The Politics of Justice & Grief

On Wednesday night, two Israeli embassy employees—one of them a diplomat—were shot and killed outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The suspect reportedly shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was arrested.

The victims—Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli diplomat, and Sara Milgrim, an American citizen—were young and, according to Israel’s ambassador, planning to be engaged. Their murder was senseless. All murders are. The grief expressed by pro-Israel voices was warranted. But what followed revealed a damning indictment on our society at large.

Within hours, more than 40 Jewish organizations demanded $1 billion in new federal funding to secure Jewish institutions across the U.S., calling the shooting part of a growing wave of anti-semitism. President Trump issued a stern condemnation. Influencers and lawmakers tied the attack to campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, citing it as evidence that dissent itself is dangerous.

By contrast, there has been no comparable mobilization of attention, resources, or outrage in response to the deliberate starvation of Palestinians—a policy made possible by U.S. funding and political cover.

This isn’t “whataboutism.” It’s a reflection of brutal asymmetry: Whose deaths command attention? Whose lives are defended?

Since March 2, when Israel broke a ceasefire agreement and tightened its blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza, at least 57 children have died from malnutrition, according to the World Health Organization which also estimates that more than 14,000 children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition and could die in the coming months. Roughly 30% of Gaza’s children are now classified as “wasted”—the most extreme form of hunger-related deterioration.

Even as this crisis unfolded, Israel blocked aid for nearly 80 days. On Monday, it allowed in just five trucks—a fraction of the 500 trucks per day the U.N. says were required even before the current conflict. It wasn’t until Wednesday night that those supplies reached a fraction of the population.

This is not a natural famine. Israel has destroyed farmland and shoots at fishermen trying to catch a meal. Food, fuel, and clean water have been cut off. Universities and hospitals have been destroyed. Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war—a clear violation of international law.

In response, the UK, Canada, and France issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s actions as disproportionate and warning that continued obstruction of aid could trigger sanctions and trade consequences. The statement also denounced recent rhetoric from Israeli officials suggesting Palestinians should be forcibly relocated—calling it a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

Meanwhile, leading genocide scholars say the evidence is overwhelming that Israel is committing genocide:

• Raz Segal, Israeli historian: “There is no counterargument that takes into account all the evidence.”
• William Schabas, Canadian international law expert: “There’s nothing comparable in recent history. The borders are closed. The people have nowhere to go. Life has been made essentially impossible in Gaza.”
• Shmuel Lederman, of Israel’s Open University, who once hesitated to use the term, now agrees the label fits.

This week’s outrage over the D.C. shooting was valid. But the relative silence around Gaza—where over 53,000 people have been killed, and thousands of children face death by starvation—reveals a profound imbalance in whose lives are protected and whose deaths are acknowledged.

There was no urgent appeal to cut funding that pays for the bombs that kill thousands of children.

No press conference for the 15 Palestinian paramedics killed and buried under rubble by Israeli forces.

No accountability for the IDF sniper who shot and killed U.S. journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

No investigation into the killing of Tawfiq Jabbar, a teenage U.S. citizen, in the occupied West Bank.

Instead, the U.S. continues to finance and arm the Israeli military—while cutting food aid, health care, and public services here at home.

This is not just a double standard. It’s a policy of selective protection.

One that tolerates mass death—so long as the victims are on the wrong side of power—or a certain color.

THE WHITE HOUSE

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with President Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday—hoping to strike a trade deal—only to be berated with false claims that his country is committing genocide against white Afrikaners.

In January, Ramaphosa’s government passed a law allowing the state to seize or repurpose land—typically with compensation—for Black South Africans dispossessed under apartheid. Although white people make up just 7% of the population, they still control about 70% of South Africa’s land. Black South Africans remain among the country’s poorest.

Trump confronted Ramaphosa with misleading videos and articles pushing debunked claims.

“Ramaphosa sidestepped Trump’s theatre by offering calm rebuttals—that crime in South Africa affects all races, that reform is underway, and that the US can choose to be a partner, not a critic. He did it with emotional intelligence and a quiet touch of diplomatic choreography. In that room, across from Trump, Ramaphosa looked more at ease than he often does here at home—where politics is more brutal,” Semafor reported.

Under the guise of stopping “genocide,” Trump approved the resettlement of 59 Afrikaners—white descendants of the Dutch and French “architects of apartheid”—who arrived in the U.S. last month, despite his blanket refugee ban after taking office. It doesn’t hurt that South African-born billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel—both with Trump’s ear—have long backed this narrative.

While some farmers have been murdered, there is no evidence of systematic targeting. Most victims are not white, and the motive is typically robbery—not race.

Ironically, Trump’s decision may have more to do with another genocide accusation—this one from South Africa against Israel. In a February 7 executive order justifying the refugee resettlement, the White House stated: “South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.” 

