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I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather!
I’m writing to share important regional updates, as well as J Street’s statements and resources from this past week. As a reminder, you can always find our most recent statements on J Street crisis response page.
All the best,
Hannah
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Hannah Morris
She/Her
Director of Government Affairs, J Street
Cell: 832-606-1817
J Street’s Congressional Resource Page
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This week on j street
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J STREET WELCOMES SECOND ROUND OF SETTLER VIOLENCE SANCTIONS
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| ISSUE BRIEF |
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NATIONAL SECURITY MEMORANDUM 20 & SECTION 620I OF THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT: REQUIREMENTS, PROCESS, AND ENFORCEMENT
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What we’re reading
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Schumer Urges New Leadership in Israel, Calling Netanyahu an Obstacle to Peace
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| Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, on Thursday, delivered a pointed speech on the Senate floor excoriating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel as a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East and calling for new leadership in Israel, five months into the war. Many Democratic lawmakers have condemned Mr. Netanyahu’s leadership and his right-wing governing coalition, and President Biden has even criticized the Israeli military’s offensive in Gaza as “over the top.” But Mr. Schumer’s speech amounted to the sharpest critique yet from a senior American elected official — effectively urging Israelis to replace Mr. Netanyahu… Mr. Schumer said the only solution to the decades-old conflict was a two-state solution: “a demilitarized Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in equal measures of peace, security, prosperity and dignity.” He said Mr. Netanyahu, who has rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood, was jeopardizing Israel’s future. |
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Netanyahu’s Coalition ‘May Be in Jeopardy,’ Intelligence Report Says
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| A new American intelligence assessment released on Monday raised doubts about whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel could stay in power, as the C.I.A. director said a hostage deal was the most practical way to halt, at least temporarily, the war in Gaza. The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment expressed concerns about Israel’s vision for the end of the war and said that Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition “may be in jeopardy.” “Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections,” the report said. “A different, more moderate government is a possibility.” The report predicted that Israel would struggle to achieve its goal of “destroying Hamas.” “Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize Hamas’s underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength and surprise Israeli forces,” the report said. |
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U.S. announces new sanctions against occupied West Bank settler outposts
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| The U.S. Department of Treasury announced new sanctions Thursday against two illegal outposts in the occupied West Bank that were used as a base for attacks by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, three U.S. officials told Axios. It is the first time U.S. sanctions are being imposed against entire outposts and not just against individuals. The move comes as the Biden administration ratchets up pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a range of issues, including settler violence against Palestinians and the war in Gaza… A U.S. official said the sanctions against the two outposts are meant to send the message that the U.S. is targeting not only individuals but also entities that are involved in giving logistical and financial support to attacks against Palestinian civilians. |
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Analysis | Biden breaks with Netanyahu but sticks with Israel
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| President Biden has begun a tricky maneuver: breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Gaza war strategy — while sticking with Israel and its fight against Hamas, which is still holding hostages. No one incident led Biden to start changing his course with Netanyahu, whom he has known for 40 years. It’s an accumulation of events and decisions by the prime minister over the last few weeks, U.S. officials tell Axios. Biden hoped for weeks that he could use the war to push his Saudi mega-deal after the fighting. But in many ways, Biden sees Netanyahu as the one responsible for the deal slipping away… Biden has reached a point three of his predecessors — Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump — also arrived at in their relationship with Netanyahu. The military operation Netanyahu is planning in Rafah — where more than 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering after being displaced from elsewhere in Gaza — could be the watershed moment. Israeli officials have said if no hostage deal is reached soon this operation could take place in April. Biden told MSNBC such an operation “is a red line.” |
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Israeli human rights groups accuse country of failing to abide by ICJ’s Gaza aid ruling
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| Twelve of Israel’s most prominent human rights organizations have signed an open letter accusing the country of failing to comply with the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) provisional ruling that it should facilitate access to humanitarian aid into Gaza… “As members of Israel-based civil society committed to human rights and the rule of law, we condemn the fact that Israel has so far failed to change its behavior based on the measures imposed by the ICJ, as well as the fact that humanitarian aid to Gaza dropped by 50% in the month following the ruling,” the letter says… “Moreover, we call on the international community to use its collective influence to promote and support an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of the provisional measures, and to increase its efforts to ensure that the Israeli hostages are returned from Gaza.” |
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If Israel invades Rafah, Biden will consider conditioning military aid to Israel
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| President Joe Biden will consider conditioning military aid to Israel if the country moves forward with a large-scale invasion of Rafah, according to four U.S. officials with knowledge of internal administration thinking. Biden’s openness to taking this step reflects the extreme strains in his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected subtler efforts by the Biden administration to rein in his conduct of the war with Hamas. While Biden has not made any decision on limiting future weapons transfers, officials said that he very well might do so if Israel launches a new operation that further imperils Palestinian civilians… But asked about Biden’s willingness to tie aid to future Israeli actions, White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said “he thinks that there are other approaches which we have taken and are taking that are more effective.” |
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The deepening despair of the families of those still held hostage in Gaza
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| A brother contemplated suicide. A sister stopped going to school. A father barely speaks. With each passing day, the relatives of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza since October 7 face a deepening despair. Their hopes were raised that a ceasefire deal was near to bring some of their loved ones home by the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that began Monday. But that informal deadline passed without any agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promise of “total victory” in the war against Hamas now rings hollow for many hostages’ families after five emotionally draining months. |
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US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Coons: a Path Toward Peace Requires More U.S. Engagement, Not Less
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| Ultimately, preventing a wider war in the Middle East will require delivering a message demonstrating that Washington recognizes Israel’s obligation to defend itself, but also expects that Israel upholds international humanitarian and human rights law and that its military operations meet the highest standards… The United States is the only nation that has the credibility to send this message to Israel. If Netanyahu fails to listen, the Biden administration and Congress will be prepared to take more persuasive steps to ensure compliance with U.S. policy on civilian protection and humanitarian assistance. However difficult, we need to hold even our closest allies accountable. |
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Explainer | What to know about the floating pier the U.S. military is building to help deliver aid to Gaza
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| Even before President Joe Biden announced in his State of the Union address the plans for providing aid to Gaza by sea, the Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade and other units were scrambling to pull equipment together. They received their orders before the speech: Build a floating dock off the Gaza coast to provide food and other desperately needed assistance to residents of Gaza. The aid is needed because Israel has sharply restricted land routes into Gaza, slowing the flow of aid to a trickle. It’s a complex operation, involving as many as 1,000 U.S. troops, and it won’t happen overnight. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters it will take weeks for this to come together. Some officials say it will take about two months. And beyond the logistical challenges, the operation will depend on Israel’s cooperation, which isn’t assured. |
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