In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with FMEP President Lara Friedman about the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress is currently deliberating. Lara & Peter discuss what the NDAA is as well as how new legislation could undermine efforts to end U.S. military aid to Israel. Lara Friedman publishes a comprehensive review and analysis of Middle East-related developments on Capitol Hill every week that Congress is in session and has been following the developments with the NDAA very closely. In her June 19, 2026 discussion of the NDAA (and other bills), Lara wrote: "A clear through-line connecting all of these bills and lists of amendments is the effort in Congress to use every available legislative vehicle as an engine to expand/deepen US-Israeli military cooperation, coordination, operations, inter-operability/inter-dependence, procurements, and integration — in a manner that will be very difficult for any future Congress or president to unwind. Together these measures seek to codify the transformation of Israel from a foreign state that enjoys US support & aid, into an actor whose interests, prerogatives, and entitlements are enmeshed, by law, with those of the US, such that Israel is legally woven into the fabric of U.S. national security apparatus functions — where its position will not only be less vulnerable to changing political tides (compared to today), but also even less transparent and accountable." 

For more, see Lara's weekly Legislative Round-up, especially from June 19th, 2026 and June 26th, 2026: https://fmep.org/resources/?rsearch=&rcat%5B%5D=345

Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNOW Political Commentator. His newest book (published 2025) is Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning. He publishes regularly on https://peterbeinart.substack.com/.

Lara Friedman is the president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Previously, she was the Director of Policy and Government Relations at Americans for Peace Now, and before that she was a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, serving in Jerusalem, Washington, Tunis, and Beirut. Lara is a leading authority on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Follow her on Substack: https://substack.com/@larafriedmandc

Original music by Jalal Yaquob.