|
| | | |  |
| By Eric Bazail-Eimil and Robbie Gramer | |
 It’s clear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing considerable pressure from his right flank. | Pool photo by Debbie Hill |
With help from Daniel Lippman, Ali Bianco and Nahal Toosi Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric It’s been a full day since Qatar and the United States announced a cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. But Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU still has not said his government will back the deal. A vote of the Israeli Cabinet to officially approve the deal, scheduled for today, was pushed back, per Netanyahu’s office. Officially, Netanyahu and his government are pointing the finger at Hamas, accusing them of making last-minute demands. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations DANNY DANON told CNN this morning that Hamas is “trying to blackmail at the last minute things that were not agreed upon.” A senior U.S. administration official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said in response to our questions on this that the Biden team fully expects Israel to agree to the deal it time for it to go into effect Sunday. “This is effectively a done deal, they’re just working through last-minute issues,” the official said.
Neither Danon nor Netanyahu have specified what the snag actually amounts to in Doha, though it seems to stem from the fact that Hamas wants Israel to publicly disclose the names of Palestinian prisoners it will release. Unofficially, it’s clear Netanyahu is facing considerable pressure from his right flank. Firebrand National Security Minister ITAMAR BEN-GVIR has vowed to sink the prospective deal (as he apparently has done in the past). Hundreds of far-right Israelis rallied in Jerusalem today decrying the deal as “blasphemous” and accusing the government of sowing the seeds for future bloodshed with the deal. Biden officials apparently aren’t fretting over these final overtures. “It’s not entirely surprising that in a process and a negotiation that has been this challenging and this fraught, you may get a loose end,” Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN told reporters today. “We’re tying that loose end up as we speak … I’m very confident that this is moving forward.” That said, they’re not ignoring the possible implications if a deal collapses because of the internal politics within the Israeli government. Hostages in Hamas captivity will remain at risk of dying from starvation, disease and violence at the hands of Hamas fighters (or dying as a result of Israeli airstrikes). The humanitarian situation in Gaza will also only likely deteriorate further.
Many Israelis will be angry with Netanyahu if the deal collapses and the hostages remain captive, something the prime minister likely knows as well. And it’s looking unlikely that a deal to release the hostages can be separated from a cease-fire at this point. All the while, Israel is continuing its assault on the war-torn enclave, much like it did ahead of the Lebanon cease-fire taking effect. After news of the cease-fire deal broke, Israel carried out strikes in Gaza that reportedly killed 77 people.
| |
SUDAN LEADER SANCTIONS: The Biden administration rolled out sanctions against ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN, the leader of Sudan and its army chief, in one of its final foreign policy acts before leaving office. Administration officials have deliberated in internal meetings on reports that the Sudanese army has used chemical weapons in the course of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, according to three officials familiar with the matter. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on this, as did the Sudanese embassy in Washington.
The sanctions come just a week after the Biden administration accused a Sudanese paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, of committing genocide in Sudan in its fight against government forces. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Sen. JIM RISCH (R-Idaho), said while the initiatives themselves are much-needed, rushing them out right before leaving office is a bad look. “It is shameful that the Biden administration waited to take this action until its second to last working day in office. This action is a footnote to a completely failed policy toward Sudan ,” he told NatSec Daily in a statement. “ TIKTOK TO REDNOTE: Gen Z is not happy about the coming TikTok ban. As our own PHELIM KINE wrote in today’s China Watcher newsletter, Rednote, an app also owned by ByteDance, is gaining in popularity among younger U.S. users, despite indications the app shares extensive user data with China. That’s horrifying China hawks on Capitol Hill, who see it as more evidence that the U.S. is failing to stem Beijing’s ability to harvest data in the United States through popular social media apps. Lawmakers are wrestling with what to do with TikTok’s a statutorily mandated ban looms and both the Trump and Biden teams have backed away from their initial support for eliminating the app. Some Democratic lawmakers are pushing for the Biden administration to pause enforcement before President-elect DONALD TRUMP takes office. IT’S THURSDAY: 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, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, and @johnnysaks130
| |
FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — TRUMP’S ECON PICKS: Another senior Republican congressional aide is joining the Trump National Security Council, three people told Robbie and our own DANIEL LIPPMAN. NELS NORDQUIST, who covered national security issues on the House Financial Services Committee, is expected to join the Trump NSC as a senior director for international economics. Norquist declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for the Trump transition team. TRUMP’S AIR FORCE PICK: Trump is expected to tap TROY MEINK, the principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office intelligence agency, as his pick to be secretary of the Air Force, as Aviation Week’s BRIAN EVERSTINE and STEVE TRIMBLE scoop. BIDEN’S (FINAL) PARTING WORDS: President JOE BIDEN addressed the nation for the last time as president Wednesday night, issuing a stark warning from the Oval Office about the state of democracy in the face of a growing tech “oligarchy.” Biden joins a chorus of center-left leaders around the world who in recent weeks have warned about the burgeoning influence of tech moguls on their countries’ politics. Australian Prime Minister ANTHONY ALBANESE and British Prime MInister KEIR STARMER have in particular focused on tech mogul and Trump ally ELON MUSK, who has boosted the right-wing U.K. Reform Party and pontificated on their countries’ politics on social media. It was a stark contrast to the brief, but more jubilant, remarks Biden delivered alongside Vice President KAMALA HARRIS and Blinken earlier Wednesday to announce the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Biden did acknowledge the cease-fire in his remarks from the Oval Office.
