| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg, Joseph Gedeon and Eric Bazail-Eimil | |  Mustafa Barghouti, a physician and general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, said he’s been making the argument across Washington that the U.S. has a “double standard” for the Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars. | Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images | With help from Miles J. Herszenhorn, Phelim Kine and Connor O’Brien Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric While all eyes were on the NATO summit this week, a prominent Palestinian politician met with top lawmakers on Capitol Hill to plead his case: The U.S. needs to change its policy toward Israel if it wants to make a difference in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Sitting in the Eaton DC hotel with NatSec Daily, MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, a physician and general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative — a West Bank-based political party that opposes the Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories — said he’s been making the argument across Washington that the U.S. has a “double standard” for the Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars. “Nobody will be convinced with what you do when you impose [thousands of] sanctions on Russia in less than two months and not only not sanction Israel, but support Israel,” said Barghouti, who is also on the Palestinian Central Council, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s main decision-making body. He added: “Each country in NATO should understand that this is what is perceived worldwide as a terrible double standard.” The Biden administration has rejected any comparison between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s military operation in Gaza, noting that Israel was provoked by the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. But Israel’s method of fighting back has increasingly sparked criticism in the U.S. and with other allies — with Israel being accused of war crimes by world leaders and causing some 38,000 civilian deaths since October. Earlier this year, President JOE BIDEN sanctioned individual Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have attacked Palestinians there, following pressure from some Democratic lawmakers to be tougher on Israel. Barghouti said Washington isn’t targeting the main facilitators of violence in the area: far-right politicians national security minister ITAMAR BEN-GVIR and Finance Minister BEZALEL SMOTRICH, who he calls "the real governor of the West Bank." Spokespeople for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich didn’t respond to a request for comment. Barghouti met this week with Sens. BERNIE SANDERS (D-Vt.) and CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.), as well as Reps. SUMMER LEE (D-Penn.), RASHIDA TLAIB (D-Mich.) and JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) to press his case. He discussed Israel’s latest operation in Gaza City, which has forced thousands of residents out, as well as the need for the U.S. and the international community to hold Israel accountable. “It is important that we listen to a range of Palestinian voices,” Van Hollen told NatSec Daily, adding that “it’s critical that we continue working toward a viable and irreversible two-state solution.” Other offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the meetings. Barghouti’s audience in Washington was limited, likely because of his firm belief that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and needs to be stopped immediately — a view opposed by Republican lawmakers and most Democrats. He’s an influential voice in Palestinian politics, having previously run for president of the Palestinian National Authority, leading the PNI since 2002, and having influenced PLO policy for years. In the past year and a half, “you see a process of land appropriation and annexation … that makes the creation of a Palestinian state impossible” in the West Bank, Barghouti said. “If the American administration is serious about a two-state solution, they would at least force Israel to stop settlement.” Barghouti’s visit coincides with cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas, which could see a breakthrough in the coming days. On Thursday, President JOE BIDEN said a cease-fire deal “framework is now agreed on by both Israel and Hamas,” without providing details of the obstacles that remain. National security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN tempered expectations the same day, telling reporters that there are “still miles to go before we close, if we are able to close.” While there are few signs that Israel’s military operation is winding down, Barghouti still sees hope for the independent Palestinian statehood cause, pointing to Norway, Spain and Ireland recently recognizing a Palestinian state. “That means there is a shift in the world, which I hope will go further,” he said.
