UC Berkeley Jewish Community Condemns Remarks at Student Government Meeting, Haaretz
“The University of California, Berkeley, Jewish community put out a letter condemning anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist remarks made at a recent student government meeting […] It was signed by UC Berkeley’s Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter, the Berkeley Hillel student board, J Street U at Berkeley, Bears for Israel and the Greek Jewish Council.”
Two-state Solution ‘Failed,’ Jared Kushner Says, Haaretz
Jared Kushner said “the two-state solution failed,” setting up the likelihood that the peace plan he expects to release soon will include limited autonomy for Palestinians. “New and different ways to reach peace must be tried,” Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and one of the architects of the plan, said Tuesday at a Time magazine event. Kushner has said the plan, which he figures to unveil in June, will emphasize economic benefits for the Palestinians and security for Israel. His top aides have already counseled those involved in the peace process not to use the phrase “two-state solution.”
Far-right slate to offer PM immunity law in exchange for settlement annexation, Times of Israel
The Union of Right-Wing Parties is demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commit to annexing all Israeli settlements in the West Bank in exchange for the faction sponsoring legislation that would grant the premier immunity from prosecution, a spokesman for a senior party lawmaker confirmed to The Times of Israel on Monday.
To give up on Jewish-Arab partnership is to give up hope, +972 Mag
Nisreen Shehada and Alon-Lee Green write, “Most of the people in this land are victims of the Netanyahu government. Partnership between them is the only way to fight its various forms of oppression — including the occupation.”
Netanyahu Seeks to Name a Golan Heights Settlement for President Trump, New York Times
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Tuesday that he would ask his government to approve naming a new Jewish settlement in the Golan Heights for President Trump, in appreciation of the American leader’s proclamation recognizing Israel’s authority over the long-disputed territory.
I Tried to Run and They Shot Me’: Palestinian Teen Recounts Shooting by Israeli Soldiers, Haaretz
Osama Hajajeh, 16, claims he was hit for no apparent reason. The Israeli army refuses to disclose how many bullets were fired at the West Bank village and why. “I heard my friends shouting at the soldiers while the soldiers yelled back. I got confused and stood up, and they shot me in the right leg. Later I tried to run, and they shot me in the left leg. I fell on the ground.”
Rouhani says US must lift pressure and apologize before Iran will negotiate, Reuters
Iran is willing to negotiate with America only when the United States lifts pressure and apologizes, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, according to state media. “We have always been a man of negotiation and diplomacy, the same way that we’ve been a man of war and defense. Negotiation is only possible if all the pressures are lifted, they apologize for their illegal actions and there is mutual respect,” Rouhani was quoted as saying.
Hamas arrests Gaza comedian who protested economic hardship, The Jerusalem Post
Hamas security forces have arrested Palestinian comedian Hussam Khalaf, who is known for his criticism of Hamas and Qatar, sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed on Wednesday. The comedian’s brother, Hassan, said that Hamas security officers walked up to Hussam and told him that their commander wanted to talk with him. “They took him in their car and since then we haven’t heard from him,” the brother said.
Israeli Minister Almost Caused War With Hamas Prisoners, Security Officials Claim, Haaretz
Defense officials say Asher Vaknin ignored Israeli interest in reaching a deal but he didn’t act alone, the public security minister was set on imposing harsher conditions for prisoners at almost any price.
My Sister Voted for Israel’s Fascists. I Still Love Her, Haaretz
Arnon Grunberg writes, “If by voting for a party that, to put it mildly, feels comfortable among fascists makes her a fascist herself, I have to add that she is a benign, warmhearted, humorous and – to a certain degree – even a lovely fascist […] What still surprises me is that her convictions, which a couple of decades ago could only be found on the fringes of society, have become so mainstream.”
Zionists And Anti-Zionists Don’t Agree About What Zionism Is, The Forward
Batya Ungar-Sargon writes, ““I am not anti-Israel,” Sanders said. “But the fact of the matter is, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is a right wing politician who is treating the Palestinian people extremely unfairly.” These words are indeed not radical; they could have easily been uttered by any progressive American Jewish leader today. Sanders’ view of the Middle East can be neatly summed up as liberal Zionism. And despite all the ink spilled about how revolutionary Sanders will be on Israel, how far he’ll push the Democratic party, and how much of the 2020 debate will focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, last night, Sanders revealed that he sees the region in the same terms as every single other candidate running for the Democratic ticket in 2020.”
Israel’s Refusal to Recognize the Armenian Genocide Is Shameful and Immoral, Foreign Policy
Yossi Selman writes, “Both Armenians and Jews have been the victims of premeditated mass murder. The Israeli government must put justice before political expediency and call the crime by its name.”