| | | | |  | | By Joe Gould, Robbie Gramer and Eric Bazail-Eimil | | 
Two former officials who resigned in protest from the Biden administration over U.S. support for Israel are attempting to convert anger about the White House’s handling of the conflict into campaign funding and political impact. | Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images | With help from Phelim Kine and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric The crisis in the Middle East may make waves in U.S. domestic politics well beyond this week’s election cycle. Two former officials who resigned in protest from the Biden administration over U.S. support for Israel are attempting to convert anger about the White House’s handling of the conflict into campaign funding and political impact. Former State Department official JOSH PAUL and former Education Department official TARIQ HABASH have founded a political action committee and lobbying organization aimed at reshaping U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine called "A New Policy.” Habash was the first Biden appointee to quit over U.S. support for Israel in the conflict. Paul resigned over the Biden administration's expedited arms transfers to Israel after it launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Their plan provides a window into how critics of the Biden approach are trying to translate that sentiment into political and policy changes. Tuesday’s vote isn’t likely to bring the change they’re seeking; KAMALA HARRIS hasn’t signaled how if at all she would alter JOE BIDEN's approach to the conflict and DONALD TRUMP could boost support to Israel further given his close ties to Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. It’s unclear how successful this new PAC could be, given how deeply rooted U.S. support for Israel is in American politics. Hundreds of U.S. officials have signed various letters protesting Israel’s policies and urging stronger U.S. pressure on Israel to halt the conflict in Gaza to little or no apparent effect on Biden’s stance on Israel. And only a small handful of people have publicly resigned in protest to that approach. Paul and Habash said their priorities include supporting candidates who back suspending arms transfers to Israel, Palestinian self-determination and ending U.S. backing for Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Paul said the current Congress doesn't reflect growing public support for some of these policies. “It’s clear we have a disconnect between the people and the politics," Paul said. The two plan to support candidates at the federal level, especially those open to rethinking U.S.-Israel relations, but they weren’t specific about who they would support, or who their donor base would be. They also launched the PAC just weeks before Election Day, though they said they want to build it up over multiple election cycles. Changing the decades-long political consensus around Israel in Washington is destined to be an uphill battle. Recent polls show around half of Republicans and Democrats still view Israel as an important ally or partner, though Democrats are becoming more skeptical of Israel ties overall. And congressional leadership on both sides are staunch backers of Israel, making it unlikely that changes within either caucus would translate overnight into policy changes. U.S. lawmakers critical of Israel faced well-funded primary challenges from candidates backed by the United Democracy Project, the independent expenditure arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and other deep-pocketed political groups that support strong U.S.-Israel ties this election cycle. Two leading progressive critics of U.S.-Israel policy, Reps. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-N.Y.) and CORI BUSH (D-Mo.), were defeated in their primaries. ”AIPAC and our 5 million grassroots members are proud to participate in the political process and send a clear message that being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics on both sides of the aisle,” AIPAC spokesperson MARSHALL WITTMANN said in an email to NatSec Daily. While they’re under no illusions they can outraise AIPAC and others, Paul does think their new PAC can punch above its weight class. “I think AIPAC’s shadow looms much longer than its actual form does,” Paul said. “Part of the reason for that is that there is no other presence, that there has been a void on the other side.”
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: All-Domain Deterrence, Now and for the Future
Lockheed Martin is leveraging advanced commercial technologies, such as artificial intelligence, edge computing and 5G.MIL® connectivity to meet the evolving challenges of a more complex battlespace. Learn more. | | | | | BIBI’S DOCS DRAMA: A leak scandal is roiling Israel, and illuminating thinly veiled tensions within the Israeli government over the future of the country’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and the wider region. As The New York Times’ ISABEL KERSHNER reports, a civilian with ties to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's government is under investigation for giving Israeli outlets highly classified documents. Among the documents leaked are ones explaining why Netanyahu urged for tougher conditions on Hamas during August cease-fire talks with the militant group. And they include documents tied to dubious reports in foreign papers about Hamas’ plans to smuggle the Israeli hostages that remain out of the enclave. The revelations are fueling further outrage among hostage families against Netanyahu, who they have accused of using their loved ones as political tools without having a real plan to end the war. The Netanyahu government has accused government prosecutors of conducting a selective investigation and has insisted the civilian had no access to classified information or sensitive discussions. RUSSIAN EXPLOSIVES ON PLANES? Russia is targeting cargo planes destined for the U.S. and Canada. Per The Wall Street Journal’s BOJAN PANCEVSKI, THOMAS GROVE and MAX COLCHESTER , Western officials believe that two incendiary devices found at DHL hubs in Germany and the United Kingdom were a Moscow-backed ploy to start fires on America and Canada-bound flights. TheIt revelation comes as the Kremlin steps up its hybrid warfare against its neighbors and continues sabotage campaigns against the U.S. and its allies. SANDU STICKS THE LANDING: Moldovan President MAIA SANDU eked out a narrow win in Sunday’s runoff presidential election, per our own GABRIEL GAVIN. Sandu defeated the more Moscow-friendly ALEXANDR STOIANOGLO in an election marked by accusations of aggressive efforts by the Kremlin to meddle in the country’s election and derail its integration with the European Union. IT’S MONDAY: 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 rgramer@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s global security team:@dave_brown24,@HeidiVogt,@RosiePerper,@nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @ErinBanco,@connorobrienNH,@paulmcleary,@reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @magmill95,@johnnysaks130, and @JGedeon1
| | TRUMP COURTS ARAB-AMERICAN VOTERS: The Trump campaign is making a concerted effort to convince Arab American voters in Michigan that Trump, not Harris, will achieve peace in the Middle East. As The New York Post’s GEORGE CALDWELL reports, former Trump administration director of national intelligence RIC GRENELL was in Dearborn, Michigan — the city with the largest proportion of Arab-Americans — alongside UFC fighters to woo voters to Trump’s side. In the key swing state, Grenell and the UFC fighters urged Dearborn residents to vote for Trump, part of an effort by the Trump campaign to court Arab-American voters who could be upset with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Middle East crisis. “We must have someone who does the hard work of digging in, meeting, listening and demanding peace,” Grenell said at the event with UFC fighters, held at a local Yemeni restaurant. Grenell, who also served as Trump’s ambassador to Germany, has emerged as one of the former president’s most influential advisers on foreign policy. He’s also widely believed to be a contender for top jobs in a second Trump administration such as secretary of State or national security adviser. It’s also not the first time Grenell went to Michigan to try and court the state’s Arab American voters for the Trump team. He did not respond to a request for comment on his trip. HOW TO WATCH THE ELECTION LIKE A POLITICO: About that big election tomorrow: If you’re eager to follow election updates but overwhelmed by the deluge of news, POLITICO has you covered. Check out POLITICO’s liveblog for the latest news and analysis on the U.S. elections from our ace team of reporters.
