The Midweek Pulse Check – 9/17

A UN Independent International Commission found Israel Responsible for Genocide in Gaza

The UN Human Rights Council established the “Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel” in 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations. The commission published their findings on “the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” on September 16th.

Critically, the commission found that “Israeli authorities have (i) destroyed in part the reproductive capacity of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group, including by imposing measures intended to prevent births; and (ii) deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians as a group, both of which are underlying acts of genocide in the Rome Statute and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”).”

The Federal Reserve meets this week amid market speculation of a rate cut

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which meets eight times per year, is set to meet this week and announce its monetary policy on the 17th. The market widely anticipates the committee to announce a cut of 25 basis points to the target rate, which would be the first cut in 2025. The decision comes amid significant political pressure from the Trump administration, which has engaged in a pressure campaign on the Chairman, Jerome Powell, and more recently has pursued legal action to fire board member Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud.

A rate cut would be a win for the administration, which has criticized Powell and the FOMC of being “too late” in its decisions regarding monetary policy. Already the administration has clinched a related win with the confirmation of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board on Monday.

Judge Dismisses Terrorism Charges against Luigi Mangione, leaving Murder charges

The judge ruled that the terror charges could not be qualified solely by ideological motivation, as such charges would require intent to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population‘ or to ‘influence or affect government policy by intimidation or coercion.’ The defense had argued that applying the statue in the case would “trivialize and redefine” the definition of terrorism.

This comes months after the shooting Luigi is alleged to have committed, where the bullets had “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written on them. The parallels are striking to the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, where the bullet casings used by the assassin were also engraved, this time with a variety of references and symbolism.

There have been a string of high profile assassinations since December’s killing of the United Healthcare President. Two Israeli diplomats in DC were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in May; a Minnesota state representative and her Husband were killed in their home in June; and Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a college event in Utah in September.

Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Leaves Over Social Activism Disagreements with Parent Company Unilever

Jerry Greenfield, of the eponymous “Ben & Jerry’s” ice cream brand, made the announcement via a public letter, stating that he could “no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s.” Unilever acquired the company in 2000 for $326 million, agreeing to an independent chair and board to help the brand continue its social activities as it had since its founding in 1978.

Jerry, in his letter, stated that “it’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”