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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Wants His Own Paramilitary Force
Brief #32 – Elections & Politics
By Abran C
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is looking to create the state’s own private civilian military force that would operate outside of federal control. The announcement came during a broader plan to increase funding to Florida’s National Guard. This additional $3.5 million tax payer funded plan calls for a new state-run force that would be added in addition to the already existing Florida National Guard and state police.
Variant of Concern – Omicron
Brief #125 – Health & Gender Policy
By S Bhimji
Over the weekend, the world learned about another heavily mutated coronavirus variant named Omicron. First detected in South Africa, Omicron has now been detected in many nations. While not much is known about it, experts suggest that it could be more infectious than the delta variant.
The U.S. House Select Committee Investigation of the January 6 Attack on the Capitol: Part 5
Brief #31 – Elections and Politics
By Erika Shannon
There have been many changes on our nation’s home front since the January 6th insurrection in the U.S. Capitol; and some of these changes are being made to ensure that events like that will never occur again, on either side. Chairperson Bennie Thompson and his US House Select Committee panel have been investigating the events that transpired on January 6th with one mission in mind: preserve the democratic process. There have been endless subpoenas, documents submitted, and interviews, so what is still to come in this lengthy process?
Of course, there are the matters of getting people to cooperate who have been unwilling to do so. This includes people like former president Donald Trump and his closest cohorts, such as Steve Bannon and Mark Meadows. Earlier this month, Bannon was hit with a federal indictment and charged with two counts of contempt of Congress. This came after he refused to provide testimony or documents to the January 6th Select Committee. His defiance is seen as extreme due to the fact that he was not willing to even appear before investigators under subpoena, even if to assert other alleged privileges. It is seen as a move that may prompt others to follow suit and do their best to derail the investigation.
Pandemic Barriers Inhibit Return to Low-Wage Jobs and Have Caused Massive Decrease in Migrant Labor Needed to Sustain US Economy
Brief #131 – Immigration Policy
By Kathryn Baron
The US needs roughly 10 million people to work low-wage and high-skilled workers to comfortably sustain the economy. Only 8.4 million Americans are actively seeking work in this stage of the pandemic; workers are resigning in record numbers and the number of Americans returning to low-wage industries are persistently low. On average, the US accepts roughly 1 million immigrants and 75% of those immigrants actively contribute to the American labor force. In 2020, the US only admit 263,000 immigrants.
Schools Are Failing to Teach Climate Change
Brief #61 – Education Policy
By Lynn Waldsmith
Global warming is, above all else, a looming crisis for children.
With extreme weather events such as heat waves and wildfires expected to rise in frequency, intensity and duration under global warming, it should come as no surprise that younger generations will face many more such events over their lifetimes compared to their parents and grandparents. In fact, a new survey published in Science magazine predicts children born in 2020 could face seven times more climate disasters than those born in 1960.
Takeaways from the COP26 Climate Summit
Brief #128 – Environment Policy
By Jacob Morton
At the UN’s COP26 Climate Summit earlier this month, representatives from 197 nations gathered in Glasgow, Scotland with the goal of collectively accelerating global efforts towards achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The focus of the conference centered around three major pillars of climate change action: Adaptation, Finance, and Mitigation. Here are the key takeaways.
How Facebook Breeds Civil Conflict and Hatred Around the World
Brief #66 – Technology Policy
By Stephan Lherisson
Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, leaked Facebook internal documents to the press, federal regulators, and Congress. The content of those documents showed how the social media platform uses potentially damaging algorithms to drive up use by its users while disregarding the negative effects of those algorithms including polarizing attitudes and divisiveness. Such attitudes have been proven to contribute to violence in places like Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, and India.
The Other Epidemic That No One Talks About: Drug Overdose
Brief #124 – Health & Gender Policy
By S Bhimji
Opioids are a class of pain relieving drugs that include both illegal drugs like heroin and synthetic legal ones like codeine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl and many others. The problem with opioids is that not are they addictive but they can quickly suppress respiration and lead to death.
Yemen : A Complex Situation For American Policy Makers
Brief #136 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
For American policymakers, the conflict in Yemen is going to be particularly challenging on many levels. The conflict intertwines regional tensions between Saudi Arabia; religious tensions between Shia and Sunnis; and the mixing in of terrorist organizations with no allegiances to either side but taking advantage of the wide-scale chaos and instability. President Biden announced three major points that outline his policy agenda towards Yemen: ending support of offensive acts in the conflict by Saudi Arabia, promoting peace talks and initiatives, and sending US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking to the region to work towards solutions to the conflict.
An Update on Efforts to Reform the Police
An Update on Efforts to Reform the Police
Social Justice Policy Brief # 21 | By: Erika Shannon | August 4, 2021
Header photo taken from: Louisiana Illuminator
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Photo taken from: WBUR
Statistics show that black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people, which is why police reform and rebuilding trust between law enforcement and minorities is so important in today’s climate. Local leaders have proposed using the funds to expand law enforcement, invest in social services, or develop technology used to prevent gun violence.
While it is evident that there is not one, simple approach to police reform in the U.S., over the past year we have seen several cities and states attempt to make changes in their police departments. From implementing crisis response teams to eliminating no-knock warrants and chokeholds, all efforts are a step in the right direction. Last year, police officers killed over 1,100 people in the U.S., and any steps towards reforming law enforcement agencies are a step in the right direction.
In Louisiana, three new police reform measures will take effect on January 1, 2022. House Bill 129 establishes new mandates for the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), which will establish training curriculum and will certify all law enforcement officers in the state with its standards. This means that all police officers in the state will have to go through an in-service anti-bias training program, and in order to investigate officer-involved shootings, law enforcement agencies must be certified and have completed necessary coursework and training. House Bill 430, will change parts of the “officer’s bill of rights,” with regards to internal investigations.
It will give more time for internal investigations to be completed, as long as mandating that complaints remain in an officer’s personnel file for at least ten years. This is a good thing, as it forces police officers to be accountable for actions taken while on the job. It doesn’t apply to unsubstantiated claims, but any complaints supported by evidence will remain for those ten years at minimum. The final piece of legislation, Senate Bill 34, prohibits chokeholds and no-knock warrants and mandates policies for officer’s dashboard and body-worn cameras.
Any law enforcement agency vehicles that are equipped with dashboard cameras are now required to use them. This bill also states that there must be a new policy drafted regarding the activation of an officer’s body-worn camera.
In Washington State, House Bill 1310 was signed into law earlier this year and has recently gone into effect. This new law governs when and how police officers can use force against members of the public. The law will create an expectation for officers to de-escalate and requires police to exercise care in the use of any force. The idea behind it is to reduce violence and prioritize the sanctity of life.