| | | |   | | | | | TAIWAN GETS ITS FIRST HIMARS: Taiwan’s military has added the coveted U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, to its arsenal, our own PHELIM KINE writes in. Taiwan received a first shipment of the systems last month and army personnel in the central part of the island have begun training with them, Taiwan state media reported Monday . The island has ordered 29 HIMARS, with the first 11 scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025. The acquisition is aimed at foiling a possible Chinese invasion of the self-governing island The delivery occurs as there is ongoing concern in Taiwan of a backlog of U.S. weapons valued at around $20 billion. HIMARS have a range of up to around 200 miles which will add a hefty defensive punch in the event of a Chinese attack on the island across the Taiwan Strait.
| | NEBRASKAN SURPRISE: Control of the Senate, and the gavels of the Senate Armed Services Committee, could come down to … Nebraska? Sen. DEB FISCHER (R-Neb.) is facing a stronger-than-expected challenge from independent candidate DAN OSBORN . The Navy vet, tapping into a populist message in the state, is running within single digits of his two-term Republican opponent in the long Republican-dominated state. An Osborn victory could thwart Republican hopes of holding a majority in the Senate, especially if Harris wins the presidency (a Vice President TIM WALZ can break any ties in an evenly-divided Senate) and Democrats can convince the independent to caucus with them. As our friends at Morning Defense wrote this morning (for Pros!), a Fischer loss could have direct effects on the future of key programs. Fischer is the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee and has reliably pushed for more defense spending and support for nuclear modernization. Osborn, meanwhile, has voiced concern about the size of the Pentagon’s budget.
| | | | GOOGLE’S OOPS MOMENT: Ukraine is livid that Google Maps was recently displaying the locations of Ukrainian military facilities. As our own SEB STARCEVIC reports , the latest update of Google Maps, released Oct. 31, initially featured the locations of sensitive Ukrainian military locations. As of today, those facilities are no longer visible. Ukrainian military officials warn that Russia already took advantage of the lapse. Per ANDRIY KOVALENKO, head of the disinformation-countering branch of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Moscow has already started “actively distributing” the sensitive images. “Imagine the situation. Google displays updated images on the maps showing the location of our military systems,” Kovalenko said. “What is wrong with this world?” Kovalenko did not specify which facilities were featured in the update. "Google Maps, like other mapping applications, uses satellite imagery that comes from a range of providers, including public, government, and commercial sources,” the company said in a statement. We can confirm that we’re in touch with Ukrainian officials to review requests in accordance with our global policies and local law."
| | | | — ELIZABETH HASCHER has been promoted to be a senior protocol officer at the Department of State. — MARTA YOUTH is now acting assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. She most recently was principal deputy assistant secretary for the bureau. — MICHELE IVERSEN joined The Chertoff Group as principal and head of geopolitical and regulatory risk in the Strategic Advisory Services business. She served as the Defense Department’s director of risk assessment and operational integration. — ELIZABETH HOFFMAN joined the BONO -founded ONE Campaign as its new executive director for North America. Hoffman joins the anti-poverty and anti-preventable disease advocacy group from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she was their director of congressional and government affairs. — JASON KEMP was named resident inspector at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (yes, that Los Alamos), where he will advise the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board on overall conditions of the lab’s defense nuclear facilities and participate in technical reviews. Kemp has spent the last 20 years working for both the Department of Energy and the commercial nuclear power industry.
| | | | — NAHAL TOOSI, POLITICO: Why the next president should pay heed to the Republic of Z — TIM ROSS, CLEA CAULCUTT, JÜRGEN KLÖCKNER and HANNAH ROBERTS, POLITICO: Europe’s Trumpian nightmare — RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs: The perfect has become the enemy of the good in Ukraine — American Foreign Policy Council: Priorities for the next president — ANDRE PAGLIARINI, Foreign Policy: Could Lula and Trump get along?
| | | | — Center for Strategic and International Studies' Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project, 10 a.m.: “From Military Service to Leading Veterans Affairs," as part of the Driving Impact series Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who should face a well-funded challenger to her editorship. Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who we would back if he ever chose to primary Heidi. CORRECTION: Friday’s newsletter initially mischaracterized the Biden administration's previously stated position on future oil sanctions against Venezuela.
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We’re enhancing our platform-centric business with a network-centric model for cross-domain interconnectivity and interoperability. From space to cyberspace, air, sea and ground – Lockheed Martin is leading the mission-centric approach. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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