islam with terrorism. As Waj noted, she also called for a resurgence of the Jewish Defense League in the US. To be absolutely clear: all of this is wrong and abhorrent.

Others, like Bret Stephens of The New York Times, blame the massacre on slogans used by pro-Palestinian protesters (without any evidence of causality). One could just as easily blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for waging a genocidal campaign against Palestinians that has enflamed hatred of Jews and put us all in mortal danger (also without causal evidence, but equally if not more plausible). Never one to take responsibility for anything and always eager to go on the attack, Netanyahu blamed the massacre on Australia’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood. Both self-serving and absurd.

Sick of all this garbage? I know I am!

Sign me up for Team Humanity!

I’m grateful for the many Muslim organizations and individuals who have stood with Jews and shared their profound sorrow for their horrific losses borne by our community. These include the Grand Mufti of Australia, the most senior religious authority for Sunni Muslims in Australia, who condemned the terror attack against Jews gathering to celebrate Chanukah “in the strongest and most unequivocal terms.”

I am grateful to many others, including Palestinians, who have spoken out. They include Mo Husseini, who has a way with words — including profanity. A man after my own heart.

They only chance we have to stem the rising tide of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and authoritarianism is by working together: Muslims, Jews, and allies of every stripe. In that spirit, I hope you’ll enjoy my conversation with Waj.

Thurs, Dec. 18 at 12pm Eastern:

Office Hours with Dr. Shushan, featuring Ben Lorber

Join Ben Lorber and me for an important program on white Christian nationalism and antisemitism — with an opportunity to ask your questions.

Recently, I spoke with Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals about the threat of Christian nationalism and the underpinnings and consequences of Christian Zionism. My discussion with Tim was an eye-opening entry into this topic.

To delve deeper, I’m pleased to bring my paid subscribers a conversation with Ben Lorber, who is doing cutting-edge work tracking and writing about mounting antisemitism on the Right; the instrumentalization of Israel criticism to popularize anti-Jewish conspiracy theories; and the ongoing courting of Christian Zionists by the Netanyahu government, even as Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and others seek to convert Jews and bring about the End Times. Check out the work Ben has published lately on his Substack — it’s really good stuff.

Ben is a Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates, a think tank that works to understand and counter authoritarian movements, where he focuses on antisemitism and white Christian nationalism. Ben’s work has appeared on PBS, NPR, The Nation, The Hill, and Jewish Currents, and his analysis has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and many other outlets. He is co-author of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism (2024).

As a reminder, Office Hours with Dr. Shushan is a monthly premium benefit offered to The Debrief’s paid subscribers. Please be sure you’ve upgraded your subscription so that you can join us! If you’d like to submit a question for Ben and me to discuss, you can do so here:

Last But Not Least…

Chanukah / Christmas / Year-End Subscription Challenge

HUGE THANKS to those who have become paid subscribers since I announced the subscriber challenge! I’d be so grateful if more fans of The Debrief could step up and show their support for this work so that we can make achieve this goal of 36 new paid subscribers by the end of 2025.

Spread the light! Become a paid subscriber to The Debrief and enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from supporting work that matters to you. Thank you!

I hope to see many of you at Office Hours on Thursday at 12pm ET.

Chag urim sameach (happy festival of lights) to all celebrating Chanukah, and warm regards to everyone!

Debra

If you’d like to reach Mo Husseini’s full piece, it’s available here.

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum’s video, together with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, is here.

Chag urim sameach. Happy Chanukah.

Feel free to share photos of your chanukiyot! Let’s bring the light.

Love to all of you.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The topics Randi and I discussed include:

* Why Randi felt compelled to write a book warning of a rising “fascist agenda”

* The threat to public education — how severe it is and and why protecting public education is critical to American democracy

* Why many Americans discounted warnings that Trump was a “fascist” from his former Chief of Staff and other former senior officials prior to the 2024 election

* Artificial intelligence and its impact on students and classrooms — and what AFT is doing to help prepare teachers and push for regulation

* The Trump Administration’s weaponization of the fight against antisemitism to attack free speech, weaken educational institutions, and intimidate teachers

I hope you’ll find our discussion illuminating and I’d love to hear what you think! If you haven’t already read Randi’s book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy, be sure to snag a copy.

Chanukah / Christmas / Year-End Subscription Challenge!

Have you been enjoying The Debrief? Finding it valuable? Appreciating the brilliant guests and discussions and commentary?

Are you interested in supporting an independent authority who articulates your values? Boosting a progressive Jewish voice at a pivotal time for Israel-Palestine, the Jewish American community, and US democracy and foreign policy?

Do you want to ensure that women experts are heard and amplified?

Well, friends: This is your time!

I’m asking you to help me add 36 new paid subscribers to The Debrief before the end of 2025.

In our first five months, The Debrief has built a community of 1,800+ subscribers, but less than 5% pay for this service. I keep most of The Debrief’s content available to all, but of course the considerable work I put in isn’t free (and it’s not cheap to raise amazing kids with special needs).

So I’m asking you to become a paid subscriber. It’s just $6/month or $60 annually (down to $5/month). If you’re already a paid subscriber (THANK YOU), you can purchase another subscription as a Chanukah/Christmas/New Year’s gift for a friend or family member.

Paid subscribers get:

* Admittance to monthly Office Hours with Dr. Shushan, featuring special guests and a chance to ask your questions

* Access to The Debrief’s full archive (including all paywalled videos and writing)

* The satisfaction of supporting work you care about — and making it available to others who can’t afford a subscription right now

* My gratitude!

I hope some folks will consider upgrading to a Founding Membership. At $250 (or more), it’s not for everyone — especially in tough economic times. But if you have the capacity and you truly appreciate this work (perhaps you’ve followed me since I worked for J Street or Americans for Peace Now) and want to support it in this way, I’d be incredibly grateful!

Founding members receive:

* Everything paid subscribers get, plus…

* The option to have your name included on The Debrief’s home page

* Direct 1:1 contact with me

* Exclusive high-level briefings (once there is a critical mass of founding members — hopefully soon!)

* My eternal gratitude!

If you’d like a reminder of all the great work on The Debrief thus far — in its first five months alone — have a look at the archive. So much more to come, with your support.

Please help The Debrief add 36 new paid subscribers by year’s end! Thank you.

December Office Hours: Join me and my special guest, Ben Lorber!

If you saw my recent conversation with Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals, you know I believe it’s crucial that we begin to wrap our heads around the threat of Christian nationalism and the underpinnings and consequences of Christian Zionism. My discussion with Tim was an eye-opening entry into this topic and I encourage you to check it out if you weren’t able to watch it live.