There has been a bit of resistance as people worry that cops will not respond to certain calls for fear of breaking the law and losing their job. However, the new law just requires them to use reasonable care when engaging with people, especially those in crisis.
Washington has started a massive police reform effort, and the bill will also do things like ban chokeholds, neck restraints, and no-knock warrants. Police will also be restricted as to when they can engage in car chases, and de-escalation techniques must happen before they use any force.
Photo taken from: GovTrack.us
Other states will likely follow in the footsteps of Louisiana and Washington, as calls to reform the police have been ramping up since the death of George Floyd in May of 2020.
Minnesota passed a law banning the police used of chokeholds and neck restraints last year; while just this year Illinois passed House Bill 163, which also bans chokeholds and legally requires officers to step in if another cop is using excessive force.
Certain cities across the country are also implementing crisis response teams in order to reduce police officers injuries, as well as reduce the number of incidents where police officers use force.
The idea is that police officers are not adequately trained to respond to mental health crises, and sending out members of a special crisis response team to individuals with mental illnesses, rather than have them be arrested with no access to mental health services, is a wise alternative.
We have not seen a lot of police reform at a federal level recently, which is understandable. Police departments across the country are run differently depending on their location, and it will be hard to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution.
The federal level efforts we have seen have been part of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. President Biden hopes that local officials will invest some of the money in police departments and establish community-based programs to help rebuild trust between people of color and law enforcement.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
- For statistics on police-involved violence, as well as names and locations of victims, visit the Mapping Police Violence website.
- To read more about trends in policing in the U.S., visit The Marshall Project.
Space Tourism Puts Focus Back on Commercialization of the Outer Limits
Space Tourism Puts Focus Back on Commercialization of the Outer Limits
Technology Policy Brief # 59 | By: Henry Lenard | August 3, 2021
Header photo taken from: India Times
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Photo taken from: Parabolic Arc
Policy Summary
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The successful space tourism flights of Richard Branson aboard his Virgin Galactic craft and Jeff Bezos on his Blue Origin rocket have drawn new attention to what is happening in the skies above us. It also has many asking the question who has oversight of commercial ventures in space.
Since the earliest days of spaceflight, U.S. companies have been involved as contractors to government agencies. Outer space was soon found to be a place with abundant opportunities for commercialization. Telecommunications services proved to be the first successful space commercial application, to be followed by remote sensing and global navigation services. In the last decade, the rapid development of space technologies has brought space tourism and space mining to the forefront of space commercialization.
How the federal government makes use of commercial space capabilities continues to evolve. NASA used to own and operate the space shuttles that contractors built. That changed in 2012 when Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the first private aerospace and manufacturing company to ship cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). In 2019, NASA announced a new directive that further opens the ISS for commercial use.
Congressional and public interest in space is also becoming more focused on commercial activities, but who has jurisdiction over outer space?
Soon after the dawn of the space race, with the launch of the first satellites in 1957, the United Nations took the lead in formulating rules governing space activities. Over time, The UN passed five international conventions, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the 1968 Rescue Agreement, the 1972 Liability Convention, the 1975 Registration Convention and the 1979 Moon Agreement.
These five conventions within the framework of the UN constitute the nucleus of space law and guided the development of space activities for several decades. At that time, however, space was monopolized by the United States and the Soviet Union, and the UN failed to consider future commercial applications of space.
Today, oversight is provided by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Scientific, Technical and Legal Subcommittees, which operate based on consensus.
Photo taken from: Luxembourg Space Agency
By far, communications satellites make up the lion’s share of space commerce. The Union of Concerned Scientists has assembled a satellite database that lists more than 4,084 operational satellites currently in orbit around Earth. Of those, 2,505 are American; Chinese, 431; Russian, 168; and other countries, 980. Of the U.S. satellites, 2,091 are for commercial use; military, 216; government, 166; and civil, 32.
Realizing the challenges in adopting legally binding international rules, the UN encourages countries to enact their own national space legislation guiding domestic space commercial activities.
Now, commercialization has resulted in competition from other developed regions and countries, primarily Europe and Japan. Realizing the challenges in adopting legally binding international rules, the UN encourages countries to enact their own national space legislation guiding domestic space commercial activities.
In the foreseeable future, it is expected that the development of soft laws and national space legislation will be the mainstream regulatory activities in the space field, especially for commercial space activities.
In the U.S., multiple federal agencies regulate the commercial space industry, based on statutory authorities that were enacted separately and have evolved over time.
During the Trump Administration, several of these agencies made significant changes in their regulations affecting commercial space. For example, one change had the Department of Transportation streamline the process for licensing approval for space launches and re-entries. Another designated the Department of Commerce as a hub for space commerce.
The 117th Congress may examine the implementation of these regulatory changes and consider whether additional legislation is required.
In the U.S. Senate, the Subcommittee on Space and Science has jurisdiction over national and civil space policy. In the U.S. House of Representatives, it falls to the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
Policy Analysis
The commercialization of space is more than flights to zero gravity for wealthy tourists. It is about transitioning the space industry from one supported by the federal government to one funded by private industry.
NASA’s 2019 directive on the ISS opens it to U.S. industry for commercial ventures in low-Earth orbit. NASA says providing expanded opportunities at ISS to manufacture, market and promote commercial products will help catalyze and expand space exploration markets for many businesses.
More than 50 companies already are conducting commercial research and development on the space station via the ISS U.S. National Laboratory. In addition, NASA has worked with 10 different companies to install more than 14 commercial facilities on the station that support research and development projects for NASA and the ISS National Lab.
Photo taken from: Space.com
This effort is intended to broaden the scope of commercial activity on the space station beyond the ISS National Lab mandate, which is limited to research and development. The NASA directive enabled commercial manufacturing and production and allowed both NASA and private astronauts to conduct new commercial activities aboard the orbiting laboratory.
NASA’s ultimate goal in low-Earth orbit is to partner with industry to achieve a strong ecosystem in which it is one of many customers purchasing services and capabilities at lower cost.
Photo taken from: GianAngelo Pistoia
Beyond NASA, responsibility for space is spread across several agencies. The Federal Aviation Administration licenses commercial launch and reentry vehicles as well as commercial spaceports. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration licenses commercial Earth remote sensing satellites. The Federal Communications Commission licenses commercial satellite communications. The Departments of Commerce and State license exports of space technology.
Related ongoing efforts, such as the proposed reorganization of space offices in the Commerce Department and the shift from the Department of Defense to civil responsibility for space situational awareness are also likely to attract congressional attention.