MORE FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH:

• Trump said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he’d fine the company a 25% tax unless they build their products in the US. Apple primarily manufactures in China, but in an effort to diversify its operations and avoid Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, it had already shifted some production to India and Vietnam. The tariffs are currently set at 10% during a 90-day pause to give countries time to renegotiate the rates. (Axios | The Hill)
• Trump also threatened the EU with 50% tariffs, accusing them of being hard to work with. The EU has also threatened taxes on $100 billion of US-made goods if the negotiations do not bear fruit and would include taxes on cars, alcohol and Boeing aircraft.  
• Quartz writes: "The sharp escalation, targeting both India and the E.U. on the same day, underscores the unpredictability of Trump’s second-term trade policy. Apple, in particular, is facing whiplash: pushed out of China by tariffs, into India by necessity, and now potentially penalized for doing exactly that." (Quartz)
• One day after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Harvard was being expelled from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the university filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing the move violates the First Amendment, due process, and DHS’s own regulations for removing a school from the program.
  • Being removed from SEVP means Harvard would no longer be able to enroll international students—and those already enrolled would be forced to leave.
  • DHS claimed the decision stemmed from Harvard’s failure to comply with an order to turn over disciplinary records and other evidence related to international students from the past five years. Harvard said it was in the process of complying with that order.
  • The underlying conflict reflects a broader standoff between Harvard and the Trump administration. Trump has sharply criticized the university’s handling of anti-war and anti-genocide protests against Israel and has pushed to punish what he sees as institutional defiance. Harvard, in turn, has rejected what it views as unlawful federal overreach into its curriculum, faculty decisions, and student body.
  • Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.” Speaking to Fox News Thursday, Noem threatened other schools to “get your act together.”  (The Hill)
  • International students account for about 27% of Harvard’s student body—nearly 7,000 students. Of those, 1,200 are Chinese prompting a terse statement from the country’s foreign minister Mao Ning: “China-U.S. education cooperation benefits both sides. China opposes politicizing education cooperation. What the U.S. seeks to do will undoubtedly hurt its own image and reputation in the world… China will firmly protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars overseas."  (The Hill)

• If it looks like a bribe and acts like a bribe…  In a clear violation of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause—which forbids government officials from accepting gifts without congressional approval—the Pentagon confirmed it has taken possession of a $400 million luxury Boeing jet gifted to Trump by Qatar.
  • The airliner is currently sitting on a tarmac in Texas, awaiting a costly overhaul—running into the hundreds of millions—to install advanced communications infrastructure and defense systems capable of withstanding a nuclear blast.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claims the plane is a “donation to our country.” But if that’s the case, why is Trump taking it with him when he leaves office? 
  • And contrary to Trump’s claims that Qatar offered the jet, CNN reports it was the White House that first approached Qatar about the plane. The current Air Force One has been in use since 1990, and while Boeing is developing a replacement, the company says it will be delayed for years. (NPR)

CONGRESS

The House just passed Trump’s wildly misnamed “One Big Beautiful Act” by a single vote—215 to 214. There’s not much beautiful about it.

Trump and his allies are trying to lock in the expiring tax cuts from 2017—cuts that primarily benefited the wealthy—at a cost of $3.8 trillion over the next decade. To make up for some of that, they’re gutting Medicaid, food aid, and other basic support systems for the country’s poorest families.

The reconciliation bill faced no smooth path through the House. Two Republicans voted “no,” several abstained (at least one reportedly slept through it), and three Democratic members have died in office over the past three months—including Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who died Wednesday of terminal cancer.

In return? They’re tossing out shiny distractions: no taxes on tips, overtime, or Social Security income. A slightly bigger child tax credit. A new deduction if you buy a U.S.-assembled car. But none of that changes the math.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates this legislation will strip more than 10 million people of their health coverage, with over 7 million losing it entirely. That’s on top of the 26 million Americans already uninsured.

What’s in the bill:

$3.8 trillion trillions in tax changes, mostly for the wealthy.

• Top 0.1%: $390,000 average tax break (2.9% increase in after-tax income)
• Households earning $1M–$4.3M: $44,190 average cut (2% increase)
• Middle-income households ($51K–$93K): $815 cut (1.2% increase)
• Low-income ($17K–$51K): lose $700
• Very low income (under $17K): lose $1,000+—a 6%+ drop when factoring in lost benefits
• Over 60% of total tax benefits go to the top 20%
  
  (MarketWatch, USA Today)

To pay for it:

• $700 billion cut from Medicaid—8.6 million people would lose coverage
• Work requirements expanded: "Able-bodied” adults must work until 64 (up from 54) and parents exempt from work requirements only if kids are under 7 (was 18)
• CBO: 3.2 million people could lose benefits
  • Stricter verification rules that historically remove eligible recipients
  • Ban on health coverage for undocumented immigrants—even if their children are U.S. citizens
  • $267 billion in SNAP cuts over 10 years
  • $1,000 fee on asylum applicants
    
    (CBO, The Hill)

And:

• $46.5 billion for Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall
• $6.1 billion to expand ICE and Border Patrol
• $25 billion for Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system—land, sea, and space-based (AP)

The bill now heads to the Senate, where just three Republican defections could block it.

