One year after the introduction of the Block the Bombs Act, calls to condition or cut US military aid to Israel are gaining traction in Washington. Once treated as politically untouchable, the unconditional flow of US weapons to Israel is now the subject of congressional legislation, public pressure campaigns, and growing debate inside the Democratic Party.

Yet even as more lawmakers criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza, the deeper question remains: Is the Democratic establishment actually confronting the “special” US-Israel relationship in a way that will challenge it as a system of impunity? Or are members simply adjusting their rhetoric to symbolically placate an increasingly disillusioned base?

In this policy lab, Josh Ruebner and Ahmed Moor join host Tariq Kenney-Shawa to examine the fight over the Block the Bombs Act, wider efforts in Congress to restrict US military support for Israel, and what these battles reveal about the future of Palestine advocacy in US politics.

Josh Ruebner is Policy Director at the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project and Adjunct Lecturer in Georgetown University's Program on Justice and Peace.

Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza. He is a fellow with the Foundation for Middle East Peace and an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.

Tariq Kenney-Shawa is Al-Shabaka's US Policy Fellow and co-host of Al-Shabaka's Policy Lab series. He holds a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University. 

About the Policy Lab Program: Al-Shabaka's Policy Lab Program is an online live-stream space where audiences can engage directly with expert analysts from our nearly 200-member network as they craft policies and strategies related to Palestine. The labs are free and open for public participation, inviting viewers to join in on policy discussions.

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Blocking the Bombs: How Far Will Democrats Go on Israel?