Agencies are considering a host of new opportunities, including acquisition of weather data from commercial satellites, acquisition of science data from commercial lunar landers, and expanded commercial utilization of the ISS for technology development and demonstration as well as other purposes. The 117th Congress may address these developments primarily through oversight of agency programs and decisions on agency budgets.
Among the agencies of which the Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science, and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, have oversight are NASA, the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, the Department of Commerce Office of Space Commerce, and the National Space Council.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/space-and-science-subcommittee
U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology:
NASA Space Tourism and Commercialization:
https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/space-tourism-and-commercialization
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs:
US Makes Vaccine Available to Overseas Visitors
US Makes Vaccine Available to Overseas Visitors
Health and Gender Policy Brief # 120 | By: S Bhimji | July 30, 2021
Header photo taken from: Reuters
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Photo taken from: CNET
Policy Summary
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Because of the high cost of healthcare in the USA, for much of the past 20 years, many Americans have sought medical care abroad going as far as India for heart surgery, Thailand for massage therapy, to Israel for liposuction, and so on. In addition, many Americans have undergone cosmetic and weight loss surgery in Central American countries and Europe. The cost of healthcare in these nations is only a fraction of what it would cost in the USA.
But now America has opened up its borders for foreigners in search of the COVID vaccine.. You can get the covid vaccine here for FREE- even if you cannot speak a word of English, and have never lived in America.
Policy Analysis
Reports indicate that most medical tourists who want the covid vaccine are from Central and South America. And for the past 7 months, the number of tourists arriving for the vaccine has increased dramatically. Just from Peru alone, 70,000 of its citizens made the trip north for vaccination. And airline owners in Latin America have noticed a major spike in trips to the USA, especially for the vaccine.
Latin America has a severe shortage of vaccines because of shipment delays and only 3% of Latinos have been fully vaccinated against covid 19. For those who can afford the airfare and cost of a hotel stay, this is one way to solve the vaccine shortage.
Photo taken from: Daily Advent
Many South Americans feel that their governments are simply not doing enough and they have no choice but to come to the USA. The visitors who do get the vaccine are immensely grateful to America. It is not just the South Americans who are into vaccine tourism- many Canadians who reside in Florida have also got the vaccine for free in the US.
However those who do come here to get the vaccine are generally wealthy enough to afford the associated travel and other related expenses. While there is nothing wrong or illegal in providing them with a COVID shot once they arrive, they represent a small and privileged segment of their country’s population. It would be better if the US could make more of its surplus vaccines available for the entire population of these counties.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Vaccine tourists are coming to America
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/26/americas/vaccine-tourism-usa-latam-intl/index.html
Can Visitors Get Covid-19 Vaccine in the US?
https://www.visaplace.com/blog-immigration-law/vaccine-tourism/
Covid vaccines: Tourists head to the US to get vaccinated
Spyware Technology: A Global Threat top Democracy and Human Rights
Spyware Technology: A Global Threat Top Democracy and Human Rights
Technology Policy Brief # 58 | By: Scout Burchill | July 29, 2021
Header photo taken from: Middle East Eye
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Photo taken from: Human Rights Watch
Policy Summary
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A flurry of articles have recently been published on the Israeli based cyber-surveillance company NSO Group thanks to a recent leak exposed by Forbidden Stories, a collaborative non-profit journalist organization, which revealed a list of about 50,000 phone numbers alleged to have been targeted by the company’s Pegasus surveillance software.
Pegasus is an exceptionally powerful surveillance and spying software that targets phones and can be used to steal account passwords, call records, emails, text messages, audio recordings and photos from unsuspecting targets. It can also monitor a user’s activity, take screenshots, and enable the phone’s camera and microphone, turning it into a real-time surveillance bug and hidden camera. But wait, it gets worse. The malicious software can be installed on phones remotely by merely sending a text message. This zero-click method does not even require the user to interact with the message. NSO Group claims that Pegasus is sold only to governments and law enforcement agencies that agree to use it “appropriately.”
Even though this is far from the first time that NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware has made headlines, the leaked “surveillance list” once again suggests that Pegasus spyware is routinely used by authoritarian governments to target journalists, dissidents, activists, academics, and opposition politicians. The NSO Group’s spyware has already been implicated in Saudi Arabia’s monitoring of dissidents abroad and in the tracking of Jamal Kashoggi before his murder in Istanbul.
This new list, while not fully confirmed, includes: Roula Khalaf, the editor of the Financial Times, individuals and family close to Kashoggi, the assassinated Mexican reporter Cecilio Pineda Birto, a number of journalists from CNN, the AP, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and The New York Times, and perhaps most shockingly three sitting presidents, including French President Emanuel Macron, ten current and former prime ministers and the King of Morocco.
Furthermore, journalists from countries such as Azerbaijan, France, Hungary, India and Morocco are believed to have been hacked by Pegasus spyware, and a source familiar with NSO contracts has revealed that NSO software has been sold to the governments of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, India, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. NSO Group strongly denies accusations of wrongdoing.
Policy Analysis
The NSO Group’s recently leaked surveillance list comes as no surprise to those who have followed the steady stream of alarming articles written about the company over the past few years. The story of NSO Group highlights a steady and worrying trend that has only picked up steam in the digital age: the privatization of security industries by unregulated firms driven by pure profit.
These industries have no qualms or ethical misgivings when it comes to empowering the most repressive and brutal regimes on earth and their business model seems to be working. The market for privatized spyware alone is estimated to be around $12 billion and is expected to continue to grow as more actors seek the services of these digital mercenaries.
Photo taken from: PBS
NSO Group is far from alone in this murky, global enterprise mired in secrecy. The firm’s success has inspired homegrown spin-offs like DarkMatter in the United Arab Emirates.
DarkMatter has hired and continues to employ a number of former NSA and CIA officers, offering them hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for their valuable experience. The opaque and mysterious nature of these firms allows governments to contract out responsibility, further shielding their actions from the light of transparency.
With the amount of money and interested actors in the private spyware business, it is no surprise that NSO Group has deep ties in Washington. Anita Dunn, Biden’s former campaign manager who now works as a senior advisor to the president, lobbied on behalf of the firm through her company SKDK as recently as 2019. NSO Group also paid Jeremy Bash, the former chief of staff of the CIA turned MSNBC analyst, through his consulting company Beacon Global Strategies until early 2020.
Photo taken from: The Guardian
Much like the global arms trade or the military contracting business, the global spyware market represents a lurid enterprise that must be faced head on. While it will not be easy to regulate, transparency and accountability are desperately needed. Beyond the horrific human cost exacted daily by these industries, the willingness of officials and representatives of democratic nations to transfer powerful technologies and tools of oppression to authoritarian regimes betrays an utter lack of principle and foresight.