COURTS

• The Supreme Court said it was deadlocked in a case involving state funding for religious charter schools. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself, leaving eight justices who split 4–4. Oklahoma had sought to create the nation’s first religious public charter school—something banned in 46 states. The SCOTUS tie means the Oklahoma State Supreme Court’s ruling against funding religious schools remains in place. Vox
• The Supreme Court has lifted a lower court’s ban that blocked the government from revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants—a designation granted under the Biden administration.
  • TPS allows the DHS secretary to grant temporary residency and work permits to people whose home countries are experiencing crisis. The original case had been filed against the Trump administration, which sought to end TPS protections and deport those immigrants. A lower court barred the government from taking any action until the case was fully adjudicated.
  • The government later filed an emergency appeal asking SCOTUS to lift that pause—which it granted. (NBC News)

HEADLINES

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, according to an announcement from his office over the weekend. Biden’s team says he was diagnosed on Friday, May 16.

• On Sunday, everyone seemed to find a speck of humanity in themselves—for a moment. President Trump and First Lady Melania issued a statement wishing Biden a speedy recovery.
• By Monday, Trump was already hinting at a conspiracy: “I think it’s very sad, actually. I’m surprised that … the public wasn’t notified a long time ago… somebody is not telling the facts. … It’s a big problem.”
• Biden’s cancer is not treatable, as it has metastasized to his bones. The Biden family is no stranger to cancer: his son Beau died from brain cancer, as did two of his closest Senate colleagues, Edward Kennedy and John McCain.

Imprisoned Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil met his newborn son for the first time this week after ICE initially barred him from having a contact visit with his family. A federal judge approved a request by Khalil’s wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, to join a meeting between Khalil and his attorneys—a request the judge granted. The government missed the court-imposed deadline to appeal the decision.

• Khalil has been detained since March 8, after organizing anti-war and anti-genocide protests at Columbia University. He received his diploma in absentia this week. Khalil, who has not been charged with any crime, had requested release to attend the birth of his son—a request ICE denied. (AP)

Walmart — which imports one-third of its goods from countries hit with Trump tariffs —announced it would raise prices on everything from food to toys as a result. (AP)

The US Treasury is winding down pennies. Without pennies, consumers will have to round up or down to the nearest five cents. DOGE nixxed the penny since its costs nearly $.04 to produce – and has been more expensive to produce than its face value for the last 19 years. You can still use pennies, but cash transactions might be trickier in the future. (The Hill)

Hoping to stifle internal dissent over its sales to Israel, Microsoft has banned the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “genocide” from its internal email servers. Several company events have been disrupted by anti-war and anti-genocide protesters—some of them employees.

• According to an investigation, “Microsoft actively pursued contracts with the Israeli defense ministry, offering them tailored proposals and significant discounts on cloud and AI services. These deals, negotiated and escalated over months, positioned Microsoft as a key technology provider during Israeli military operations in Gaza.” (Drop Site News)

New York University is withholding the diploma of a graduating student who used his commencement address to call out Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

• During his address to NYU’s Gallatin School, a visibly nervous Logan Rozos said: “As I search my heart today in addressing you all, my moral and political commitments guide me to say that the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine.”
• NYU—an institution with a history of repressing dissent against Israel—claims Rozos misrepresented the content of his speech and violated university rules. (AP)
• In a similar case, Cecilia Culver — a graduate of George Washington University — used her commencement speech to urge the school to divest from Israel. “I am ashamed to know my tuition [fee] is being used to fund this genocide,” Culver said from the stage. “I call upon the class of 2025 to withhold donations and continue advocating for disclosure and divestment.” GWU has barred Culver from the campus. (The Guardian)

Healthy children and adults may not be able to get their COVID vaccine this fall. The FDA has announced that it will require Pfizer and Moderna—the two companies that manufacture the vaccines—to conduct new placebo-controlled clinical trials before updated shots are approved for the general population. These trials could take up to six months.

• In the meantime, only older adults and those with underlying health conditions will remain eligible to receive the updated vaccine.
• The decision has sparked criticism from public health experts who say delaying access to vaccines could leave millions vulnerable if a new variant spreads. Critics also argue that using placebo groups now—when existing vaccines have already been proven safe and effective—raises ethical concerns, since it’s no longer medically justifiable to deny people access to a working vaccine. (NBC News)