To delve deeper, I’m pleased to bring my paid subscribers a conversation with Ben Lorber, who is doing cutting-edge work tracking and writing about mounting antisemitism on the Right; the instrumentalization of Israel criticism to popularize anti-Jewish conspiracy theories; and the ongoing courting of Christian Zionists by the Netanyahu government, even as Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and others seek to convert Jews and bring about the End Times. Check out the work Ben has published lately on his Substack — it’s really good stuff.

Ben is a Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates, a think tank that works to understand and counter authoritarian movements, where he focuses on antisemitism and white Christian nationalism. Ben’s work has appeared on PBS, NPR, The Nation, The Hill, and Jewish Currents, and his analysis has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and many other outlets. He is co-author of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism (2024).

As a reminder, Office Hours with Dr. Shushan is a monthly premium benefit offered to The Debrief’s paid subscribers. Please be sure you’ve upgraded your subscription so that you can join us! If you’d like to submit a question for Ben and me to discuss, you can do so here:

Thanks, folks! Hope you’re having a good weekend.

Sending warm regards,

Debra

The topics we spoke about included:

* Sarah Hurwitz’s controversial remarks at the recent Jewish Federations of North America’s conference regarding Holocaust education and sympathy for Gaza

* “Never Again for Jews” vs. “Never Again for Anyone” as the lesson of the Holocaust — and who stands where in this debate

* Holocaust denial, minimization, and admiration within MAGA

* Holocaust museums’ reactions to Israel’s commission of genocide in Gaza — and why many have been quiescent

* Elliot’s experiences teaching about the Holocaust and antisemitism to different audiences (e.g. Palestinians, Christians) at differing institutions (e.g. Michigan - a politically active campus with large Jewish, Muslim, and Arab populations)

As always, I welcome your comments — and I know Elliot will be eager to read them, too!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I hope you’ll find the conversation thought-provoking and welcome your reactions.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

* Hillary Clinton’s comments at Miriam Adelson’s Israel Hayom conference, criticizing young Americans (including Jews) who support Palestinians

* Democratic Party’s internal reckoning on Israel-Palestine: Do Hillary Clinton and Rahm Emanuel represent the future — or Ro Khanna and Chris Van Hollen?

* Far-right figures (e.g. Nick Fuentes and Candace Owens) using Israel’s actions in Gaza to win adherents to their virulently antisemitic worldview

* The depraved campaign by the group known as “StopAntisemitism” against Ms. Rachel

* The imperative of Muslim-Jewish solidarity against the anti-democratic fascists who are coming for all of us

And much more!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In a footnote to Waj and my conversation, I saw this related news item after we ended our show. Unfortunately, Piers Morgan welcomed Nick Fuentes onto his program:

Fuentes used Piers Morgan’s platform to double down on his admiration for Hitler, while claiming the “genocide going right now” is against white Christians in America — and Jews “like to see” it.

In the same breath, Fuentes stated his admiration for Israel’s ethnonationalist policies. Not good for the Jews, one might say.

With that said, we’ve got…

Much More Coming Up on The Debrief This Week!

Wednesday (12/10) at 1pm Eastern:

Stephanie G Wilson, PhD of Freedom Over Fascism and Debra team up to discuss rifts in the Jewish American community

Thursday (12/11) at 2pm Eastern:

Dr. Elliot Ratzman of University of Michigan’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute joins Debra to debrief the politics of Holocaust education

And last but certainly not least…

Friday (12/12) at 2:30pm Eastern:

Randi Weingarten: On The Front Lines Against Fascism

Most content on The Debrief is available to everyone, including free and paid subscribers. I reserve some premium content for paid subscribers, including monthly Office Hours with Dr. Shushan. Please show your support and help me maintain and grow this work by becoming a paid subscriber. If that’s not possible, please help by sharing, liking, and commenting.

Thank you!

Many Jews — especially younger Jews — are experiencing deep discomfort with Israel. According to data shared at the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) General Assembly last month, “around 65% of Jews under 40 say that Israel’s actions often conflict with their moral, political and Jewish values.” In other words, nearly a super majority of Millenial and Gen Z Jews are deeply troubled by Israel’s actions — finding them to be incompatible with their values, including the Jewish beliefs on which they were raised.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan relies on readers’ support. To receive new posts and support my work, please subscribe. Paid subscriptions make this work possible and are greatly appreciated.

Does this trouble JFNA — a key pillar of the legacy Jewish establishment? Certainly. This fact was emphasized throughout its annual conference. Has it challenged JFNA to reconsider its own positioning on Israel? Quite the opposite. The organization is doubling or trebling down, blaming social media for (what it sees as) the problem of Jewish opposition to atrocities committed in Gaza and in fact throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, and attempting to equip its leaders with strategies to counter this trend.

To provide us with a sense of how the Jewish establishment is grappling with this profound moment, I turned to Dr. Elana Sztokman, an American-Israeli anthropologist, award-winning author, educator, and activist who traveled from Israel to attend the JFNA General Assembly. Given the very high percentage of the conference that revolved around Israel (80-90 percent, per Elana’s estimate), I was particularly interested to hear how the discourse surrounding Israel would land with her. Elana’s reactions included “absolutely surreal,” “grandiose,” and “disconnected from reality” of the situation in Israel.

Have a listen and let Elana and me know what you think!

If you’d like to check out the JFNA sessions we referred to for yourself, they are available on YouTube here.

The topics we covered included:

* Schisms: What the (Christian) term means and what previous Jewish schisms have looked like

* A new Jewish Schism?: Why Shaul thinks the Jewish people are on the verge of schism around Israel following its mass atrocities in Gaza

* ‘Beinart in Israel’: How the controversy surrounding Peter Beinart’s speech at Tel Aviv University may be a pivotal moment toward the eruption of a schism

* Can the Center Hold: What will happen to those who attempt to stake out a middle ground on Israel in the event of a schism?

* Is a schism over Israel what the Jewish people need right now… while virulent right-wing antisemitism is on the rise?

I’m looking forward to hearing what you think! Huge thanks to Shaul for joining me.

With Giving Tuesday nearly upon us, I’m asking you to consider a paid subscription to The Debrief (if you’re not already a paying member). Most of what I offer here is not paywalled, but I can’t do this work for free. If you value The Debrief, please help me grow The Debrief and reach more people by investing today. Thanks so much!

Next Up on The Debrief: WED, DEC. 3 @ 12PM ET [note new date/time]

Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly: Report Back from a Leftist Israeli (featuring Dr. Elana Sztokman)

In the midst of the seismic shifts within the Jewish community over Gaza, the leadership of legacy Jewish organizations adopted “an unapologetic tone of support” for Israel at the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual conference in November. Dr. Elana Sztokman — an award-winning Jewish-Israeli-American feminist author, anthropologist, peace activist, educator, speaker, and podcaster — traveled from Israel to attend the confab and will report back and share her impressions.