As these most recent leaks prove, it is only a matter of time before these technologies are used against the same democratic nations that are now complicit in selling away their expertise as well as their values. A 2019 United Nations report called for a moratorium on the sales of all spyware until stricter human rights protections are put in place. Unfortunately, there has been little follow through and spyware technologies continue to be sold and developed for the purposes of repressing and debasing the rights of individuals all over the globe.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Amnesty International
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/07/pegasus-project-spyware-digital-surveillance-nso/
Access Now
https://www.accessnow.org/indian-government-nso-pegasus-spyware/
Reporters Without Borders
https://rsf.org/en/news/urgent-need-escape-surveillance-technology-jungle
Internet Freedom Foundation
Sources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Forbidden Stories’ Pegasus Project
https://forbiddenstories.org/case/the-pegasus-project/
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/07/pegasus-project-spyware-digital-surveillance-nso/
Relevant Reporting on NSO Group and Pegasus Software
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/06/1041231
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/18/world/middleeast/israel-nso-pegasus-spyware.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2021/nso-spyware-pegasus-cellphones/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/17/world/middleeast/israel-saudi-khashoggi-hacking-nso.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/technology/nso-group-spyware-india.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/world/middleeast/hacking-united-arab-emirates-nso-group.html
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/18/what-is-pegasus-spyware-and-how-does-it-hack-phones
NYT’s Kenneth Vogel on NSO Group ties to Washington
https://twitter.com/kenvogel/status/1416835845496180744
Private Digital Mercenary Industry
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/us/politics/government-hackers-nso-darkmatter.html
UN Report on Need for Spyware Moratorium
Global Perspectives: Nigeria: A Case Study In The Slow Creep of Digital Authoritarianism
Global Perspectives:
Nigeria: A Case Study In The Slow Creep of Digital Authoritarianism
Technology Policy Brief # 57 | By: Scout Burchill | July 29, 2021
Header photo taken from: Foreign Policy
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Photo taken from: Media 24
Policy Summary
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On June 4th, the Nigerian government announced an “indefinite suspension” of Twitter after the social media company deleted a controversial tweet by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The Nigerian government’s Twitter ban and its recent history of attempts to more stringently regulate online speech present a cautionary tale about the rise of digital authoritarianism.
Over the past year, Twitter has increasingly drawn the ire of the Buhari government. The social media platform proved to be instrumental in organizing and sustaining protests against police brutality during the #EndSARS movement that erupted throughout the country in October of 2020. Young Nigerians used Twitter to share information, organize demonstrations, and attract worldwide attention to their cause, which picked up steam in the wake of new revelations and videos revealing gross misconduct and extrajudicial executions by Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Hostilities between the Buhari government and Twitter became distinctly personal as the CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, tweeted messages in support of government protesters.
The official ban comes two days after Twitter deleted a tweet by President Buhari in which he threatened separatist rebel groups believed to be behind recent attacks in Southeastern Nigeria by vowing to “treat them in the language they understand.” The issue of succession still stings like an open wound in Nigeria, a country which fought a civil war not too long ago and is still deeply divided along North/South lines. The Buhari government has often complained that Twitter is complicit in allowing separatist leaders living outside the country to freely campaign and drum up support for succession movements within Nigeria. According to the government, the censorship of President Buhari’s tweet, which was a direct quote from a speech he delivered earlier, provides proof that Twitter has a clear agenda that threatens the sovereignty of Nigeria.
Policy Analysis
Let’s put aside for now the thorny question of whether or not Twitter, an American company, should be deleting or moderating the tweets of democratically elected leaders, and particularly those from other countries. Whether or not the deletion of President Buhari’s tweet is warranted, Twitter and other social media companies’ notoriously arbitrary and ad-hoc content moderation decisions make it hard to argue that such an action is consistent with company standards.
One quick takeaway worth noting about Twitter in particular though is that Jack Dorsey has a real knack for making enemies out of heads of state. From Modi, to Buhari, to Trump, the level of animosity for Dorsey seems personally tinged by the egos of those involved. Case in point, Facebook also deleted Buhari’s post, but has yet to receive any consternation from the government and the company remains operational in the country. Now on to the bigger picture.
Photo taken from: Human Rights Watch
Nigeria’s descent into digital authoritarianism is not a new or unforeseeable development, but it does present a worrying example of the future of online freedoms particularly in the developing world. As the former leader of a short-lived military junta in the 80’s, Buhari’s repressive inclinations were well-known before he was elected president in 2015. In 1984, Buhari passed the notorious Protection Against False Accusations Decree. Known as Decree 4, this decree remains the most restrictive press law ever enacted in Nigeria.
Since Buhari’s return to leadership, he has attempted to pass a number of laws reminiscent of Decree 4 that would allow Nigeria’s government to cut off internet access or block specific social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. In 2019, the Buhari government introduced new legislation called the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill, which would have granted the government sweeping authority to gag online speech and stifle dissent. Presented as a way of curbing misinformation and protecting the digital sovereignty of the nation, the bill failed to muster enough support in the face of widespread public opposition. Since the Twitter ban, however, a version of this bill is once again being circulated.
While parallels to Decree 4 seem to suggest that Nigeria is being haunted by ghosts of the past, the reality is that social media bans and repressive internet laws are becoming increasingly common in nations undergoing considerable democratic backsliding around the world. This worldwide wave of legal assaults on free speech and expression online is an example of how authoritarian-bent regimes can learn from one another, exporting both the technology and domestic policy strategies that help them tighten their grip on power and erode civil liberties.
Photo taken from: Telegraph India
Nigeria is clearly bolstered by and learning from other regimes keen on exerting more control over the digital sphere. Not long after Twitter was banned, government officials began promoting Koo, an India-based government-friendly alternative to Twitter, which has deep connections with Modi’s Hindu-nationalist movement. Koo is currently looking to expand its operations in Nigeria and replace Twitter’s massive footprint.
Zooming out a bit further, China’s growing investments in Africa, and especially in Nigeria, are heavily influencing digital practices both in Nigeria and across the continent. As the most sophisticated and experienced steward of digital censorship, the Chinese government is posturing itself as a potential partner to developing countries, with the ability to provide both financing for domestic projects and infrastructure as well as surveillance and monitoring technology. China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative is intended to further pull developing nations into the country’s orbit and for many would-be authoritarian regimes the opportunity to replicate China’s state control over the internet makes for an enticing bundle.