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | | | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — REQUEST REJECTED: Ukrainian leaders walked away frustrated after Biden waved off their latest request to lift restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia, people familiar with the conversation told our own ALEX WARD and Matt. Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY brought up the issue toward the end of the bilateral discussion on Thursday as the NATO summit came to a close, leading Biden to say both sides should keep talking, according to three people familiar. That didn't close the door to eventually lifting the restrictions, but it was still far from a “yes,” the people said. Zelenskyy and ANDRIY YERMAK, his chief of staff, were extremely disappointed after the conversation, a person familiar with the matter said. “The feeling is always the same: They will lift restrictions eventually, but some people have to die first. It seems like destroying a children’s hospital is not enough,” said the person, who like others was granted anonymity to discuss the private meeting. Biden addressed how he responded to Zelenskyy during his high-profile news conference Thursday night: “If he had the capacity to strike Moscow, strike the Kremlin, would that make sense? It wouldn't,” Biden said, even though the U.S. has not transferred any weapons to Ukraine that put the Russian capital in range. CEASE-FIRE SURVEILLANCE: Israeli and Egyptian negotiators are discussing a possible electronic surveillance system along the Egypt-Gaza border that would ease Israeli concerns about Hamas smuggling weapons during a cease-fire. As Reuters’ AHMED MOHAMED HASSAN and MAAYAN LUBELL report, the question of whether Israeli troops would stay on the border, which Israel calls the Philadelphi corridor, is a main sticking point in negotiations. Israel is worried that Hamas could rearm themselves by smuggling in weapons from Egypt via tunnels. “A surveillance system, if the parties to the negotiations agree on the details, could therefore smooth the path to agreeing a ceasefire — though numerous other stumbling blocks remain,” the outlet writes. MOSCOW ‘MEAT ASSAULTS’: Russia has seen more than 70,000 soldiers likely killed or wounded in May and June, the U.K. defense ministry said today. That would be its highest rate of casualties during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine so far, our own VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA reports. The rate is tied to Moscow opening its new front in the Kharkiv region while maintaining the pressure over the entire 620-mile front line in the east and south of Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement. Russia's casualties will likely continue at a similar rate over the next two months, the defense ministry predicted, as Russia continues to try to overmatch Ukrainian positions with mass. Ukrainian soldiers have described Russia’s tactic of sending high numbers of poorly equipped troops into battle as “meat assaults.” WORSENING CRISIS IN CONGO: The intensifying conflict in Congo could put as many as a million children at risk of acute malnutrition, reports Reuters’ EMMA FARGE. Officials with the World Health Organization warn that raging fighting in eastern provinces near Congo’s border with Rwanda, coupled with landslides and severe flooding, is exacerbating existing humanitarian needs. At least 25 million people in the country need humanitarian assistance. Children in the east, as well as the central Kasai provinces, are at the most risk. "The acute malnutrition is a result of widespread, increasing and also recurrent food insecurity in the areas that have seen conflict for years and decades now but where we now very recently see an escalation," the World Health Organization's Senior Emergency Officer ADELHEID MARSCHANG told reporters in Geneva today. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring PÅL JONSON, the Swedish defense minister who chatted with Matt about space tech on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Like so many of us in the United States, “I drink too much Coke. Unfortunately, I'm terribly addicted to Coke,” he said, specifying that he sticks to diet. That bubbly libation may fuel Sweden’s top defense official’s body, but farming feeds Jonson’s soul: “I'm a third-generation farmer. I love spending time at the farm,” he said. “Unfortunately, compared to my father and my grandfather, I'm not a practical person. All the handiwork at that farm takes twice as long for me as a normal person.” That’s OK, it’s not a race! What matters is reconnecting with Mother Nature once in a while — something we desperately need to do after this long week. Skål, defense minister! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33 and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @alexbward, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @JGedeon1 and @mherszenhorn.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Advancing NATO deterrence with 21st Century Security®
NATO deterrence is strongest when allies work as one force. Lockheed Martin enables NATO interoperability with defense tech solutions that connect allies across domains. Learn more. | | | | | ‘PRESIDENT PUTIN,’ AND OTHER GAFFES: We all cringed when Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY as his Russian nemesis during Thursday night’s presser, but mix-ups happen. Our colleagues across the sea put together a blooper list of similar slips for your entertainment. Read: ‘OMFG’: Biden’s mistakes push shocked U.S. allies toward Trump by our own STUART LAU, STEFAN BOSCIA, EMILIO CASALICCHIO, NETTE NÖSTLINGER and TIM ROSS PASSING THE BUCK: Hungarian Prime Minister VIKTOR ORBÁN has an idea to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine: Let DONALD TRUMP handle it. Orbán’s latest stop on the peace-making mission that no one in NATO asked for brought him to Mar-a-Lago on Thursday for a meeting with the presumptive Republican nominee. While the two men are keeping mostly mum on the discussions, Orbán did tweet out his takeaway late Thursday: “We discussed ways to make peace … The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!”
| | BRUSSELS SWATS AT MUSK: The European Union charged tech mogul ELON MUSK under its new social media law, accusing the billionaire of letting disinformation flourish on X, our own CLOTHILDE GOUJARD reports. The platform could face a sweeping multi-million dollar fine under Europe’s new Digital Services Act, which targets toxic online content and algorithms. The European Commission is particularly frustrated by X’s verification policy that allows anyone to purchase a “blue check,” which it says has been abused by malicious actors, and Musk’s decision to bar external researchers from scrutinizing advertising data and the spread of malicious content on the platform. It’s the latest row between Brussels and X, which has been a target of European officials since Musk purchased it in 2022. Musk has been accused of allowing hate speech and disinformation to spread on the platform with little punishment. Musk posted on X that “we look forward to a very public battle in court, so that the people of Europe can know the truth.”
