The Senate voted 67-27 on Sunday afternoon to further advance the supplemental aid package for Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies, setting up final passage by Wednesday.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has slowed the process to pass the bill, vowing to delay a final vote on the package for as long as possible. Paul’s tactics have so far also blocked potential votes on proposed amendments to the aid bill. But, with the support of 18 Republicans on Sunday’s vote, the bill is expected to pass the Senate comfortably.

The White House and progressive allies in the Senate are sending mixed messages about a new policy affecting U.S. military assistance to foreign nations, with the senators saying the new policy is meant to put leverage on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Biden administration officials are downplaying its significance and arguing it has nothing to do with Israel specifically.

The group of Senate Democrats who pushed the White House to implement a memorandum imposing human rights and humanitarian aid-related conditions on all U.S. military aid said Friday that they see the new policy as a major step that introduces new restrictions and guidelines. They described the memo as prompted in significant part by Israel’s military activity in Gaza.

After a week of false starts in Congress, the Senate took its first step on Thursday toward passing a supplemental aid bill for Israel and other U.S. allies in an initial procedural vote that passed 67-32. Seventeen Republicans backed the bill, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) opposed it.

Thursday’s vote is a positive initial signal, but not a guarantee, that the bill will have the necessary support to ultimately pass the Senate. Some senators are vowing to drag the process out and others are seeking extensive amendment votes, making it likely that a final vote won’t come until next Tuesday or Wednesday and that lawmakers will be working on it through the weekend.

From the moment he descended from a chartered El Al plane in Israel, wearing a “Bring Them Home Now” dog tag to advocate for hostages held by Hamas, Argentinian President Javier Milei was embraced by Israelis.

The South American country’s new leader has made an international name for himself with his colorful style, libertarian policies and slogan “¡Viva la libertad, carajo!” – “Long live liberty, damn it!” – with which Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz greeted him on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport.

Democratic Majority for Israel is wading into an increasingly contentious House race for an open swing seat in California, endorsing Joanna Weiss over the other top Democrat, Dave Min, who is also facing opposition from a separate pro-Israel group that recently made an unexpected entry into the primary.

DMFI’s political arm announced on Thursday that it was backing Weiss, an attorney and activist, in its first round of non-incumbent endorsements for the 2024 election cycle. The new slate also includes a handful of moderate Democrats in competitive primaries for open seats in Virginia and Colorado as well as some challengers in Texas and Nebraska, among other states.

President Joe Biden issued a new national security memorandum on Thursday evening that requires recipients of U.S. military aid to issue written certifications that they will comply with humanitarian and international law, and that they will cooperate with U.S. humanitarian aid efforts.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) who has been pushing Congress to pass similar policies, described the new memo as placing new “condition[s]” on U.S. aid which could give the U.S. more leverage toward Israel, as well as other allies. Although the new regulations apply globally, they come amid growing friction between the administration and Israel over its military operations in Gaza. 

A Thursday meeting between several senior Biden administration officials and Muslim leaders in Michigan drew scrutiny from leaders in the Jewish community over the inclusion of Osama Siblani, a Dearborn political activist and newspaper publisher who has in the past praised Hamas and Hezbollah, and claimed the U.S. government was “bought” by the “Zionist lobby.”

The meeting was part of the White House’s efforts to mend ties with Arab Americans who are displeased with President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, particularly in Michigan, a key battleground state. Siblani has pledged not to vote for Biden this year. Those in attendance from the Biden administration included USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer and Steve Benjamin, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. 

The Senate inched toward a backup plan to approve aid to Israel on Wednesday after defeating a negotiated bipartisan bill including Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan assistance and sweeping immigration policy changes. The new “plan b” bill retains the foreign aid elements of the previous bill while stripping out the hard-fought immigration deal.

The path forward is still under negotiation, with Republicans demanding votes on what some senators said is a large variety of amendments, relating mainly to immigration policy, before they agree to take an initial vote on Thursday that would begin the Senate’s formal consideration of the bill.