In more ways than than one, the question of whether or not authoritarian regimes can succeed economically in the digital age is a crucial one. China has proven that it is more possible than previously imagined and its success is guiding the way for others. To ensure that the world wide web stays the world wide web, and not a balkanized, fractured sphere where governments surveil and police their citizens, the United States needs to take seriously the example it sets both through domestic policy and international engagement.
It is clearer than ever now that digital rights constitute an essential aspect of human rights. The slow chipping away at digital rights and freedoms across the globe is in lockstep with the gradual deterioration of democracy. Accordingly, humane internet governance is built not on the professed need to protect society from danger, terrorism, or security threats, but rather on the preservation and protection of civil liberties and individual rights.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
PEN America Digital Sovereignty Report
https://pen.org/report/splintered-speech-digital-sovereignty-and-the-future-of-the-internet/
Article 19
https://www.article19.org/resources/nigeria-authorities-must-stop-clamping-down-on-digital-rights/
Art
NGOs Fighting for Freedom of Expression Globally
https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/non-governmental-organizations/
Sources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Reporting on Nigeria’s Twitter Ban and Social Media Laws:
https://restofworld.org/2021/inside-nigerias-decision-to-ban-twitter/
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nelsoncharityjohn/nigerian-government-twitter-ban-buhari
https://www.dw.com/en/nigerias-twitter-ban-exposes-deep-rift/a-57854660
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/18/nigerians-raise-alarm-over-controversial-social-media-bill
Bamidele Ademola Olateju on Developments in Nigeria
New America’s Review of Digital Authoritarianism
https://www.newamerica.org/weekly/long-view-digital-authoritarianism/
Koo As Twitter Alternative:
https://restofworld.org/2021/koo-is-selling-itself-as-a-twitter-substitute-in-nigeria/
China’s Internet Ambitions:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/06/zte-huawei-china-trump-trade-cyber/563033/
Brief History of SARS Unit:
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/10/22/sars-a-brief-history-of-a-rogue-unit
Moving Forward After U.S. Withdrawal in Afghanistan
Moving Forward After U.S. Withdrawal in Afghanistan
Foreign Policy Policy Brief # 125 | By: Avery Roe | August 1, 2021
Header photo taken from: USA Today
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Photo taken from: Daily Advent
Policy Summary
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Despite widespread criticism, The Biden Administration has restated its commitment that the United States military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31st. This comes after the Trump Administration made an agreement with the Taliban to remove all American forces by May 1, 2021, a large part of the stated rationale for President Biden’s decision. In that agreement, the Taliban agreed to prevent other groups from using Afghan soil to support activities that threaten the United States or its allies, something that American leadership contends that they have not fulfilled.
During the same briefing, President Biden said that the United States has accomplished what it set out to do in Afghanistan, deliver justice to the terrorists responsible for 9/11, including Osama Bin Laden, and diminish the terrorist threat to keep Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist base. He specified that the United States did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build and that doing so is the responsibility of the Afghan people.
In the months since the initial announcement in April, the Taliban has more than tripled the number of districts in their control and is threatening to take more, in what top security officials have acknowledged is a “deteriorating security situation.” A recent United Nations report found that civilian casualties during the first half of 2021 are up approximately 47% compared to 2020.
The ways in which the United States will continue to be involved in Afghanistan are not yet clear, largely due to the uncertainty of the withdrawal’s aftermath. Currently, the United States has increased airstrikes in support of Afghan forces but has not made any comment if those will continue after August 31st. Military officials have said options will include remote training and training Afghan personnel in third countries. Diplomatically, President Biden has said that they will renew efforts to achieve an Inter-Afghan peace agreement. The exact ramifications of the Taliban taking Afghanistan are largely unknown but would likely require many changes to the current plan.
Policy Analysis
Photo taken from: The Times
While campaigning Biden said that he supported maintaining a force of no more than 2,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan.
Now it is unclear why he would be so stuck on following this continuation of Trump’s policy in honoring the withdrawal deal with the Taliban. Doing so now could give him some political cover with Democrats if things were to go poorly while allowing him to maintain the image of the President that pulled America out of the forever war. However, with Afghanistan especially unstable right now it appears to be an incredibly risky decision.
Moving forward, the Biden Administration needs to work with both Afghanistan and neighboring countries to re-shape America’s influence in a way that better aligns with the administration’s goals of rebuilding relationships and fostering international cooperation.
Of course, that is only in the case that the Afghan government is able to maintain its power and doesn’t fall to the Taliban. In that instance, it is very likely that the United States will have to intervene militarily to support its ally in Afghanistan and protect itself from the terrorist threat that the Taliban would create.
While the immediate fall-out of this scenario would not inherently lead to a forever war, that is a possibility.
It is difficult to criticize a decision to get out of an endless war that had been criticized for nearly 20 years. It is also likely that there will never be an ideal, or even good, time to withdraw.
The Biden Administration is protecting itself with the use of the agreement between the Trump Administration and the Taliban, potentially minimizing the political blowback if the worst-case scenario occurs, but also receiving the credit if things go well. While the results and legacy of this decision are still unclear, this will be a defining moment for the Biden Presidency.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
https://womenforafghanwomen.org/afghanistan/ – Women for Afghan Women works to empower women, children, and families to change the norms of violence and oppression.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/search/?country=38342 – Amnesty International has up-to-date reports on the human rights issues occurring in Afghanistan.
The Need To Overhaul the Nation’s Aging Electric Grid Is Urgent But Challenging
The Need To Overhaul the Nation’s Aging Electric Grid Is Urgent But Challenging
Environment Policy Brief # 122 | By: Todd J. Broadman | July 30, 2021
Header photo taken from: Power Grid News
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Photo taken from: E&E News
Policy Summary
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Biden’s foundational policy objectives of carbon-free power by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050 serve as the basis for his $2.25 trillion green infrastructure plan. The overarching question is “how” – particularly when nationwide carbon-free power effectively means tripling the size of the U.S. transmission system.
As U. S. engineering feats go, the current national grid of over 650,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines, millions of miles of distribution lines, and thousands of generators is a marvel, but a dated one; the system was mostly designed and built in the 1950s and 60s.
The parts are aging and system failures are now common, and this at a time of immense system stresses. Most of the infrastructure repairs are being done reactively, in response to severe events, rather a more costly proactive replacement strategy. Underscoring the complexity of a replacement strategy is the fact that power transmission construction projects usually take more than a decade to complete.
With the fairly recent energy crisis and subsequent deaths in Texas as a backdrop, the ability for the grid to be enmeshed and shared across regions adds to the argument for investment in an upgraded transmission system. The intermittency of solar and wind power – when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine – adds to the engineering challenge of building such an electric grid.
