With an obliterated ceasefire, hundreds of innocent Palestinians killed, and the Israeli military on the move once again, the people of Gaza are living through a nightmare that never really stopped. More than 700 Palestinians, including at least 200 children, have been killed since Israel shattered the ceasefire with a barrage of rockets earlier this week.
Two people who took a stand against the violence are Josh Paul and Tariq Habash, former Biden administration officials who quit the US government over its support for the genocide in Gaza. They recently formed a new action committee to influence future US policy towards Israel and the wider Middle East, and they joined Mehdi in this exclusive Zeteo Town Hall for paid subscribers.
The duo discussed the latest developments in Gaza but also their recent article for Zeteo on the power and mythology of AIPAC, and the many lies and false claims that the pro-Israel group tells about the so-called ‘special relationship.’ They explained why blanket US support for Israel may not be in America’s - or the region’s - best interests, and how AIPAC can actually be beaten.
“I think people often think that AIPAC is this huge behemoth that has this undue influence and power, and to a certain extent, they certainly do… But when we talk about spending $100 million [on campaigns], you don't do that from a position of strength,” says Habash of AIPAC.
So, if AIPAC isn’t the big bad boogeyman everyone makes it out to be, why are US elected officials still so quiet? “I've heard directly from United States senators behind closed doors, what we are doing is wrong,” Paul tells subscribers, “The fact that our own elected representatives cannot speak their minds publicly is a political problem, and until we resolve that, we're not going to resolve the policy problems.”
Paul and Habash took plenty of questions from Mehdi, and many more from the paid subscribers who joined the Zoom call. They discussed their rebuttals to some of AIPAC’s most persistent talking points, shared stories from their time in government, and explained the work and goals of their new DC-based lobbying organization, A New Policy.
If you are a paid subscriber, you can watch the full town hall above to hear Paul talk about the possibility of designating AIPAC as a foreign agent, and Habash explain how Christian Zionism is antisemitic.
Free subscribers can watch a 10-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber today to watch the full Town Hall and to also be able to participate in future Q&As.
In case you missed it, check out this piece from Habash and Paul:
Debunking 6 AIPAC Myths About the US-Israel Relationship
When we resigned from the Biden administration over its disastrous Gaza policy, we knew the time was now to reshape US policies toward Israel and Palestine so that they were actually in line with American interests. It’s why we started A New Policy in the first place. We also knew we were up against a powerful lobby – with AIPAC at the forefront – that has established a narrative so entrenched in US politics and media that it's hard for Americans not to accept that the unconditional US support for Israel is what is best for the United States. But our work in government and what we’ve witnessed over the last 17 months with Israel’s US-backed
