WEBINAR, THIS FRIDAY, MAY 22: Defense integration could entrench US support for Israel

Beyond Aid: How Defense Integration Could Entrench US Support for Israel

May 22, 2026

10:00 am - 11:00 am EDT

The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Israel is set to expire at the end of 2028. Discussions are already underway about what the security assistance relationship between the two countries should look like going forward. Prominent Israel officials – including Prime Minister Netanyahu – support the phasing out of US military aid, calling it a critical step towards Israel’s independence. But there is more than meets the eye. Israeli policy makers wish to pivot from security assistance towards defense integration, a transformation that could deepen the US-Israeli strategic relationship while insulating it from  political oversight. 

How would this reorientation alter the US-Israel strategic relationship? Are there feasible alternatives to continuing the security assistance program as it is now structured, phasing it out over time as the Israelis have publicly proposed, or shifting it toward defense integration under the auspices of the two countries’ defense establishments? Will shifting US financial support for Israel from the category of “aid” to that of “mutual readiness” stymie the growing call for ending unconditional US support for Israel? 

To discuss these questions and more, join a Quincy Institute conversation featuring Steven Simon, senior research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute, Ben Freeman, director of the Democratizing Foreign Policy program at the Quincy Institute, and Josh Paul, human rights activist and former State Department official who resigned over the Biden administration’s Gaza policy and continued military support for Israel. Annelle Sheline, research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute who also resigned from the State Department over Gaza during the Biden administration, will moderate. 

The conversation will take place on Friday, May 22nd from 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET.

Register here.

Palestine 36 on Netflix

Palestine 36 (Arabic: فلسطين ٣٦) is a 2025 historical drama written and directed by Annemarie Jacir. The film recounts the 1936–1939 Arab revoltagainst British colonial rule in Palestine during the Mandate period.[3] It stars Hiam Abbass, Kamel El Basha, Yasmine Al Massri, Jalal Altawil, Robert Aramayo and Saleh Bakri. (via Wikipedia)

Italy hit by mass strike over rearmament and in solidarity with Gaza

Via Middle East Monitor. May 18

A nationwide general strike took place in Italy on Monday in protest against rearmament policies and in support of Palestinians in Gaza, Anadolu reports.

The strike was organized following a call from the USB union and other civil society groups under the slogan "We block everything."

Participants opposed rising living costs, increased military spending, and what they described as government priorities favoring armament over healthcare and education.

They also expressed opposition to Israel's attacks in Gaza and voiced support for the "Global Sumud Flotilla," a civilian aid initiative attempting to reach the territory.

Demonstrations were held in multiple cities, including Rome, where protesters gathered at Piazza Cinquecento.

Many displayed Palestinian flags and demanded that the Italian government reduce or end what they called complicity with Israel.

Slogans calling for a "Free Palestine" were repeatedly heard during the protests.

Transport disruptions were reported across the country.

In Rome, one metro line was suspended, while in Naples, service on a metro line was halted.

In Milan, some suburban rail services were also affected, and port workers in Livorno carried out industrial action.

The protests also highlighted solidarity with activists involved in the Sumud Flotilla.

A Palestinian-origin Spanish activist, Saif Abukeshek, previously detained during a maritime incident involving Israeli forces, attended the Rome rally.

The Israeli army on Monday attacked and intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla in international waters and detained around 100 activists as the mission sought to break Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

Speaking to Anadolu, he described the recent interceptions of flotilla vessels in international waters as violations of international law and linked them to broader criticism of Italy's arms trade policies.

Another protester, Andrea Ziccaro, said the strike was aimed at opposing what he called a "war economy," arguing that prioritizing military spending leads to neglect of social services like health and education.

Earworm Kars4Kids jingle yanked from California airwaves for false advertising

Via The Guardian

The twangy jingle produced by Kars4Kids will no longer be broadcast in California, at least in its current form, after a state judge determined last week the charity’s ads amounted to false advertising.

The infamously catchy tune – “1-877-Kars4Kids/K-A-R-S Kars for Kids/1-877-Kars4Kids/Donate your car today” – has been on airwaves for nearly two decades. During that time, Kars4Kids has faced litigation and state government investigations for its misleading fundraising practices.

Bruce Puterbaugh brought suit against the charity in 2021, after he parted ways with a nonfunctional 2001 Volvo XC valued at $250.

He donated to the charity, believing it worked in service of “underprivileged kids from all over the US”, according to documents from the Orange county superior court.

Puterbaugh would later learn Kars4Kids is used to fund Oorah, a Jewish non-profit. That organization runs summer camps in the tri-state area and organizes gap year trips to Israel for 17- and 18-year-olds. Oorah also used $16.5m funneled from Kars4Kids to buy a building in Israel as it expands its presence there.

“I feel taken advantage of by the ad and information that was not there,” he said in court testimony.

Esti Landau, the organization’s chief operating officer, testified that the well-known ad does not mention the Jewish community. Kars4Kids funnels about $45m annually to Oorah. Of the 120,000 cars donated nationwide, approximately 30,000 originated in California, per court documents. It’s unclear over what time period those cars were donated.

Kars4Kids was ordered to pay $250 in restitution to the plaintiff and given a deadline of 30 days to “cease all non-compliant broadcasting in California”.

“Money cannot ‘un-donate’ a car or restore the donor’s belief that they were helping a local, needy child,” the court wrote in its ruling. “When a charity generates millions annually through a ‘jingle’ that conceals its primary religious and geographic focus, it creates an unfair playing field for local California charities that are honest about their missions.”

Any future ads in the state must disclose its religious affiliation and geographic location. They also cannot include images of prepubescent children, given that several of Oorah’s programs support young adults.