Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions. |
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Netanyahu’s pardon appeal & Israel’s coming elections Q. Already? Knesset elections are not mandated until November 2026, a year from now. A. Yes, but they are almost certain to be held months earlier. And already Israeli politics, and in many ways strategic decision-making, are interacting with the anticipation of elections. So thinking now about elections also offers insights into current strategic calculations in Israel. Q. Particularly regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s official request on Sunday, with President Trump’s endorsement, for a pardon from President Isaac Herzog… A. The language of the request appears to reflect an assumption on Netanyahu’s part that the pardon, if awarded, will not prevent him from remaining active in politics. This would be an extraordinary development, but in Israel’s current reality it is possible. (If this is not the case--if Netanyahu is pardoned but as a condition mandated by law acknowledges responsibility for violations of the law and abandons politics--the following analysis will have to be reconsidered.) |
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Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. |
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Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions. |
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Legislative Round-Up, November 28, 2025
1. Bills & Resolutions (ANTISEMITISM – FOR SURE TO MEAN CRITICISM OF ISRAEL/PROTESTS FOR PALESTINIAN LIVES/RIGHTS & TO STOKE ISLAMOPHOBIA – IN EUROPE) HR 6297: Introduced 11/25/25 by Fine (R-FL) and Miller (R-OH), the “Protecting Europe from Antisemitic Crime and Extremism Act” aka the “PEACE Act.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Media coverage (etc.) of bills/resolutions covered previously in the Round-Up: - [S. 3273, covered in last week’s Round-Up] Budd (R-NC) press release 11/24/25: New Budd Bill Would Hold Mamdani, Municipalities Accountable Following Threats To Enforce International Criminal Court Arrest Warrants. Also see Budd X-thread 11/24/25: “Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s pledge to facilitate the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu is not just ridiculous; it represents a grave threat that could seriously damage America’s relationship with our closest allies and partners. The United States is not bound by the morally bankrupt ICC or the Rome Statute, displaying that Mamdani’s comments aren’t based in respect for any law, but rather to virtue signal to his radical, anti-Israel base. Seeking to prevent Prime Minister Netanyahu from setting foot in New York, home to the United Nations, would put Israel at a unique disadvantage at a critical time for the nation ahead of the next meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. It is unconscionable that the man elected to lead the city home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel would seek to target Israel’s leader, and Congress must take action to hold any leader accountable should they pursue this blatant overreach. My American Allies Protection Act would disqualify any state or municipality from receiving Justice Department funds should they take action that would harm America’s standing with our allies by throwing their governments into complete chaos.” Also see: Bill would pause federal funding to state, local govts enforcing ICC warrants against US allies (Jewis News Syndicate 11/26/25)
- [HR 6186, covered in last week’s Round-Up] Fine (R-FL) 11/25/25: X-article entitled “Congressman Fine Introduces the No Antisemitism in Education Act” [“Last week, Congressman Randy Fine introduced the No Antisemitism in Education Act, landmark legislation modeled directly on the bipartisan law he passed in Florida and built upon the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, the global gold standard used by the U.S. State Department and every major Jewish organization…”]. Also see: US Rep. Randy Fine Unveils New Legislation Aimed at Cracking Down on Campus Antisemitism (The Algemeiner 11/27/25)
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