See you soon,

Debra

“That was an exceptional conversation that all Americans should watch.”

That’s how one viewer described my conversation with Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals. I can’t argue with his assessment.

The topics Tim and I spoke about included:

* Christian Zionism and its centrality in R-wing evangelical Christian movements

* End Times theology and why it endangers not only those not getting Raptured but anyone who cares about climate change, nuclear war… that kind of stuff

* “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth’s Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson; Speaker Mike Johnson’s “Appeal to Heaven” flag & the New Apostolic Reformation… and other pretty damn disturbing things

* Why younger evangelical Christians are moving away from Israel — and how Nick Fuentes & others are using Israel’s actions in Gaza to spread antisemitism

* Solidarity among all who reject this Christian nationalism agenda is essential if we’re going to preserve American democracy

I’m so grateful to Tim for his work and for joining me for this essential conversation. Please share widely!

TOMORROW at 12pm Eastern:

Office Hours with Dr. Shushan Welcomes Special Guest Zaha Hassan

Each month, I hold Office Hours — a special feature reserved for paid subscribers — often featuring a special guest. I’m delighted that Zaha Hassan has agreed to join us this month! Zaha is a human rights lawyer and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership and she regularly participates in Track II peace efforts. Her analysis has appeared in many impressive outlets, but you’ll probably be most excited to hear that she was recently a guest on Jon Stewart’s podcast (The Weekly Show). We will have so much to debrief about — starting with the “ceasefire” and Trump’s “peace plan” for Gaza and its supposed “pathway to Palestinian statehood.” As always in Office Hours, we’ll take your questions. More essential viewing!

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, please upgrade now so you’ll be able to join Zaha and me for Office Hours and access all content, including archived recordings.

See you tomorrow!

Debra

Here’s a sampling of what we discussed

* Avner’s personal story of serving as a paratrooper in the occupied West Bank and what led him to join Breaking the Silence — here’s a snippet:

* Deeper understanding of the Occupation and the tools Israel uses to maintain it

* Military doctrines Israel has employed in Gaza over 20 years and how they set the scene for the war crimes/genocide Israel in Gaza has committed since Oct 7, 2023

* Israel’s use of AI to effectuate maximum killing and destruction in Gaza (here are the promised links to Yuval Abraham’s pieces in +972 and The Guardian)

* UN Security Council’s resolution endorsing Trump’s Gaza plan - and why Avner concludes it is “unbelievably dangerous” and not a path to Palestinian statehood

* The future for Israel-Palestine that Avner is fighting for and what gives him hope, (He talks about Resolute RGL shoes made by Masafer Yatta women artisans - check them out!)

If you have folks in your life whom you’d like to help understand the Occupation — and I know many of you do! — please share this recording with them.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This Also Happened Today…

Check out my conversation with Stephanie G Wilson, PhD of Freedom Over Fascism!

November Office Hours - Featuring Zaha Hassan

I’m delighted that Zaha Hassan has agreed to join us this month! Zaha is a human rights lawyer and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership and she regularly participates in Track II peace efforts. Her analysis has appeared in many impressive outlets, but you’ll probably be most excited to hear that she was recently a guest on Jon Stewart’s podcast (The Weekly Show). We will have so much to debrief about — starting with Trump’s plan for Gaza, which was just today adopted as a UN Security Council resolution. Some are mischaracterizing it as a pathway to Palestinian statehood, so we’ll be sure to clear up that confusion. As always in Office Hours, we’ll take your questions.

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, upgrade now so you’re set to join Zaha and me for Office Hours.

And More Coming Attractions Before Thanksgiving…

Friday, Nov. 19 at 1pm Eastern:

I’ll be Evan Stern’s guest on Certain Thoughts, where we’ll have a cross-generational conversation about the Jewish communal rupture that intensified prior to Zohran Mamdani’s election to become NYC mayor — and where we go from here.

Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8pm Eastern in Washington, DC (in-person only):

I’ll be speaking on a panel following the Nov. 22 at 8pm performance of November 4, a new musical on the final month of Yitzhak Rabin’s life and forces that led to his assassination. If you’re in DC but can’t make it that night, go see the musical at another time during its run. There are panels with great speakers following each performance — different speakers after each show. If you come to the Nov. 22 evening performance, come say “hi” to me afterward! Info and ticket purchases here.

Monday, Nov. 24 at 3pm Eastern:

Tim Whitaker, Founder ofThe New Evangelicals, will join me for an important briefing onUnderstanding Christian Nationalism. In addition to fighting Christian nationalism inside his own evangelical Christian community, Tim regularly works with other communities to help them understand Christian nationalism, its manifestations, and threats. I’m particularly keen to drawn on his expertise to understand both Christian Zionism and the antisemitism embedded within it AND the rising popularity of Hitler fan Nick Fuentes’ brand of overt, virulent antisemitism among MAGA Gen Z-ers (including those employed in official GOP circles).

See you again soon on The Debrief!

Warmly,

Debra

Check it out! Thanks so much to Stephanie for hosting me.

The topics we discussed included:

* Rabbi Sandra’s experience working in ADL’s civil rights division

* When and why she concluded ADL had abandoned its civil rights mission — including her reaction to ADL’s failure to condemn Elon Musk’s Nazi salute

* ADL’s “Mamdani Monitor” and whether it is Islamophobic

* The proliferation of Nick Fuentes’ brand of virulent antisemitism and whether ADL is up to the task of combatting it

* Racism within the Jewish American community and the experiences of Black Jews

* ICE’s operations in Charlotte, NC

I hope you’ll find the conversation valuable! It was truly a privilege to speak with Rabbi Sandra.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coming Attractions on The Debrief

I’ve been working on a pretty amazing lineup for you folks before we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, starting with a double-header tomorrow. (Read on — lots of new conversations I haven’t previously announced!)

TOMORROW (Wed, Nov. 19) at 11am Eastern:

If you follow Israel-Palestine closely, chances are you know the force of nature that is Avner Gvaryahu. Until 2024, he served as Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, one of Israel’s most important human rights organizations, comprised of former Israeli soldiers. Avner is brilliant and we have so much to talk about, including: Israel’s war in Gaza and what’s next for the destroyed Strip, the intensification of state-backed settler violence in the West Bank, the use of artificial intelligence in war, Israel’s attacks on leftist NGOs, why former Israeli soldiers have a key role to play in ending the occupation… and much more. Join us!

TOMORROW (Wed, Nov. 19) at 1pm Eastern:

Also tomorrow, I’ll be Stephanie G Wilson, PhD’s guest on her excellent program Freedom Over Fascism. We’ll talk about the state visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington and all that’s tied up with it, including whitewashing of human rights abuses and authoritarianism, flagrant corruption, and the impact on US national security.

