J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street’s positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.
As Israel Remembers Holocaust, Herzog Says Commemoration Must Be ‘Above All Dispute’, The Times of Israel
Israelis on Monday evening marked the annual Holocaust Memorial Day, coming together to commemorate the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis, despite deep societal divisions over the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary. At the main ceremony held at Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, President Isaac Herzog noted the internal tensions, urging Israelis to set them aside for the commemorations and other upcoming national holidays.
Israeli PM: Peace with Saudi Arabia Would Be ‘Giant Leap’ Towards Ending Arab-Israeli Conflict, Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia would be a “giant leap” towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. “We want normalization and peace with Saudi Arabia. We view that as perhaps a giant leap towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Netanyahu said, speaking during a meeting in Jerusalem with U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
Stabbing Attack at Gush Etzion Junction, Attacker Shot, The Jerusalem Post
A Palestinian woman carried out a stabbing attack at Gush Etzion junction on Highway 60 in the West Bank on Monday evening and was shot by nearby IDF soldiers, the IDF confirmed. A 36-year-old Israeli man suffered light-moderate injuries in his upper body and arrived was transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem fully conscious and in stable condition.
UN Instructs PA to Take Responsibility for Israeli Prisoners Held by Hamas in Gaza, Haaretz
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities told the Palestinian Authority two weeks ago to investigate the disappearance and incarceration of Israeli prisoners Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, even though the two are being held in the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas rule.
Sudan Turmoil Throws Wrench into Normalization with Israel, Al-Monitor
Israeli diplomats told Al-Monitor Monday that the current conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) will delay the finalization of the normalization between Israel and Sudan, in process since 2020.
To Honor Israel, Forgo Her Dubious Honors, Haaretz
The Haaretz Editorial Board argues, “[Shlomo] Artzi acted with commendable courage. We can only hope that some of the designated torch-lighters will muster up similar civic courage and forgo this dubious honor being granted to them. In the history of Israel, they are the ones who will go down as heroes of the battle for the independence of our democracy.”
Israel’s Search for a Broad Consensus, The Times of Israel
Former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Naomi Chazan writes, “In the coming days, the end of the Ramadan and the marking of Israel’s 75th anniversary (and by extension the Palestinian Nakba) will coincide. Proponents of each approach to a “broad consensus” will gather to mourn their dead and recommit to the future. Official Israel will convene at gravesites and together launch the holiday’s festivities. Liberal Israelis will mourn their dead in their own way this year, and offer new settings to celebrate Israel’s creation. And those striving for a shared, respectful, diverse, and egalitarian future will join Palestinian and Israelis of the Forum of Bereaved Families and Combatants for Peace in their ongoing quest for a joint horizon.”