| | PRIVET, SECRETARY: Russian Defense Minister ANDREI BELOUSOV called his American counterpart Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN today to discuss “preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation,” according to a readout of the call from the Russian Defense Ministry. The call marked Austin’s second conversation with Belousov in less than one month. Before Austin initiated a call with Belousov in late June, they had not spoken in more than a year. “The secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesperson SABRINA SINGH told reporters. NO MORE FREE MEALS: Japan took disciplinary action against more than 200 Japanese senior defense officials and service members for the mishandling of classified materials and other misconduct, Tokyo’s defense ministry announced today. Allegations include that members violated sensitive information protection law, falsely claimed allowances for special assignments, and wrongfully claimed free meals at base cafeterias, The Associated Press’ MARI YAMAGUCHI reports. Defense Minister MINORU KIHARA apologized for the members’ actions, saying they are “significantly damaging to the public trust.” Kihara’s statement hits the nail on the head: Tokyo has been trying to shore up ties with the U.S. and other countries on defense as threats from China grow, and partners may think twice about the level of cooperation with a ministry that has, as Kihara added, a lack of discipline.
| | | |   | | | | | GOP SUBPOENA: The House Homeland Security Committee subpoenaed members of the Department of Homeland Security to get more info about immigrants who have crossed the southern border with potential ties to terrorist organizations, NBC News’ JULIA AINSLEY reports. CONGRESSIONAL KLEPTO PUSH: Sens. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-R.I.) and JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) unveiled their bipartisan bill to create a National Security Council post dedicated to fighting foreign corruption and kleptocracy. The bill requires the president to designate an NSC officer as the point person for coordinating and deconflicting efforts across the government to combat corruption and kleptocracy. With little major legislation expected to get done before the election, the pair may be banking on bipartisan defense legislation to get it across the finish line, noting in their statement that they’ve filed similar language as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act in each of the last two years. In a statement, Whitehouse stressed the need for a "permanent, steady hand" to strengthen the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts. “Russia, China, Iran and other rogue regimes use corruption and kleptocracy to tear down democracy and fuel global conflict,” Cornyn added. “This legislation would streamline our nation’s efforts to sniff out corruption abroad and hold bad actors accountable.”
| | BEIJING STOMPS ON STOLTY: China’s Foreign Ministry clapped back at NATO Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG’s sharp criticism this week of Beijing’s support for Russia’s war on Ukraine, calling the comments “clumsy stunts,” our own PHELIM KINE writes in. Stoltenberg is a “politician whose political life is approaching an end,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson LIN JIAN today. The outgoing NATO chief “has been playing up the ‘China threat’ narrative and inciting suspicion about China,” Lin added. That screed was a response to Stoltenberg accusing China during the NATO summit of wanting the alliance’s efforts to support Ukraine “to fail” and warning that Beijing’s alignment with Moscow “will impact China’s interests.” THAT’S GONNA BE A NO FROM XI, DAWG: There’s a new point of contention in the U.S.-China relationship: American Idol star ADAM LAMBERT. The vocal powerhouse recently appeared on a Eurovision-style Chinese singing competition and showed up many Chinese contestants, many of whom lip-sync instead. Even though the purpose of the competition is to promote cultural understanding and strengthen ties, “that ambition sometimes goes awry and even a music show can turn into a geopolitical showdown between East and West,” The Washington Post’s LYRIC LI writes. IF LOOKS COULD KILL: Italian Prime Minister GIORGIA MELONI, already noted for her expressive reactions, let her poker face down when she saw Orbán at the NATO summit.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | | | — VALERIY ZALUZHNY, Ukraine’s former highest-ranking general, began his new role as Kyiv’s ambassador to the United Kingdom today. — Nepalese Prime Minister PUSHPA KAMAL DAHAL will step down after losing a vote of no confidence in the Himalayan country’s parliament. — JOSHUA COHEN is now director of communications at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. He most recently was senior adviser and speechwriter for undersecretaries VICTORIA NULAND and JOHN BASS at the State Department, and is a Pentagon and Capitol Hill alum.
| | — ELISABETH BRAW, POLITICO: Do a good deed for your country — stay home — TOM BALMFORTH, JOHN IRISH and MAX HUNDER, Reuters: Being Volodymyr Zelenskyy: How war has changed Ukraine's leader — ALI VAEZ, Foreign Policy Will Pezeshkian’s win lead to a thaw in U.S.-Iran relations?
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Advancing NATO deterrence with 21st Century Security®
For 75 years, Lockheed Martin has been a trusted partner to NATO, keeping allies ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | — FiscalNote Global Intelligence, 10 a.m.: France: Navigating political gridlock. — The Brookings Institution, 10 a.m.: How advanced technologies are reshaping manufacturing. — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: Potential scenarios for Venezuela's elections. — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, 10 a.m.: How the Air Force is working to ensure its capabilities remain ready both today and in the future. — The Wilson Center, 11 a.m.: Unlocking green hydrogen development in South America. — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1:30 p.m.: Artificial Intelligence transformation at the DOD. — Brookings Institution, 2:30 p.m.: Putting technology to work for inclusive prosperity: Challenges for public policy. Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, whose singing is so bad that it would restore U.S.-China relations. Thanks to our producer, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, who would put Adam Lambert to shame. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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