Friday, Nov. 19 at 1pm Eastern:

I’ll be Evan Stern’s guest on Certain Thoughts, where we’ll have a cross-generational conversation about the Jewish communal rupture that intensified prior to Zohran Mamdani’s election to become NYC mayor — and where we go from here.

Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8pm Eastern in Washington, DC (in-person only):

I’ll be speaking on a panel following the Nov. 22 at 8pm performance of November 4, a new musical on the final month of Yitzhak Rabin’s life and forces that led to his assassination. If you’re in DC but can’t make it that night, go see the musical at another time during its run. There are panels with great speakers following each performance — different speakers after each show. If you come to the Nov. 22 evening performance, come say “hi” to me afterward! Info and ticket purchases here.

Monday, Nov. 24 at 3pm Eastern:

Tim Whitaker, Founder of The New Evangelicals, will join me for an important briefing on Understanding Christian Nationalism. In addition to fighting Christian nationalism inside his own evangelical Christian community, Tim regularly works with other communities to help them understand Christian nationalism, its manifestations, and threats. I’m particularly keen to drawn on his expertise to understand both Christian Zionism and the antisemitism embedded within it AND the rising popularity of Hitler fan Nick Fuentes’ brand of overt, virulent antisemitism among MAGA Gen Z-ers (including those employed in official GOP circles).

Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 12pm Eastern: Zaha Hassan joins Office Hours

Each month, I hold Office Hours — a special feature reserved for paid subscribers — often featuring a special guest. I’m delighted that Zaha Hassan has agreed to join us this month! Zaha is a human rights lawyer and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership and she regularly participates in Track II peace efforts. Her analysis has appeared in many impressive outlets, but you’ll probably be most excited to hear that she was recently a guest on Jon Stewart’s podcast (The Weekly Show). We will have so much to debrief about — starting with Trump’s plan for Gaza, which was just today adopted as a UN Security Council resolution. Some are mischaracterizing it as a pathway to Palestinian statehood, so we’ll be sure to clear up that confusion. As always in Office Hours, we’ll take your questions.

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, upgrade now so you’re set to join Zaha and me for Office Hours. You’ll also be supporting all the programming I offer on The Debrief, most of which isn’t paywalled, and I’ll be immensely grateful.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Warm regards,

Debra

The topics we spoke about included:

* Occupation 101: Some basics for understanding Israel’s occupation of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the illegal settlement enterprise

* The dramatic intensification of settler violence: What that looks like on the ground, the timeframe in which it has occurred, and what is driving it

* The role of Netanyahu’s ultra right-wing government, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, in particular

* The deportation and 10-year ban of two Jewish American women aiding the West Bank olive harvest (on a program organized by Achvat Amim)

* Becca’s reflection on the killing of her friend, Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, who filmed his own murder by a settler previously under US sanctions

Be sure to check out Becca’s Substack Uneven Ground and learn more about the work of her organization Achvat Amim.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendars!

Mon, Nov 17 at 3pm Eastern w/ Rabbi Sandra Lawson (ED, Carolina Jews for Justice)

Wed, Nov 19 at 11am Eastern w/ Avner Gvaryahu (former ED, Breaking the Silence)

Sat, Nov 22 at 8pm at Universalist National Memorial Church in Dupont Circle, Washington DC (In-Person Only):

I’ll be speaking on a panel following the Nov. 22 at 8pm performance of November 4, a new musical on the final month of Yitzhak Rabin’s life and forces that led to his assassination. If you’re in DC but can’t make it that night, go see the musical at another time during its run. There are panels with great speakers following each performance — different speakers after each show. If you come to the Nov. 22 evening performance, come say “hi” to me afterward! Info and ticket purchases here.

YOUR Support Is Needed to Make This Work Possible!

Yes… that means YOU!

If you’re able to invest in this work financially, that’s wonderful! Please upgrade to a paid subscription (if you haven’t already). If it’s within your means, I’d love for you to become a Founding Member. You can also give gift subscriptions.

If financial support isn’t an option right now, I get it! I make most content available without a paywall so you that can still enjoy this work. Please support it by becoming a free subscriber (if you haven’t already) and spreading the word to your networks.

Thanks and see you again soon!

Debra

I’ve had the privilege of being on Waj’s program a few times over the four months since I kicked off The Debrief, and in the wake of Zohran Mamdani’s victory and the ADL’s response, we decided it was time to talk again. Waj is a brilliant interlocutor and I hope you’ll enjoy our dialogue. (You can read Waj’s post about our conversation here.)

Welcome to all the new subscribers who learned about The Debrief through The Left Hook! It’s great to have you here.

Folks who have been following my work have a pretty good sense by now where I come down on Zohran Mamdani’s historic candidacy and incredible against-all-odds victory. If you’re a newbie or would just like a recap: My very first piece for The Debrief articulated my hopes for Mamdani and Jewish New Yorkers, shortly after his victory in the Democratic primary. A week ago, I wrote a second piece about Jews and Mamdani, “The Jewish War Over Mamdani Is About Us, Not Him,” which conveys my analysis of the freak out and fearmongering by more conservative elements of the Jewish community over Mamdani’s likely imminent victory. It also offered a series of reasons for New York Jews to vote for Mamdani, which about a third did, according to exit polling. In addition, I’ve been privileged to talk with some brilliant Jewish leaders and thinkers about Mamdani, including: Comptroller Brad Lander, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Rabbi/Prof. Shaul Magid, and Rabbi Jill Jacobs.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As I made clear in my second piece and explored in some of the conversations listed above (especially with Rabbis Magid and Kleinbaum), I have been quite troubled by the anti-Mamdani hysteria in some quarters of the Jewish community (e.g. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove’s “sermon,” the 1,100+ rabbi letter, Bret Stephens’ NYT op-ed). The blatant Islamophobia employed by Andrew Cuomo, amplified by some anti-Mamdani Jews, was reprehensible. But what ADL and its CEO Jonathan Greenblatt have done goes beyond even that.

Greenblatt had already been campaigning against (and straight-up lying about) Mamdani during the campaign. Rather than show any graciousness or interest in working with the newly elected mayor (let alone a little introspection or contrition, heaven forbid), ADL immediately after the election unveiled a “Mamdani Monitor” — an antisemitism tip line focused on the mayor-elect who has pledged an 800 percent increase in funding to fight hate crimes (including antisemitism) and engaged in dialogue with a wide swath of the Jewish community (despite Greenblatt’s untruths). Even Bret Stephens had to concede that “nothing in the public record suggests that Mamdani is antisemitic…” By contrast, ADL’s actions smack of Islamophobia. Tragically and dangerously for us all, ADL has abandoned its historic mission (if never perfectly executed, to be sure) of protecting Jews by working in coalition with other minorities and protecting civil rights for all. Meanwhile, it is undermining free speech and attacking universities, covering for white nationalism, and going all in with the Trump Administration and its allies who have nonetheless attacked the ADL as anti-Christian. Waj and I discuss this at length and bring all the receipts.