Sides have been squaring off, debating how the increased need for electricity in our cities and suburbs can be met by distant wind turbines and solar farms. While increases in consumption are driven by electric vehicles, urbanization, and more frequent extreme weather patterns, the necessary construction of thousands of miles of additional power lines to meet those needs is a point of contention for local and environmental groups, as well as the big carbon-energy corporations.
Mr. Biden’s campaign platform to upgrade the national grid won him the nod of the utility industry. In order for utilities to be 100% carbon-free by 2035, they will require a massive transmission line upgrade aimed at distributing clean energy between states. (Contributions to his campaign from utilities as a whole were $1.4 million).
Biden’s administration is in lock-step, making industry friendly statements: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, “We need to make a big national plan to ensure that electricity is delivered from where it is generated to where it is needed,” and this is echoed by Patricia Hoffman, acting assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, “As we’ve seen more hurricanes, and more challenging environmental issues from severe weather, we want to have a resilient system.”
Photo taken from: The Free Press
As was anticipated, big energy and utility companies who advocate for new transmission lines are contending with environmental interests. For example, in the state of Maine, there is an environmental campaign to block the plan to bring hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts.
“This transmission line will have a significant impact on Maine’s environment and wildlife habitat,” said Sandra Howard, a local activist. Her sentiment finds favor with those who prefer that federal dollars support widespread adoption of local, residential solar panels and storage batteries.
With his proposal for investment tax credits, Biden is also trying to win favor with smaller communities who have scaled ambitions for local rooftop solar grids and microgrids; this allows towns and neighbors to generate and use their own electricity. Yet again, in terms of meeting the 2035 goal, the administration views a centralized approach with massive investment in transmission lines as essential.
Policy Analysis
Coal and gas power plants are being phased out and are actively being replaced by large wind and solar power plants located hundreds of miles from urban energy consumers. Replacement at the scale required though is a daunting task considering environmental opposition, the cost, and that legal siting authority is with the states, not the federal government.
Then there is scale: the current transmission system cannot support even half of the nation’s power coming from clean or zero-carbon sources, let alone 100%. Average household electricity bills have increased by about 14% over the last decade, despite an increase in average household energy use of just over 1%.
Photo taken from: NASA Visible Earth
Photo taken from: ETEnergyworld.com
To date, Biden has secured $73 billion for thousands of miles of new power lines in an infrastructure proposal that won bipartisan support. To help with the obstacle of siting authority, the deal involves the establishment of a federal “grid development agency” to speed up transmission line approval. These monies are in line with the centralized approach favored by large utilities.
For added public support, they point to the Texas disaster in which so many died, largely due to having an isolated grid, unable to import the needed electricity from neighboring states.
Other countries though, are paving a decentralized path. For example, Australia is developing what it says will be the world’s largest Virtual Power Plant (VPP) system, connecting 50,000 home batteries. VPPs are networks of decentralized, medium-scale power generating units such as wind farms, solar parks, and storage systems. Green Mountain Power in the state of Vermont has also built a microgrid VPP; they have contracted with more than 2,000 homes in one of the largest utility-coordinated home battery programs in the country.
The complexity of the task ahead speaks to hybrid solutions, some decentralized, in communities that want to invest in that approach. Large scale infrastructure upgrades will only come with federal financial subsidies, and the jobs they will bring will continue to garner bipartisan support. Unfortunately, there is not discussion about re-sizing or scaling down consumption, or even an effort to make plain that both solar and wind energy for all their benefits, have considerable energy downsides in their construction and long-term maintenance. We are soon to realize that the post-carbon energy environment will come with serious sacrifices that aren’t politically palatable.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/ is the premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market.
https://www.energy.gov/ is the federal agency that addresses U.S.’s energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.
https://cleanpower.org/ is a leading federation of renewable energy companies expediting the advancement of clean energy
https://www.utilitydive.com/ provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and trends shaping the utility industry.
Biden Ups The Ante on Car Fuel Standards
Biden Ups The Ante on Car Fuel Standards
Environment Policy Brief # 121 | By: Katelyn Lewis | July 29, 2021
Header photo taken from: NBC News
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Photo taken from: MSN
Policy Summary
[SSB theme=”Official” align=”center” counter=”true” ]
President Joe Biden’s team is working on a vehicle emissions rule that will not only restore aggressive vehicle mileage standards set under then-President Barack Obama, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and significantly increase electric vehicle drivers in the U.S. by the end of the decade.
The proposed rule, first reported by the Associated Press, would start with the 2023 car model year and would follow standards set by the California deal, an agreement reached among five leading automakers and the Golden State that “increases the mileage standard and cuts greenhouse gases by 3.7% per year.”
That fuel economy percentage would grow to a 5% annual increase, with a similar cut in emissions, by 2025, and then increase up to 6 or 7% for the 2026 vehicle models under the new rule. Industry and administration officials who spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity said the EPA would “likely … make a nonbinding statement that the requirements will ramp up even faster starting in 2027, forcing the industry to sell more zero-emissions electric vehicles.”
The goal of the new rule is for 40% of all new car sales to be electric by 2030 – a large increase from the 2% of new car sales they constitute in the U.S. in 2021.
The proposed rule assembled by the Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department is expected to be released in full as soon as next week, AP reports.
Policy Analysis
A common and unsurprising theme so far in the Biden administration has been to reverse the rollbacks established under the Trump administration that have impaired efforts to reduce anthropogenic-caused environmental distress and air quality-related public health issues.
The proposed rules to increase fuel economy standards once more therefore align well with Biden’s pledge to address climate change and with his goal of decreasing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least half by 2030.
But some environmental groups argue the proposed rules may be a little too lenient on the auto industry at a time when the country is behind on cutting its pollution levels.
Photo taken from: LA Times
“The West is baking, forests are ablaze, storms are worsening, so this is not the time for weaker standards and promises of doing better tomorrow,” Dan Becker, the Safe Climate Transportation Campaign director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “Half steps won’t save us from climate catastrophe.”
In 2012, the Obama administration finalized clean car standards to “increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025,” with an annual required 5% increase in fuel economy between 2021 and 2025, according to an archived White House statement. The 2012 rule significantly increased Obama’s 2009 fuel standards, which required an average fuel economy of 39 mpg for cars and 30 mpg for trucks by 2016. U.S. RESIST NEWS estimates that the standards proposed by Biden equal 45 mpg.
