I’m writing to share J Street’s recent statements and key news updates. Early this morning, IDF soldiers raided several prominent human rights and civil society organizations in the occupied West Bank, breaking down doors, confiscating materials and shuttering their doors. While the Israeli government designated six such non-governmental organizations in the West Bank as “terrorist organizations” last year, it has not provided sufficient evidence to substantiate such claims. Multiple appeals from US lawmakers and a recent joint statement from European leaders have called on the Israeli government to provide evidence and clarify its actions against these groups. The characterization of these NGOs as ‘terrorists’ is inconsistent with Israel’s democratc values.

I also wanted to share a report on the Palestinian Authority’s increasing loss of control in major Palestinian cities in Area A of the West Bank. This is a result of Palestinians’ growing frustration with the PA’s corruption, lack of political deliverables as Israel deepens the occupation, and an unclear succession plan for President Abbas. The Palestinian backlash to the PA is already having a ripple effect in and beyond the West Bank; Israel Defense Forces activity in Area A, while never nonexistent, has steadily increased as the PA slowly loses its grip in population centers, as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other armed groups gain popularity and access to arms from trafficking and disaffected PA personnel. As an example, earlier this week, an IDF soldier was tragically killed by friendly fire near the Palestinian city of Tulkarem. Indeed, what starts in West Bank doesn’t stay there: The chain of events that led to Israel’s operation in Gaza two weeks ago began with the arrest of the senior Islamic Jihad leader in Jenin.

Finally, we have seen signs of progress towards a resumption of the JCPOA in Vienna. While we need to wait until a possible agreement is reached to judge any implications, we are cautiously optimistic that diplomacy could once again prove to be the most effective tool in rolling back Iran’s nuclear program.

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.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like further information.

All the best,
Hannah

—
Hannah Morris
Director of Government Affairs, J Street
mobile: 832-606-1817 | [email protected] | @morhannah

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Palestinian Rights Groups Raided by Israeli Soldiers

Seven Palestinian human rights organizations that Israel has accused of having links to terrorism were raided on Thursday by dozens of Israeli soldiers who broke down office doors, seized documents, printers and computers and then welded the doors shut, the groups and the Israeli military said. The soldiers left behind military orders taped to the doors stating that the groups were illegal and no longer allowed to operate, following a move in October to designate six of them as terrorist organizations, the groups said. Another group that was not designated in October was also raided on Thursday. The Palestinian groups have all rejected the allegations, and international human rights groups and the United Nations have criticized the move by Israel, saying it was aimed at restricting and silencing criticism of its 55-year military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Once Israel’s closest friend in the Muslim world and a significant trading partner, Turkey cut diplomatic ties after a deadly confrontation in 2010 between Israeli commandos and Turkish activists on a passenger vessel that had tried to breach Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian coastal territory under the control of the Islamist militant group Hamas…Mr. Erdogan has indicated a willingness for warmer ties for more than a year, after Naftali Bennett replaced Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s prime minister in June 2021, and once Mr. Herzog became president a month later. Mr. Erdogan has expressed a desire for Turkey to tap into Israel’s lucrative natural gas discoveries in the Mediterranean. Israel, for its part, has recently shown an increasing interest in building closer regional ties with other strategic powers in the Mideast.

A Palestinian gunman opened fire at a bus near Jerusalem’s Old City early Sunday, wounding eight Israelis in an attack that came a week after violence flared up between Israel and militants in Gaza, police and medics said. Two of the victims were in serious condition, including a pregnant woman with abdominal injuries and a man with gunshot wounds to the head and neck, according to Israeli hospitals treating them. The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, tweeted that there were American citizens among the wounded. An embassy spokesperson disclosed no other information or details. The shooting happened as the bus waited in a parking lot near David’s Tomb on Mount Zion, just outside the Old City walls. Israeli media identified the suspected attacker as a 26-year-old Palestinian from east Jerusalem.