Perhaps the most important thing we do in this conversation, however, is genuinely listen to and hear each other. Waj and I may not agree on everything or use exactly the same language — but I deeply value his experience, perspective, and expertise, and I believe the feeling is mutual. It was meaningful to me to ask and hear Waj speak about the meaning of Mamdani’s victory to him as a Muslim and what it was like to witness the Islamophobia lobbed at Mamdani and the historic speech Mamdani delivered in response. I hope that will also be helpful for my Jewish subscribers (hello and I love you all!) who may not have been able to hear a Muslim share their candid perspective on this.

As I said in my first piece on Mamdani four months ago, I believe Muslim-Jewish solidarity — and indeed, solidarity among progressives everywhere of all faiths and colors — is absolutely necessary if we are going to have a chance against the fascism that threatens the safety of all of our communities. The alliance and friendship between Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander has shown us all the way. I hope that public conversations like this one between Waj and me can move us further along the path.

Keep up your good works, all of you, and I look forward to your comments.

If you’re able to become a financial supporter of The Debrief, you’ll help me continue this work and earn my deep appreciation. You’ll feel good about supporting work you care about and help me feed the kiddos. If you can’t right now — these are tough times for many — please be sure to become a free subscriber (if you haven’t already) and share The Debrief with your network. Every bit of support helps. Thank you!

Warm regards,

Debra

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It was difficult to find just one clip to share to whet your appetites, but this one — part of a larger discussion of why Rabbi Kleinbaum chose to endorse Mamdani after a process of dialogue with him — is a good place to start.

The topics we spoke about included:

* The significance of the astoundingly excellent 2025 election results around the country and how the NYC mayoral election fits into that broader picture

* Rabbi Kleinbaum’s reasons for endorsing Mamdani, despite her initial concerns — and some ongoing disagreements

* How she deals with hateful responses she has received from some in the Jewish community (and how her experience coming out as a gay person in the Jewish community in the 1970s informs her response — I found this fascinating!)

* The highly troubling responses to Mamdani’s victory from legacy Jewish organizations, particularly the ADL

* Rabbi Kleinbaum’s prescriptions for how the Jewish community can move forward, even without those opposed to Mamdani extending an olive branch

And last but very much not least (so be sure to watch to the end!):

* Rabbi Kleinbaum’s work with The Beacon to mobilize Americans against fascism (be sure to check out their website and get involved!)

A longtime supporter wrote me to say that my conversation with Rabbi Kleinbaum was “the most amazing and illuminating Debrief yet. I want to share it with friends and family and our rabbis.” Who am I to argue with that?

I do hope you’ll find the conversation amazing and illuminating — or at least, worth your time.

Please subscribe if you haven’t already, become a paid supporter if you’re able, and share The Debrief with your networks. And of course, keep up the good fight!

Yours in solidarity,

Debra

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here’s a preview of the topics Brad and I spoke about:

* Implementation of Mamdani’s affordability proposals and how to compensate for his lack of experience in governing

* How Trump will react to Mayor Mamdani and how New Yorkers can fight back

* Mamdani’s commitment to the safety of all New Yorkers, including Jews, and his outreach to a wide range of Jewish communities and congregations

* Mamdani’s positioning on Israel-Palestine and possible concrete policy impacts that could follow during his mayoralty

* Islamophobia during the mayoral campaign and the necessity of Jewish-Muslim solidarity

* The obligation to protect our neighbors from abduction — and what a Mayor Mamdani will do that Mayor Adams is failing to do

Enjoy, and I hope you’ll share the video of this episode of The Debrief with your network.

You won’t hear much from me for the rest of the week, since my family is in the hectic homestretch before our son’s bar mitzvah this weekend. (OMG!)

Coming up next week:

October Office Hours with Dr. Shushan will be on Thurs, Oct 30 at 12pm Eastern.

Office Hours are a special monthly feature for paid subscribers and a great opportunity to ask questions and engage in more intimate discussion. So if you haven’t yet upgraded to a paid subscription, treat yourself and do it now. Thanks for supporting my work!

I hope you’ll keep my family in your thoughts. I can’t wait to share the experience of my son’s bar mitzvah with this wonderful community.

Warmly,

Debra

* The hostage/prisoner releases, the ceasefire, and the destruction of Gaza, along with the complicated emotions it engendered (which I wrote about here)

* The precarious status of the ceasefire, the terms of which were already being violated

* Donald Trump’s obscene quest for a Nobel Peace Prize

* Democratic Party leadership’s lag behind the massive shift in public opinion on Israel-Palestine — seen especially in its reluctance to embrace Zohran Mamdani

* Growing partnerships between Muslim and Jewish Americans (e.g. Mamdani and Brad Lander) fighting for democracy and equality at home and abroad

I hope you’ll check it out! And welcome to Waj’s fans who subscribed to The Debrief after watching our conversation. Wonderful to have you aboard!

This was the second of what turned out to be a two-part series with ALFA’s women powerhouse co-directors! (If you didn’t see my conversation last week with A Land for All’s Israeli Co-Director May Pundak, you can view that here.) ALFA is the Israeli-Palestinian movement working toward a vision of “two states, one homeland” that is “grounded in dignity, equality, and belonging for both peoples.”

Among the topics Rula and I discussed were:

* The Trump plan for Gaza and ALFA’s perspective on it

* The mood in the West Bank, changing views on Hamas, and current state of the Palestinian national movement

* Marwan Barghouti, his importance, and why the Netanyahu government chose not to include him in the hostage/prisoner exchange

* The role of Donald Trump and potential for advancing ALFA’s vision while his administration is in power

What do you think? As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Join me again in less than an hour, at 4pm Eastern today. I’ll be a guest on THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali. It’ll be a great conversation!

Thanks, as always, for your support. It’s been just over 3 months since I inaugurated The Debrief and it’s closing in on 1,000 subscribers. Please help get the word out! And if you can upgrade to a paid subscription to support this work, I’d greatly appreciate it.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

All the best,

Debra

P.S. Thanks to everyone who wished my Dad a happy birthday during the conversation with Rula! Feel free to keep a good thing going in the comments. Love you, Dad!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I made the following 5 points:

* Joy and relief: I am (and I hope we all are) overjoyed for both the Israeli hostages and their families AND Palestinians in Gaza who deserve an end to this genocidal war.

* Fingers should still be crossed: There are potential spoilers and key details that are unknown. The parties that pressured Israel & Hamas into this agreement can’t let up now.