Photo taken from: TED Ideas
In 2020, the Trump administration decreased the extent of the vehicle mileage standards, reducing the growth rate to an annual 1.5% increase in fuel efficiency. In other words, the looser standards under the Trump administration would require automakers to average a fuel economy standard of about 40.4 mpg by 2026, rather than the 46.7 mpg the Obama-era rule would have demanded, according to Reuters.
With the more gradual mileage increase – 3.7% for 2023 models, 5% for 2025 models, and so on – in Biden’s proposed rule, supporters argue it will enable more automakers to meet the environmental policy demands while remaining competitive in the industry.
But critics argue that it won’t cause the same emission pollution cuts in the near term that the U.S. would have experienced had former President Donald Trump not rolled back the standards set by former President Barack Obama. In addition, it would require additional rulemaking to establish tougher standards to continue cutting down emissions.
And the question remains whether the proposed rule, in its efforts to appease both environmental groups and automakers, will be able to help meet the reduced emissions goals set for the U.S. under the Paris climate agreement.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Sierra Club – https://www.sierraclub.org/
Center for Biological Diversity – https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
Earthjustice – https://earthjustice.org/
Sources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Associated Press – New Trump mileage standards to gut Obama climate effort (Mar. 30, 2020) – https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-corry-schiermeyer-climate-change-f1b244a36bccfa314448e5ffa90b4ff7
Associated Press – EXCLUSIVE: Biden mileage rule to exceed Obama climate goal (July 27, 2021) – https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-government-and-politics-climate-change-climate-dd404e566e5f849f2aa05662f4752e8a
E&E News / ClimateWire – Biden car rules won’t account for Trump-era CO2 (July 28, 2021) – https://www.eenews.net/articles/biden-car-rules-wont-account-for-trump-era-co2/
Politico – Obama announces new fuel standards (May 18, 2009) – https://www.politico.com/story/2009/05/obama-announces-new-fuel-standards-022650
Reuters – Trump finalizes rollback of Obama-era vehicle fuel efficiency standards (Mar. 31, 2020) – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-autos-emissions/trump-finalizes-rollback-of-obama-era-vehicle-fuel-efficiency-standards-idUSKBN21I25S
The Washington Post – Trump administration to freeze fuel-efficiency requirements in move likely to spur legal battle with states (Aug. 2, 2018) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/2018/08/01/90c818ac-9125-11e8-8322-b5482bf5e0f5_story.html
The Washington Post – Major automakers strike climate deal with California, rebuffing Trump on proposed mileage freeze (July 25, 2019) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/07/25/major-automakers-strike-climate-deal-with-california-rebuffing-trump-proposed-mileage-freeze/
The Washington Post – Biden Plan would tighten mileage for new cars over the next four years (July 27, 2021) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/07/27/biden-plan-would-tighten-mileage-new-cars-over-next-four-years/
The White House of President Barack Obama – Obama Administration Finalizes Historic 54.5 MPG Fuel Efficiency Standards (Aug. 28, 2012) – https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/28/obama-administration-finalizes-historic-545-MPG-fuel-efficiency-standard
New Vaccine Mandates Being Rolled Out
New Vaccine Mandates Being Rolled Out
Health & Gender Policy Brief # 119 | By: S. Bhimji | July 28, 2021
Header photo taken from:
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Photo taken from: National Geographic
Policy Summary
[SSB theme=”Official” align=”center” counter=”true” ]
A few months ago, Methodist Hospital in Texas mandated the covid vaccine for all its healthcare workers. About 150 healthcare workers including nurses refused citing a variety of non-medical reasons. Methodist fired them all; the workers filed a lawsuit and the case went to the Texas Federal court where a judge ruled that in private practice, the employees have to follow the rules of the employer. If they do not agree, they are welcome to find a job elsewhere.
Since then many hospitals have followed the Methodist example making vaccines mandatory for their healthcare workers.
Fast forward, with the dreaded spread of the delta variant, some governmental agencies are following the same Methodist Hospital’s footsteps.
Just a few days ago, The Dept of Veterans Affairs, which operates one of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, announced that it is making a new vaccine mandate for its employees in New Your City, California, the Mayo Clinic, and many other VA hospitals. The VA is the first federal agency to make this mandate signaling what many experts below will soon become a nationwide trend.
And the VA is not alone; the White House is also supporting the call by Medical Associations that are mandating vaccines for their healthcare workers.
In the face of the rapid growth of the delta variant, Both the State of California and the city of New York are giving the workers a choice- Get vaccinated or face weekly testing.
Policy Analysis
Healthcare leaders say this recent move by the VA is perhaps the best way to fight the coronavirus. It is hoped that this mandate will encourage millions of Americans to get vaccinated. Seven months since the covid vaccines were approved for emergency use, there are still millions of Americans who remain unvaccinated.
The VA mandate will apply to more than 100,00 front-line workers; in NY city it will apply to over 45,000 city contractors and employees, and in California, it will apply to more than 2.2 million state employees and healthcare workers.
This is perhaps the tipping point in the fight against covid 19. Despite all the incentives, nearly 45%-50% of Americans have adamantly refused to get vaccinated but now if they want to remain employed, they will have to make a choice.
As of July 21, 2021, the delta variant accounted for nearly 61% of cases, many of which have occurred in unvaccinated individuals. In most cases, the infection has been severe enough to require hospitalization.
Photo taken from: Becker’s Hospital Review
With the schools set to open in about a month, it is time for the Government to start being aggressive about the vaccine protocol.
Nationwide the number of covid infections have rapidly increased from about 13,000 cases per day at the beginning of July to nearly 54,000/day in the middle of July. Experts in infectious disease are urging people to get vaccinated since the shots can prevent severe infection and even death.
For the past few months, healthcare workers have been asking the government to make the vaccine mandatory and finally, with the VA mandate, the rates of vaccination may start to increase.
But despite the urgency of the situation, the Biden Administration has said it will not impose a national mandate on the vaccine but will support employers who will have the absolute right to create new requirements for their workers. It also is considering mandating vaccinations for all federal workers.
The number of healthcare workers who remain unvaccinated varies from 20-30% but the majority of them are nursing home staff, nurses, and a few doctors who look after patients at risk for covid.
Photo taken from: Fortune
The key reason why some hospitals have avoided vaccine mandates is the fear of litigation or defection of staff. But with the Federal Court ruling for Methodist hospital in Texas, most hospitals have started to adopt the same approach. As usual, unions that represent nurses and other healthcare staff argue against vaccine mandates but provide no valid reasons.
