US Jewish groups welcome guilty verdict in trial of cop who killed George Floyd, Times of Israel
“A host of mainly liberal US Jewish groups welcomed Tuesday’s guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin over George Floyd’s death. […] ‘While this decision cannot bring back the life that was stolen, we are glad to see some measure of justice for the family of George Floyd,’ J Street, the left-wing pro-Israel lobby, wrote on Twitter.”
J Street sees the return of diplomacy and nuance, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
“The American Israel Public Affairs group has forcefully castigated legislation recently introduced by a Democratic lawmaker seeking to prevent US security assistance to Israel from being used in certain operations in the West Bank. […] On the other end of the party, the progressive J Street and Americans for Peace Now groups have backed the legislation, arguing that if the AECA were sufficient, the various actions cited by the bill would not be regularly taking place in the West Bank. Moreover, they argue that there shouldn’t be an issue with calling for greater transparency over how US aid is spent and doing whatever is possible to ensure that the assistance does not go to activities that violate international law. ‘Where is the line drawn between defending Israel from any criticism or inquiry & enabling the worst abuses of occupation?’ tweeted J Street senior vice president Dylan Williams in response to AIPAC’s ‘blood libel’ charges.”
AIPAC pans bill to block US aid from some Israeli activities in West Bank, Times of Israel
“The American Israel Public Affairs group has forcefully castigated legislation recently introduced by a Democratic lawmaker seeking to prevent US security assistance to Israel from being used in certain operations in the West Bank. […] On the other end of the party, the progressive J Street and Americans for Peace Now groups have backed the legislation, arguing that if the AECA were sufficient, the various actions cited by the bill would not be regularly taking place in the West Bank. Moreover, they argue that there shouldn’t be an issue with calling for greater transparency over how US aid is spent and doing whatever is possible to ensure that the assistance does not go to activities that violate international law. ‘Where is the line drawn between defending Israel from any criticism or inquiry & enabling the worst abuses of occupation?’ tweeted J Street senior vice president Dylan Williams in response to AIPAC’s ‘blood libel’ charges.”
U.S.-Israel tensions build as Iran talks progress, Axios
As nuclear talks in Vienna enter a critical stage, the gaps and suspicions over Iran between the Israeli government and the Biden administration are growing.
US outlines possible sanctions relief for Iran in nuke talks, AP
A senior U.S. official said Wednesday that the Biden administration has laid out examples of the kinds of sanctions on Iran it’s willing to lift in exchange for Iran’s return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. The official said the U.S. through intermediaries has presented Iran with three baskets of sanctions: those it’s prepared to lift, those it’s not prepared to lift and those that will require further study to determine if they are in fact appropriate for relief under the nuclear deal. The official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the discussions.
U.S. Jewish Groups Ready to Fight JNF’s ‘Rogue’ Settlement Agenda, Haaretz
An intensive lobbying campaign is underway in the United States to convince board members of the Jewish National Fund in Israel to block the authorization of land purchases in the West Bank. A vote by the organization’s Israel-based board of directors, scheduled for Thursday, April 22, will determine if the organization will make a historic pivot by beginning to purchase West Bank land for the purpose of expanding and developing existing Israeli settlements.
‘Break Their Faces’: As anti-Arab Attacks Spike, Jewish Supremacist Group Plans Jerusalem Show of Force, Haaretz
Amid reports of increasingly frequent attacks on Palestinians by Jews in Jerusalem, the far-right Lehava organization has called on its supporters to gather near the Damascus Gate on Thursday to “protect Jewish honor.” In the Whatsapp group for Lehava’s event it was said that “we must break their faces, bury them alive,” and questions were raised about how to obtain tear gas and even grenades.
Climate breakdown and occupation are dismantling the lives of Palestinian shepherds, 972 Magazine
A settlement in the South Hebron Hills illustrates how the Israeli occupation and the climate crisis are destroying Palestinian land and livelihoods […] the occupation exacerbates the impacts of climate change, and climate change exacerbates the impacts of occupation.
Bipartisan legislation to support Arab-Israeli normalization introduced in House, Jewish Insider
A bipartisan group of House members introduced a bill Wednesday that seeks to promote normalization between Israel and Arab nations. The bill directs the State Department to study and submit reports to Congress on how the U.S. can support and expand last years’ agreements normalizing relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
Soldier shoots and kills Palestinian protestor during dispersal of weekly protest against illegal outpost, B’Tselem
In October 2020, settlers established a new settlement outpost on land belonging to Beit Dajan about two kilometers away from the village, which lies east of Nablus. Since then, at least one of the settlers has regularly roamed the land, firing shots in the air or throwing stones at Palestinian farmers working their land or grazing their flocks.
Groups call on Biden to offer Iran coronavirus relief, Responsible Statecraft
More than 40 humanitarian and human rights organizations called on the Biden administration to lift economic restrictions that are making it more difficult for Iran to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in a Wednesday open letter. The United States is currently enforcing strict sanctions on the Iranian economy, many of them imposed during the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
Explained: The Only Way Netanyahu Could Remain in Power, Haaretz
Jonathan Lis writes, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s mandate to form a government is slated to expire in two weeks, and the prime minister has yet to succeed in putting together a governing coalition. If he is unable to do so within the alloted 28 days, President Reuven Rivlin may extend the mandate by two weeks, pass the mandate to another lawmaker or return it to the Knesset. These are the possible scenarios that may arise in the coming weeks.”
The climate threat can widen the circle of Mideast peace, Times of Israel
Gilad Erdan writes, “This week, as we mark Earth Day, and highlight the need for immediate and decisive action to prevent these prophecies from becoming reality, there is also room for some optimism. In the very region that former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali felt sure there would be “war over water,” an entire ecosystem is now booming — searching for solutions to the impending crisis — thanks to the recent normalization agreements signed between Israel and four Arab countries.”