* This is a ceasefire, perhaps an end to the war, but it’s not peace: We’re a long way from the “Strong, Durable, Everlasting Peace” Trump has promised. His 20-point Gaza plan does not provide for that.

* A number of parties deserve credit, while others do not: Those that pressured Israel & Hamas (chiefly: the Trump Admin, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt) deserve credit, as do those in civil society. The Biden Admin was a failure on this file.

* Donald Trump does NOT deserve the Nobel Peace Prize: While I give Trump credit, his actions over the years have undermined Israeli-Palestinian peace. And no president waging war on Americans and our democracy deserves the prize.

Let me know what you think! Agree/disagree? What more would you add?

As always, please subscribe, share, and upgrade to a paid subscription if you can. A number of folks have done so recently and I greatly appreciate the vote of confidence in my work!

This post is public so feel free to share it.

Let’s keep those fingers crossed and thanks for watching,

Debra

P.S. Apologies for the bit of dead air at the start of the video; Substack’s tools are supposed to cut that out automatically. We can file this under first-world problems.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I could think of no better way to spend the day than debriefing with two inspirational women leaders — May Pundak and Rula Hardal — the Israeli and Palestinian co-directors (respectively) of A Land for All. It didn’t exactly work out as planned! Substack’s platform refused to cooperate and would only to allow me to have one person on as a guest. The technological glitch felt like a symbolic encapsulation of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle: zero sum, pick a side. After 20 minutes of flighting the technology, Rula told me: “It’s October 7th. If you can only speak with one of us, it should be May, the Jewish Israeli. I’ll join you for a second webinar.” So…

Rula will join me for Part Two of our A Land for All conversation, from a Palestinian perspective, on Tuesday, October 14, at 12pm Eastern. Mark your calendars!

Meanwhile, I’m pleased to bring you Part One: a smart, heartfelt, and beautiful conversation with May. The topics we discussed included:

* A Land for All’s vision for “two states, one homeland” and the status of the movement two years into the Gaza war

* The movement’s growth over the past two years, despite (or thanks in part to!) the ongoing catastrophe

* The Trump plan and its prospects for bringing about an end to the war and a release of hostages and prisoners — as well as its profoundly concerning shortcomings

* The role of international partners and how they can help to facilitate a just peace for Israel-Palestine

* The role of women in peacemaking, and why it is crucial

There was one thing I didn’t mention in the conversation, given lack of time. In many ways, A Land for All’s program contains antidotes to pitfalls Rob Malley and I discussed in our recent conversation on his new co-authored book, Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine, which explains the failure of prior attempts to resolve the conflict. In particular, A Land for All is an indigenous Israeli-Palestinian movement, rather than an imposed solution. It also honors the unbreakable bonds both peoples have to not only Jerusalem, but all of the land between the River and the Sea. (If you haven’t seen that conversation with Rob, I highly recommend watching it. The link is here.)

Finally, May mentioned an upcoming webinar this Thursday on “Trump’s Gaza Plan — and the Future We Actually Need.” I’m pleased to share the registration link for that A Land for All webinar, here. It will feature Yael Barda, Omar Dajani, and Yasmeen Abu-Fraiha. They are brilliant, wonderful people and I’m sure the webinar will be worth your time.

As always, thanks for reading and watching! Please share, subscribe, and sustain this work by paying for a subscription if you can.

Thanks for reading The Debrief with Debra Shushan! This post is public so feel free to share it.

I’m sending a chag sameach to folks observing the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and praying for the hostages’ return; an end to the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza; and ultimately a future of justice, peace, equality, and dignity for everyone in Israel-Palestine.

Warmly,

Debra

Topics we spoke about included:

* The two-state solution — at least the traditional model that would require hard partition and a “meaningful, sovereign” Palestinian state — which Rob argues is “dead and maybe was never that alive to begin with”

* US foreign policy toward Israel-Palestine, about which Rob pulls no punches, including toward the Biden Administration and others in which he served

* The catastrophe of October 7th and its aftermath, which removed “cobwebs of untruths about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and exposed its raw, original core”

* Recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood by France, the UK, Canada and other countries

* Arab states, why they haven’t used their leverage to curb Israel’s actions in Gaza, and how they may be involved going forward

* The Iran nuclear deal and why the Biden Administration did not secure its restoration

It’s a fascinating discussion and the book is well worth reading. I look forward to hearing what you think! Speaking of which, there’s a great opportunity to get together and talk about this and anything else on your mind…

TOMORROW (Sun, Sept. 28) at 12:30pm Eastern: Avrum Burg joins Office Hours

Please note: There was an error in the time that I shared in a previous email. The correct time is 12:30pm Eastern / 7:30pm Jerusalem.

For this month’s Office Hours with Dr. Shushan — available exclusively to paid subscribers — I’ll be joined by Special Guest Avrum Burg. In his career, Avrum reached the pinnacle of Israeli establishment politics, serving as Speaker of the Knesset and chairing both the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization. He is a fierce critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and is currently spearheading an effort in which “Jews Demand Action” by “calling on world leaders to hold the Israeli government accountable and impose meaningful consequences for the atrocities it is committing in Gaza.” Avrum’s first appearance on The Debrief was a fascinating conversation and it remains one of this program’s most widely viewed episodes. In this edition of Office Hours, paid subscribers will join an intimate discussion with Avrum and me. We look forward to taking your questions!

Again, this is for paid subscribers only, making this a great time to upgrade to a paid subscription (if you haven’t done so already).

If you’re considering a paid subscription and would like to learn more about me and Office Hours with Dr. Shushan (and see some fun pics!), check out this previous post.

One more thing: The link to hear the event I did last week at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization is up!

It’s audio only, so you don’t get to see my shayna punim (“beautiful face” for those whose Yiddish is rusty) but I hope you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.

Shana tova to those observing the Days of Awe, warm regards to all, and I hope to see many of you on Sunday at 12:30 Eastern for Office Hours!

Debra

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The topics Rula and I discussed included:

* Standing Together’s mission, vision, and why it has chosen to be a social movement rather than a political party

* Her experience as a Palestinian citizen of Israel, including why she doesn’t see Israel as a democratic country (but rather one that has “democratic spaces”)

* Standing Together’s activism to end the war in Gaza and address starvation there

* What it would take for more Israelis who are anti-Netanyahu to oppose the occupation

* Lessons from Standing Together’s activism for democratic, progressive movements in the US and around the world

* Responding to criticism of Palestinian citizens of Israel who work with Jewish Israelis to create a shared society

Our discussion is available as both a video and a podcast. Comments are welcome!