However, outside of nurses, almost all healthcare workers including pharmacists, therapists, doctors, and healthcare leaders are encouraging vaccine mandates before the delta variant overwhelms the healthcare system. Similarly, most universities and colleges are also imposing vaccine mandates for their students.
An argument in favor of vaccination is that with millions of Americans already vaccinated, it is now known that the vaccines are very safe and should not be a reason for refusal.
Administration of the covid vaccine has not caused the sky to fall and the unvaccinated individuals should take note. With courts upholding vaccine mandates, the unvaccinated will have to make a choice – have a job or stay at home. The nation has run out of patience with these folks.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
New Vaccine Mandates Are Coming For Government Employees And Health Care Workers
Biden Weighs Vaccine Mandate for Federal Workers
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/us/politics/biden-vaccine-mandate-federal-workers.html
Covid vaccine mandates: is it time?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/us/politics/biden-vaccine-mandate-federal-workers.html
Israel Update
Israel Update
Foreign Policy Brief # 124 | By: Reilly Fitzgerald | July 22, 2021
Header photo taken from: Halal Watch World News
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Photo taken from: News Break
Policy Summary
[SSB theme=”Official” align=”center” counter=”true” ]
Early June saw the Israeli Parliament oust the former Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and replace him with a new coalition government and new Prime Minister. The new coalition government consists of nine differing political parties that were brought together in a loose alliance due to their shared displeasure of former PM Netanyahu. The parties are wide ranging in political beliefs from more conservative Jewish groups, to even including the Arabist Ra’am Party.
The election of the Coalition Government was a reaction to decreased public acceptance of the former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to the spring war with Gaza that killed numerous Palestinians. The coalition government was seen as a hopeful opportunity to reset Israeli public policy.; However, it was expected to be a huge challenge to govern with a coalition of such broad views.
The recent weeks have seen tensions rise again as the Knesset denied the new coalition government an opportunity to renew and extend a controversial law that would deny citizenship to thousands of Palestinians, married to Israeli citizens, their own Israeli citizenship status. The renewal of the law failed to pass via a 59-59 vote that saw members of the new coalition government vote against their own government; it saw members of the new Prime Minister’s Party vote against the Prime Minister; and saw the Ra’am Party split their votes in half with two voters against the law while two voters abstained.
This month also has seen Israel and Lebanon firing rockets at each other, technically a violation of spring ceasefire following the war with Hamas over Gaza. The past week also has seen an increase in tensions over Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream decision to ban sales of their product in Israeli occupied territories.
Israel and Lebanon have exchanged rocket fire this month for the first time since the ceasefire was instituted this spring following the war in Gaza. The exchange, it appears, was started by Lebanese militants who fired rockets into Israel. It is a solid reminder, to all parties involved in finding peace in the region, that the situation there is quite tense even with a ceasefire.
The Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av over a thousand Jewish citizens praying at the Temple Mount which has for recent history seen a ban on religious prayers at the site due to the contentious nature of it being a part of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Prime Minister Bennett took an interesting course of action when he applauded the Israeli security forces for “maintaining freedom of worship for Jews” on the Temple Mount during a recent Jewish holiday (which was later walked back by PM Naftali). Obviously, religion has often been a source of contention in the region; and the display of religion has been contentious for decades.
The Ra’am Party, the Israeli Islamist party mentioned earlier, loudly voiced criticism stating that the al-Aqsa Mosque (part of the Temple Mount site) was “solely the property of Muslims, and no one else has any right to it”. The Ra’am Party even threatened a potential “catastrophic religious war” due to the tensions this event could spark throughout the region. Neighboring countries have all voiced their displeasure and anger with Israel’s leadership to allow this to happen. The Jordanian Foreign Minister said “The Israeli actions against the mosque are unacceptable and condemnable. They represent a violation of the historical and legal status quo, international law, and Israel’s obligations as an occupying power in East Jerusalem”.
Policy Analysis
The new coalition government faces major challenges. Can it keep the diverse parties within it from splitting apart over political issues.The Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, needs to figure out a way to deal with the tensions of the region and the role they play on Israeli policy while also finding a way to keep the coalition intact without it imploding and sabotaging itself as was seen during the citizenship law vote.
Prime Minister Naftali has the unfortunate position of being caught between governing and political rivalries that pre-date his coalition. As noted previously in this brief, the coalition consists of nine different political parties all with their own agendas.
The coalition, clearly, does not share a consensus on a particular vision for moving Israel away from the days of Prime Minister Netanyahu. The clearest piece of policy that these parties share is the simple dislike of former PM Netanyahu, which is one of the major reasons that they were able to succeed him in the first place. The views range from the conservative Jewish Yemina Party (PM Naftali’s party) to the Ra’am Party (Arabist party) and everywhere in between.
Photo taken from: BBC
According to CNN, on July 6th, The Citizenship and Entry Into Israel Law was created in 2003. The government was worried that Palestinians (or other Muslims from outside of Israel) would marry into citizenship with the goal of carrying out terror attacks inside the country.
Citizenship for Palestinian spouses might also affect Israel’s desire to be identified as a Jewish state. Now that the Law has not been renewed (as it had been every year since 2003), the Interior Minister will have to review all cases related to Israeli citizenship.
The vote saw the coalition government splinter, not voting with any real consensus, as the nine parties all voted their own ways (some for, some against, and some abstaining); even members of the Prime Minister’s own party voted against the desire of the new Prime Minister.
Photo taken from: The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
According to the Atlantic, Ben and Jerry’s decision to end the sale of their ice cream in Israeli occupied territories is that “it’s symbolic … but symbolism is huge.” The decision does not change much in the everyday life of Israeli citizens or the Israeli government. However Israelis often feel that “criticism from abroad of their policies is anti-Israel, it’s anti-Zionist, and it’s anti-Jewish, or anti-Semitic.”
We also have started to see the internal problems that Ben and Jerry’s is creating within the United States for this decision with politicians (on the left and the right) taking positions either in support of or in criticism of Ben and Jerry’s. Some states, such as Texas, are going as far as proposing a ban on Ben and Jerry’s due to the company’s ban on sales in Israeli occupied territories.
The US State Department spokesman Ned Price said, on July 20th, that “we firmly reject the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement, which unfairly singles out Israel…. the United States will be a strong partner in fighting efforts around the world that potentially seek to delegitimize Israel and will work tirelessly to support Israel’s further integration into the international community.” However, the State Department still has not yet condemned Ben and Jerry, or commits to commenting on the actions of a private company.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
US State Department Press Briefings (https://www.state.gov/department-press-briefings/) –
The United States State Department Press Briefings page is updated every few days with official commentary from the State Department on issues taking place all over the world. The transcripts are provided for public consumption.