The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel of carrying out “50 Holocausts” of Palestinians as he stood alongside the German chancellor in Berlin, then walked the comments back on Wednesday in the face of an international outcry from leaders and officials who denounced the remarks as antisemitic Holocaust denial. Mr. Abbas, the 87-year-old president of the Palestinian Authority, was speaking during a joint news conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany on Tuesday night. The comment that caused the uproar was a response to a reporter who asked Mr. Abbas if he was ready to apologize for the killings of 11 Israeli athletes by the Palestinian Black September group at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Germany is planning to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich terrorist attack in the fall.

The Biden administration wants Israel to review its “rules of engagement” during military operations in the occupied West Bank after the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, three Israeli and U.S. sources briefed on the call told Axios. U.S. pressure for Israel to review the guidelines is unusual, but comes as the Biden administration faces pressure to do more to ensure accountability in Abu Akleh’s death… Blinken told Gantz he thinks that either the rules of engagement weren’t followed or they need to be reviewed if an Israeli soldier shot Abu Akleh while she wore a bulletproof vest that was marked “press,” the sources said. Gantz told Blinken that situations on the ground are not always black and white during military operations, the sources added. As the secretary said, we are calling for accountability for the tragic killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh,” said a State Department spokesperson.

An Israeli soldier was killed Monday by a friendly fire near the separation barrier in the West Bank. The deceased soldier was named as Natan Fitoussi, 20, of the Kfir infantry brigade from the coastal city of Netanya. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that the incident is being investigated…At first, the army said the soldier was hit in a shooting attack and later retracted its statement. The incident took place near the barrier between the city of Tulkarm and the village of Shuweika in the West Bank.

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour is once again seeking full member state status at the UN, but Ramallah faces an uphill battle without support from the US, which has passed laws aimed at thwarting such an effort…Congress over the years has added clauses to annual budget legislation, which would strip the Palestinian Authority of US aid if it obtains UN member status. The US stopped giving direct aid to the PA in 2014, and redirected its funding to US-run humanitarian projects on the ground as well as to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Biden has announced roughly half a billion dollars in such aid since taking office and that assistance would not likely be impacted if the Palestinians gained full member status. The same cannot be said regarding US aid to the UN. The Foreign Relations Authorization Act passed in 1990 bars US funding “for the United Nations or any specialized agencies thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states.”

Charges of corruption, inadequate public support, and the lack of central control – the Fatah organization, led by Abu Mazen, suffers from difficult and unprecedented problems that threaten security stability in the West Bank and might lead to a scenario in which Hamas takes control of the Palestinian Authority. Israel should act to balance the precarious situation in the territories and strengthen the status of the Chairman of the PA.

On Wednesday, political sources in Israel said Iran has begun to prepare public opinion in the country for a possible return to the agreement. “We are definitely seeing that Iran is nearing the agreement,” the sources claimed, but added: “This process contradicts the fact that there is no real rapprochement in the positions of the two sides. There is tension between the two contradictory vectors, but the preparation process is creating momentum and more positive discussion in advance of a deal.” After several months during which Israel offered contradictory assessments regarding Iran’s intention to sign a new agreement, in the past two days senior Israeli officials have voiced similar assessments: Since Tehran conveyed its reply to the draft agreement last Monday, the chances of a treaty have increased significantly, even if still not great.

J Street Government Affairs News Digest | August 18, 2022

This week on j street

What we’re reading

Palestinian Rights Groups Raided by Israeli Soldiers

Israel and Turkey to Restore Full Diplomatic Ties

Palestinian Gunman Wounds 8 in late-night Jerusalem shooting

Palestinian Leader Accused Israel of ‘50 Holocausts,’ Causing an Uproar

U.S. asked Israel to review IDF’s “rules of engagement” in West Bank

Israeli Soldier Killed by Friendly Fire in the West Bank

Palestinians aim to gain full UN member state status, but US law stands in their way

Analysis: The Rift in Fatah, which Threatens Security Stability, is a Challenge – and Not Only for Israel

Iran Setting the Ground for Signing Nuclear Deal Despite Unresolved Issues, Israeli Officials Say