Among the topics we spoke about:

* The postwar plan modeled on Trump’s call to build a “Riviera of the Middle East” that would ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and build “AI-powered, smart cities” on its ruins

* Increasing terrorism by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, forced displacement, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s plan to annex 82% of the territory — purportedly as retaliation for international recognition of Palestinian statehood

* The Netanyahu government’s failure to provide safety for Israelis, as demonstrated by the terror attack that killed six at a Jerusalem bus stop

* The transformation in public opinion in the US and abroad and lagging change among Democratic leaders and electeds

* The Trump Administration’s refusal of visas for Palestinian officials to attend the UN General Assembly and its sanctioning of Palestinian NGOs

The news is dismal — making it all the more important to connect the dots regarding the impact of spiraling conflict in Israel-Palestine and the broader Middle East on democracy, freedom, antisemitism, and Islamophobia in the US and Europe.

This video is especially recommended for folks who are newer to this issue. I’m hearing from viewers that the section unpacking state-backed settler violence and annexation in the West Bank was especially illuminating.

Let me know what you think!

Invoking his wife Eileen (of blessed memory), Jim started our conversation with this: “My wife, who had a very cute, subtle sense of humor said to me one time, ‘You spent your adult life fighting to reform the Catholic Church, fighting to reform the Democratic Party, and fighting for Palestinian rights. Couldn’t you have picked something we could win?’” He admitted to being a “glutton for punishment,” but we proceeded to talk about the change within the Democratic Party on Israel-Palestine, prompted by the sea change in US public opinion amidst the ongoing Israeli campaign in Gaza that is increasingly recognized as a genocide.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please become a free or paid subscriber.

Our conversation included:

* Jim’s frank recounting of conversations with Biden Administration officials — including VP Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan — about the war in Gaza

* Indications of the shift in Democratic politics, including Members of Congress forsaking AIPAC money and supporting measures to curb arms sales to Israel

* The recent fight over Israel-Palestine resolutions in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — and Jim’s rationale for why it was a win for Palestinian rights advocates

* The pernicious impacts of “dark money” and campaign consultants on the Democratic Party

* The centrality of the Palestinian issue to Arab American voters as “the wound in the heart that never healed”

I highly recommend watching, listening (you can download the episode as a podcast!), and sharing.

Upcoming in-person opportunity for DC area subscribers!

I’m delighted to announce my first engagement with Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization, which I recently joined as a Senior Research Affiliate:

The event is open to the public, so if you’re in the DC area, plan to join us on Wednesday, September 17 at 5pm! You can RSVP at this link. If you’re not a local, never fear! The event will be recorded and I’ll share the video with subscribers to The Debrief.

As always, thanks for your support. I wish you all a peaceful weekend.

Warmly,

Debra

Drawing on her expertise and unique life story, Sari generously shared her experience and skillfully articulated her important perspectives. Many folks will find parts of what she had to say challenging. There were times when I felt challenged by Sari, too. Guess what? That’s good! Questioning assumptions, testing long-held theories, and re-examining policy prescriptions is always vital — and at least in my lifetime, it’s never been more important to do so than it is right now.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Sari and I discussed:

* Her co-founding of Gisha in 2005 during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza (and why that didn’t mark the end to Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip)

* Israel’s Supreme Court and its relationship to the occupation

* The toll Hamas’ attack on October 7 and Israel’s ensuing assault on Gaza have taken on Sari’s family

* How she responds to those who accuse her of “blood libel” for using the term “genocide” in relation to Israel’s assault on Gaza — and how/when she determined it was a genocide

* Raising Israeli-Palestinian kids and how life in the West Bank has changed since October 7

* Why Sari advocates for a single state with equal rights for all in Israel-Palestine, along with Palestinian right of return

* What being an ultra marathoner has taught Sari about fighting for human rights (this was one of my favorite parts of the conversation!)

We packed a lot into about an hour and you’ll want to check it out and share it.

Here are links to some of Sari’s writing:

* Pre-order the English translation of her memoir Upside-Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices here

* Umm Forat: Raising My Kids in Israel/Palestine (Sari’s excellent blog)

* NYT Modern Love column “Our Marriage Includes an Emergency Backpack”

IMPORTANT PROGRAM NOTE REGARDING *OFFICE HOURS*

With apologies, I need to change the time for our inaugural “Office Hours with Dr. Shushan,” due to a personal conflict. Office Hours will be held this Wednesday, Aug 27, at 11:30am ET. All paid subscribers are invited to attend Office Hours and everyone is warmly invited to become a paid subscriber!

To submit a question to me ahead of Office Hours, please use The Debrief’s subscriber chat.

Looking forward to hearing your reactions to the conversation with Sari. And I hope to see many of you at Office Hours on Wednesday!

Warmly,

Debra

Among the topics we discussed were:

* Practical next steps following Avrum’s call for Jews around the world to file a legal complaint against the State of Israel at the International Court of Justice

* Avrum’s thoughts on AIPAC and the ADL

* Why Avrum supports Zohran Mamdani (and reveres Bernie Sanders)

* How the recent Israel-Iran war provides a dangerous illusion of success

* The pressing need for a nuclear-free Middle East

* The All Its Citizens Party that Avrum co-chairs and its mission in next year’s Israeli election

If you found this conversation valuable, be sure to share it! Use the link below.

So, what’s coming up next on The Debrief? I’m glad you asked!

TOMORROW (Mon, Aug 18) at 1pm Eastern / 8pm Jerusalem:

Dr. Novik, senior policy advisor to the late PM Shimon Peres, member of the Executive Committee of Commanders for Israel’s Security, and fellow at Israel Policy Forum, will explain why Israel’s top retired security officials are calling on President Trump to end the Gaza war.

In the works is a conversation with the wonderful Israeli lawyer Sari Bashi, formerly of Human Rights Watch and founder of Gisha. Sari has written a beautiful memoir as well as an essay in the Modern Love section of The New York Times on how she and her husband (a Palestinian from Gaza) have navigated the inevitable strains on their marriage since October 7, 2023. Date and time TBA.

In addition, I’m gearing up for the first Debrief discussion for paid subscribers! You’ll be able to ask me questions on topics I tackle here on The Debrief. If that interests you, be sure to upgrade to a paid membership (if you haven’t already) for further details.

The Debrief is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for valuing and supporting this work! See you next time.

The topics Khaled and I discussed included:

* Why Hamas launched its heinous attack on October 7 and what its leaders expected to happen afterward

* How the Netanyahu government responded by opening “the gates of hell” in Gaza in response to the October 7 attack, culminating in genocide

* The problematic narratives around the failure of Israelis and Palestinians to achieve peace

* The Abraham Accords — and why Arab leaders decided to give up on the Palestinian cause and focus on their own interests

* Recent shifts in the Democratic party on Israel-Palestine

* The Palestinian-, Arab-, and Muslim-American experience in the US since October 7

The Debrief is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please become a free subscriber or consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

More great content is coming up and you’ll want to put The Debrief’s upcoming webinars in your calendar:

* Avrum Burg on Sunday, August 17 at 12pm Eastern: Burg, former Israeli Speaker of Knesset, recently made waves when he called on Jews around the world who recently called on Jews around the world to file “legal complaint against the State of Israel for crimes against humanity committed in our name.” We’ll talk about that and his political evolution.