| | A FINAL CYBER ORDER: Biden will sign an executive order today with a slew of new initiatives aimed at boosting the nation’s cybersecurity, our own MAGGIE MILLER reports (for Pros!). The executive order will include plans to sharpen U.S. sanctions imposed on hackers and step up the security of technology used by federal agencies. “The goal is to make it costlier and harder for China, Russia, Iran and ransomware criminals to hack,” said ANNE NEUBERGER, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology. “It puts us on our front foot.”
| | CRAWFORD’S CLIMB, TURNER’S TUMBLE: House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON is expected to tap Arkansas Republican Rep. RICK CRAWFORD to chair the House Intelligence Committee, our colleagues MEREDITH LEE HILL and RACHAEL BADE report. It follows Johnson’s decision to remove House Intelligence Committee Chair MIKE TURNER (R-Ohio) from the helm of the powerful and selective committee, as our colleagues DANIELLA DIAZ and Meredith reported Wednesday night. Turner had frustrated more right-leaning members over his handling last year of the FISA reauthorization bill. He also angered others when he raised alarms over a Russian space weapon last year. So what to make of the new leader of the House Intelligence Committee? Compared with Turner, who is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and the NATO alliance, Crawford has decidedly more MAGA bonafides. He voted against Ukraine aid last year. Crawford’s new Democratic counterpart, Rep. JIM HIMES (D-Conn.) said on CNN today that “I know and like Rick Crawford. And, you know, my job is to do my job. And so regardless of who the chair is, I will be committed to robust oversight. “I would hope that Rick Crawford would understand that constitutionally, that's what we do here and that he would be a partner in that,” Himes continued. “But if he's not a partner in that, I'm still going to do what I need to do.”
| |
| |
BLINKEN’S PEANUT GALLERY: As Blinken spoke to reporters at today’s press briefing, he was repeatedly interrupted by accusations from inside the press corps that he and his staff have been complicit in genocide in Gaza. "You waved the white flag before Netanyahu!" yelled blogger MAX BLUMENTHAL. Blumenthal is credentialed by the State Department and runs a site accused of downplaying human rights abuses by China, Russia and former Syrian dictator BASHAR ASSAD. "How does it feel to have your legacy be genocide!" Blogger SAM HUSSEINI, who like Blumenthal is credentialed to cover the State Department, was also removed from the room for similar heckling. Blinken’s response? “Please sir, respect the process,” and “thank you,” he said, before returning to his speech. Protests at public speeches and hearings are nothing new, but interruptions and heckling in the State Department press briefing room is extremely rare. (Robbie can’t recall a time that’s ever happened in eight years of watching State Department press briefings.)
| |
— JACOB LEW, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Israel, is rejoining the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs faculty as a professor of international and public affairs in January. He will teach graduate students and serve as faculty policy director at SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics on diplomacy, geopolitical stability, international economics, fiscal and trade policy and a range of other public policy issues. — WestExec Advisors has named retired Gen. MARK KELLY and retired Gen. GLEN VANHERCK as principals. Kelly previously was commander of Air Combat Command. VanHerck previously was commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. — JOHN NKENGASONG, the coordinator of America’s biggest global health program overseeing efforts to fight HIV and AIDS globally, will leave the State Department and join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as our own CARMEN PAUN scoops. — MORGAN GRESS is joining the venture capital firm a16z as communications partner in its D.C. office. She was previously the head of U.S. government communications at Palantir. — H.A. HELLYER joined the Center for American Progress as senior fellow for geopolitics and security studies. He has been affiliated with the U.K. Royal Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. — The Nuclear Threat Initiative announced that it will launch a new program focusing on the opportunities associated with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies led by DIMITRI KUSNEZOV. KUSNEZOV served as undersecretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security.
| | — KAMAL CHOMANI, New Lines Magazine: Iraq offers lessons and warnings for a new Syria — JACOB STOKES, Foreign Policy: China is just fine with North Korean troops in Ukraine — JORDAN SCHNEIDER and LILY OTTINGER, China Talk: Amb. Burns reflects from Beijing
| |
— Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9:30 a.m.: South Korea’s political crisis — Atlantic Council, 10 a.m.: What to watch in the Western Balkans in 2025 — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 11 a.m.: "Disability Inclusion in Foreign Policy” with State Department Special Adviser on International Disability Rights SARA MINKARA — Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 11 a.m.: Gaza ceasefire: Implications for Israel, Hamas, and U.S. policy Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who Speaker Johnson should remove from her position. Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who Speaker Johnson should appoint to replace Heidi. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us
| | | | |
