 PRESSURING THE HOUTHISBipartisan lineup of lawmakers demand Houthis get redesignated as a terrorist group Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu via Getty Images After Tel Aviv attack. Biden administration declined to comment whether they’re reconsidering tougher penalties against the HouthisBy Gabby Deutch, Marc Rod, Emily Jacobs An Iranian-made drone fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels exploded in Tel Aviv early Friday morning, killing one person down the street from a branch of the U.S. embassy. The attack — which marked the first Israeli casualty amid numerous Houthi drones fired at Israel in recent months — and its proximity to an American diplomatic building reopened a debate in Washington about how the State Department should classify the Iran-backed militant group, and whether the U.S. should adopt a tougher line. Several lawmakers on Friday called on the State Department to designate the Houthis a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a formal category that would make it easier for the U.S. to target and sanction them. Former President Donald Trump had added the Houthis to the FTO list, a decision President Joe Biden revoked soon after taking office, arguing that deeming the Houthis a terrorist organization would make it harder for humanitarian aid to reach Yemenis in need. “The deadly drone strike on Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis near the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv is deeply concerning and unprecedented. It’s a grim reminder that the Houthis are a brutal terrorist organization that must be held accountable,” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) told Jewish Insider in a statement. “Earlier this year I called on the Biden Administration to formally designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization so we can fully crack down on their sources of arms and funding, and this latest attack makes it clear that we cannot afford to wait any longer.” You May Have MissedPOST-HASTEWashington Post under fire for story ‘scolding the parents of a hostage’Post piece appears to criticize Ronen and Orna Neutra, who addressed the RNC this week, for not mentioning civilian deaths in Gaza; paper deletes tweet plugging the story Read more...SIGHTS ON SHAPIROJewish Democrats cautiously cheer a potential Josh Shapiro ticketAs Biden faces pressure to step aside, Jewish Democrats regard the possibility of Shapiro serving as president or vice president with excitement — and a dash of trepidation, especially given today's charged climate of rising antisemitism in the wake of Oct. 7 and the Gaza war.        |
7.19.2024
Bipartisan lineup of lawmakers demand Houthis get redesignated as a terrorist group