* Dr. Nimrod Novik on Monday, August 18 at 1pm Eastern: Novik, senior policy advisor to the late PM Shimon Peres, member of the Executive Committee of Commanders for Israel’s Security, and fellow at Israel Policy Forum, will explain why Israel’s top retired security officials are calling on President Trump to end the Gaza war.

Join us — and be sure to share and subscribe!

Thanks for reading The Debrief! This post is public so feel free to share it.

[Note: Haris and I are on with Waj for the first hour and a bit. After that, he’s joined by Allison Gill of Mueller, She Wrote.]

Up next! On Wednesday at 3pm Eastern, I’ll be hosting Khaled Elgindy.

Khaled is one of the most incisive analysts of US policy on Palestine and Israel in Washington, DC and a keen observer of the broader regional context in the Middle East. He is the author of Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump and a Visiting Scholar and Adjunct Instructor at Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. Previously, he directed the Middle East Institute’s Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs and was as a resident scholar at the Brookings Institution. From 2004-09, he served as an adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel.

I look forward to unpacking the pathologies of US policy toward Israel-Palestine with him and considering how to create the conditions for a more just, secure, and peaceful future.

The link to join Khaled and me is here. I hope you’ll join us.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The topics Rep. Beyer and I discussed included:

* Authoritarian steps by the Trump Administration and how Democrats should fight back

* Why Steven Miller and the Administration disproportionally target Virginia — and why VA’s statewide elections in November are so important nationally

* Beyer’s take on the catastrophic situation in Gaza and Netanyahu’s push for reoccupation of the entire Strip, including legislative actions he would support

* The promise and very serious perils of AI — and the need for regulation to slow down the development of computational power

Given that US policy on Israel-Palestine is my bailiwick, I found that part of our conversation especially interesting. For example, we had this exchange:

DS: “Just last week, there were two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval in the Senate that your Senate colleagues had an opportunity to vote on vis-a-vis two particular arms sales to Israel. For the very first time, you had a majority of the Democratic caucus in the Senate voting for those resolutions… If you had been able to vote on that joint resolution of disapproval that was before the Senate, how would you have voted?

Rep. Beyer: “Oh, I would definitely have voted to disapprove. I've had a chance to vote at least three times in the House on sending additional offensive weapons to Israel [since October 7, 2023], and I voted no every time. It is complicated. As you know, well, we've both spent much of our adult lives doing foreign policy. The Hamas attack on October 7th was horrifying, tragic, outrageous. The Hamas charter all these years has been horrifying. The destruction of Israel, the death of every Jew. We can never defend Hamas. At the same time, the death of those 1,400-some Jews on October 7th and the hostages, it's awfully hard to balance that with now north of 60,000 deaths, many, many of them women and children, the deaths that are happening every single day right now. There had to have been some intermediate way especially if you saw that the Israeli military actions were somehow leading to the end of the war. What they seem to be looking at is…as you know, I've watched some of your Substack stuff, you know, the discussions about ethnic cleansing, the discussions about genocide. In the meantime, Israel, whom I've always loved and respected, has literally destroyed this relationship with so many countries around the world that were their friends or wanted them to thrive…”

I hope you’ll give the whole interview a watch/listen and let me know what you think. As always, feel free to share and, if you value The Debrief, consider subscribing or upgrading to paid (if you haven’t already) in order to support and sustain this work. If you’ve already done so, my profound thanks!

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I hope you’ll agree with me: today’s live conversation with Tania Hary of Israeli human rights organization Gisha is as important as it is timely.

This video is a must share — with anyone who cares about the plight of Palestinian civilians and/or Israeli hostages in Gaza. (Hopefully both.) I highly recommend sharing it with friends, family, and folks you know who has absorbed Netanyahu government talking points but is open to hearing about the facts on the ground from an expert who is steeped in the details.

The topics Tania and I discussed included:

* Starvation and displacement in Gaza, and their causes

* Repercussions of the Netanyahu government plan to “fully occupy” the Strip

* Gisha’s petition to Israel’s Supreme Court to force the Netanyahu government to immediately open the crossings to Gaza to enable humanitarian aid access

* Israeli public opinion and Tania’s personal experiences since October 7, 2023

* What the US and the international community must do

I hope you’ll (re-)watch and share!

Be sure to subscribe/upgrade, if you haven’t already.

The Debrief with Debra Shushan is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts, become a free or paid subscriber. Paid subscribers receive full access and make this work possible.

Comments (as long as they’re civil) are always welcome.

Don’t miss my next conversation on The Debrief:

* Thursday, August 7, at Noon Eastern: “How Should Democrats Resist? A Conversation with Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8)”

All the best,

Debra

The topics we discussed included:

* Rising antisemitism in NYC and what Zohran Mamdani (or any mayor) will need to do to keep Jews and all of New York’s communities safe

* How Mamdani’s views might impact actions he could take related to Israel-Palestine as mayor

* Failures of legacy Jewish organizations to address the catastrophic situation in Gaza — and what Jewish moral leadership looks like

* Unchecked state-backed settler violence in the West Bank

* How T’ruah is fighting rising authoritarianism here at home

I hope you’ll agree: Jill is an extremely thoughtful interlocutor and an influential moral leader in the Jewish community — in NYC and beyond.

Comments, as long as they’re civil, are always welcome. Share with folks in your network and be sure to subscribe to The Debrief, if you haven’t already.

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More to come this week! Tune in to The Debrief:

* Tomorrow, August 5, at 1pm Eastern: “Fighting Starvation in Gaza: An Urgent Update with Tania Hary of Gisha”

* Thursday, August 7, at Noon Eastern: “How Should Democrats Resist? A Conversation with Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8)”

See you later this week!

Debra

The topics we discussed included:

* Bartov’s November 2023 warning that Israel was committing war crimes and action was needed to prevent genocide in Gaza

* Reasons for his conclusion after the 2024 destruction of Rafah that Israel was committing genocide

* Why Bartov believes it’s important to label Israeli actions in Gaza a genocide

* How Israel has changed since the heinous Hamas attack on October 7, 2023

* The need, going forward, for accountability, truth and reconciliation, and a shared future for Palestinians and Israelis between the River and the Sea

My parents tell me it was “much better” than Fareed Zakaria’s interview with Dr. Bartov. I promise you that they’re totally objective.

What did you think? Comments, as long as they’re civil, are always welcome.