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I’m writing to share J Street’s statements and news updates.
I hope you’ll check out, or continue making use of, our regularly updated dossier on the Netanyahu government. As always, you can find our Congressional briefing book, background information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, recordings of previous briefings and more at J Street’s Congressional Resource Page.
Feel free to reach out with any questions.
All the best,
Debra
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Debra Shushan, PhD
Director of Policy, J Street
mobile: (757) 746-0366 | [email protected] | @DrShushan
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This week on j street
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J STREET WELCOMES RELEASE OF AMERICANS FROM IRANIAN PRISON
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What we’re reading
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September showdown: Israel’s branches of government to face off in three key cases
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| Israel is going to witness an unprecedented showdown between its branches of government next month, with the High Court of Justice set to hold hearings on petitions against amendments to two Basic Laws passed by the coalition and another motion aimed at forcing Justice Minister Yariv Levin to convene the Judicial Selection Committee… First up will be a September 7 hearing on petitions against Levin, who has seemingly decided not to convene the Judicial Selection Committee — which appoints new judges — until the coalition passes legislation giving it more control over the panel. Arguably the most highly anticipated hearing will take place on September 12, when the High Court begins hearing petitions against the first piece of judicial overhaul legislation passed, which bars the judiciary from using the reasonableness standard to reverse government and ministerial decisions. That legislation, an amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary, is the only victory the coalition has to show for what will be by September more than eight months of political and societal turmoil. Finally, on September 28, the top court will hold a hearing on the coalition’s recusal, or incapacitation, law. That legislation, an amendment to Basic Law: The Government, shields the prime minister from being removed from office by the High Court or the attorney general and was specifically passed to prevent such an order from being applied to the current premier, Benjamin Netanyahu. So what are the likely outcomes of this series of clashes between Israel’s branches of government? |
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U.S. condemns deadly settler ‘terrorist attack’ that killed Palestinian man
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| The suspects involved in the murder of 19-year-old Palestinian Qusai Jamal Maatan near Ramallah on Friday have been identified as Elisha Yered, a former spokesman for the far-right Jewish Power lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech, and Yehiel Indor. Indor shot the Palestinian Maatan during clashes that broke out near the West Bank village of Burqa, and Yered was understood to not be directly behind the shooting. The U.S. State Department condemned the incident as a terror attack, saying “we strongly condemn the terrorist attack perpetrated by extremist settlers who killed a 19-year-old Palestinian man.” “The United States extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. We note the fact that Israel has made several arrests in this case, and we call for full transparency and justice,” the American statement added, regarding the seven arrests made so far. Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh called on the international community to blacklist Jewish Power as a terrorist organization, “yesterday, a member of his (National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s) party shot dead a Palestinian citizen in the village of Burqah. It should be included in international terrorism blacklists.” |
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Israeli-Saudi Normalization Pact Could Die in Congress if Palestinians Overlooked, Senators Warn
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| As the Biden administration explores the potential shape of an Israel-Saudi Arabia normalization agreement, one of the outstanding questions is how much the Americans and Saudis will insist Israel makes significant commitments toward the Palestinians.Israeli officials have endeavored in recent days to paint a picture where the issue will only require the most cursory of mentions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went as far as comparing it to “sort of a checkbox” and alluding that it won’t act as a potential roadblock for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Whether or not this is true, the biggest roadblock on Netanyahu’s path toward his crown jewel probably lies in Washington: a Democratic-held U.S. Senate, which will be responsible for ratifying any potential deal. Crown Prince Mohammed “may not care about the Palestinians and a two-state solution, but Congress certainly does,” one top congressional aide said about the tough journey ahead if the normalization pact makes it as far as the Capitol… It should be noted that the Abraham Accords, in which the Trump administration played a key role, never required congressional approval as they consisted of direct agreements between Israel and the countries that chose to recognize it (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco). However, the only part of the accords that did require congressional approval – the sale of F-35 aircraft to the UAE – has never been ratified. |
