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Israeli officials and media indicate the country is actively considering resuming hostilities with Iran, even as the US intensifies diplomatic efforts. However, Israel's options remain constrained by its dependence on Washington. Political and public sentiment in Israel favors renewed conflict, but the US holds the key to any such move.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly condemned Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for a video mocking abducted aid flotilla activists, but the rebuke was undercut by the Trump administration imposing sanctions on the flotilla’s organizers. Critics say the move reveals a double standard in US foreign policy, as Washington continues to provide Israel with billions in military aid while penalizing those trying to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
The pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC is using shell political action committees (PACs) with misleading names to fund election campaigns aimed at defeating candidates critical of Israel, according to an Al Jazeera analysis. Critics say the group's tactic of funneling money through multiple PAC layers to hide donor identities is a 'Russian doll approach' to avoid voter backlash. Growing public disapproval of U.S. pro-Israel policies, particularly after the Gaza war, has fueled opposition to AIPAC's methods.
Turkish humanitarian group IHH accuses Israel and the US of blocking a planned aid ship to Gaza, arguing the obstruction aims to hide the enclave's severe humanitarian crisis. The ship, carrying food, medicine, and medical supplies, seeks to break the longstanding blockade. Human rights activists and IHH denounce the move as a violation of international law.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie lost his primary election after the most expensive and politically charged campaign in modern U.S. history, exposing a growing backlash against the political influence of pro-Israel groups. A decisive victory for the pro-Israel lobby and its allies came as millions of dollars poured into Kentucky to defeat a congressman who questioned military aid to Israel.
In a preliminary vote on March 19, 110 out of 120 lawmakers backed dissolving the Knesset, setting the stage for early elections. The move comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from far-right coalition partners accusing him of breaking promises on military service exemptions. The bill now moves to committee before final votes, with an election possibly within 90 days.
The New York Times reports that the US and Israel devised a bold plan to install former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as leader during a military campaign, but the scheme quickly failed and he is now missing. The plan involved freeing him from house arrest via an Israeli airstrike, but Ahmadinejad lost faith afterward, according to US officials and associates.
At least 87 people detained by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have started a hunger strike, protesting their alleged unlawful abduction and showing solidarity with over 9,500 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israeli forces intercepted the last boat in international waters, detaining hundreds of activists. The detentions have drawn international condemnation, with several countries calling for the immediate release of those held.
An Israeli minister has threatened to forcibly clear a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank, prompting fears of forced displacement of Palestinians. The move has drawn international concern over escalating tensions.