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Lapid Tells U.S. Lawmakers Saudi Arabia Cannot Be Allowed to Enrich Uranium
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| Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told U.S. lawmakers on Thursday that he would oppose any normalization agreement that enables Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own soil. Lapid, who made his views known in a meeting with a Democratic Congressional delegation now visiting Israel, warned the Saudi enrichment would endanger Israel’s security. The declaration makes him the first Israeli leader to publicly oppose the Saudi demand, which has aroused considerable concerns in the Israeli defense establishment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far remained silent on the issue. Lapid’s remarks, which were first reported on Channel 13 Thursday evening, may affect the debate within the Democratic Party regarding Saudi Arabia’s far-reaching demands in the framework of negotiations for an agreement with the United States and Israel. Riyadh is demanding American backing for a civilian nuclear program, as well as access to advanced weapons that no other Middle Eastern country has except Israel… On Wednesday, the Wall Street journal reported that U.S. officials said Israel will make “significant concessions” to the Palestinians in order to facilitate an Israeli-Saudi Arabia normalization deal. Those same officials estimated that such a deal could be reached within nine to 12 months, though the report added that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in no rush to reach an agreement. According to the report, Riyadh has asked to build a nuclear power plant for civilian purposes… The White House later threw cold water on the report, and clarified that a general agreement had not yet been reached. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also added that it “vastly overstates where things stand.” |
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2023 sets record for settlement construction and outpost legalization – watchdog
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| The year 2023 has set an all-time record for settlement construction in the West Bank and for the legitimization of illegal outposts, according to the Peace Now settlement watchdog. Since the beginning of the year, the government has legalized 22 settlements that were previously considered illegal outposts… According to Israeli law, those outposts are now considered legal residential areas, although they are still considered illegal by international law, as are all other West Bank settlements. Among these is Pnei Kedem, located in the Judean Desert and home to far-right Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee… The current government has also issued a record number of West Bank construction permits compared to the years since the signing of the Oslo agreements, according to Peace Now… Yoni Mizrahi, head of the settlement monitoring team at Peace Now, told Zman that “Smotrich’s position allows him to operate in Area C of the West Bank [areas under Israeli civilian and military control] in conditions similar to a de facto annexation. He manages to control the army’s activities as he wishes and sets up settlements throughout the West Bank. The longer he remains in the role, the more problematic the reality on the ground will become. “As the settlements draw closer to Palestinian towns and villages, especially the illegal outposts, the more the friction between the two populations we will see, and with it the violence,” he added. “Violence by settlers has always received the support of parts of the right wing and the government.” |
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U.S. Reaches Deal With Iran to Free Americans for Jailed Iranians and Funds
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| The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to win the freedom of five imprisoned Americans in exchange for several jailed Iranians and eventual access to about $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue, according to several people familiar with the deal. As a first step in the agreement, which comes after more than two years of quiet negotiations, Iran has released five Iranian American dual citizens into house arrest, according to officials at the State Department and the National Security Council. “This is just the beginning of a process that I hope and expect will lead to their return home to the United States,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Thursday. “There’s more work to be done to actually bring them home. My belief is that this is the beginning of the end of their nightmare.” …Unlike previous prison swap deals when detainees immediately boarded a plane out of Iran, this exchange will take place in a series of coordinated steps, according to Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group, a conflict prevention organization, who is familiar with the terms of the deal… Mr. Vaez said the Treasury Department had spent many months ensuring that the funds could be used only for humanitarian purposes. “All Iran can do under this deal is submit orders to a bank in Doha for food and medicine and a limited number of medical equipment that do not have dual military use,” Mr. Vaez said. “The bank in Doha would pay for the goods, and Qatari companies would deliver them to Iran. Iran has no direct access to the funds at all.” “The Biden administration has a strong argument,” Mr. Vaez added. “If you are against this deal, you are against Americans coming back home, and you are against Iranian people having access to food and medicine.” |
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