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.
Israel To Reopen Gaza Crossing After Closing It Over Rockets, AP
Israel said Monday it will reopen its border crossing with the Gaza Strip to Palestinian workers after closing it for several days following rocket attacks from the Palestinian enclave. COGAT, the Israeli military body coordinating civilian affairs in Gaza, said the opening of the Erez Crossing on Tuesday would be conditioned “on the maintenance of a stable security situation in the area.”
U.S. And Israel Will Hold Iran Talks Amid Stalemate in Nuclear Negotiations, Axios
The U.S. and Israel will hold a new round of strategic talks this week focusing on Iran’s nuclear program and countering its activity in the region, Israeli and U.S. officials said. The talks will take place amid a deep stalemate in indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Shin Bet Arrests 7 West Bank Palestinians Over Plans to Carry Out Attacks Against Israelis, Haaretz
The Shin Bet security service announced Monday the arrest of seven West Bank Islamic Jihad operatives suspected of planning to carry out terror attacks against Israelis. According to the Shin Bet, they were recruited and instructed by Jihadists from the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Killed During Israeli West Bank ‘Counter-terrorism’ Raid, Al-Monitor
One Palestinian was killed Tuesday when Israeli forces stormed a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, in what the army called a “counter-terrorism” operation that sparked violent riots. The Palestinian health ministry said 20-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim Oweidat “succumbed to critical wounds sustained by live bullets to the head, at dawn today in Aqabat Jaber camp” which is near Jericho.
Israeli Parliament Sanctions Critic of PM Bennett, His Party, Bloomberg
An Israeli parliamentary committee has sanctioned a breakaway member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s party, handing a small political victory to the Israeli leader as he seeks to stabilize his fragile government and deter any other rebel lawmakers.
Number of Palestinians in Detention Without Trial in Israel Hits 5-year High, Haaretz
The number of Palestinians in administrative detention – detention without trial – in Israel reached a five-and-a-half year high over the weekend. According to data supplied by the Israel Prison Service to Haaretz, there are currently 579 Palestinians in administrative detention.
Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah Discuss Violence in Israel, West Bank, Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden and Jordanian King Abdullah discussed efforts to stem violence in Israel and the West Bank on Monday, the White House said, after a flurry of American diplomatic contacts with regional leaders in recent days. “The president welcomed recent steps to reduce tensions and expressed his hope that the final week of Ramadan will pass peacefully,” the White House said in a statement.
In Masafer Yatta, Activism Is Not a Choice but a Necessity, +972 Mag
Ali Awad writes, “To be an activist in the South Hebron Hills is to live a life that is not yours. In this region of the occupied West Bank, which suffers from near-daily home demolitions and violence at the hands of the Israeli state and settlers, you must always be ready for an emergency. You might be asleep and then suddenly get woken up by a call to come and document a settler attack in a nearby village. You might have a plan for the day — just regular things to attend to in your personal life — and have to put all that aside in order to track down and document a convoy of soldiers and bulldozers on their way to demolish someone’s house. Or you might have to spend the day accompanying a shepherd grazing their flock in an area that has been declared state land, who has asked for activists to be present in case they are attacked by settlers or harassed by the military.”
Settlers Play Chicken With the Israeli Army in the West Bank, Haaretz
Hagar Shezaf discusses the recent far-right settler march, and the IDF reaction. She notes, “Did anyone block the marchers’ path? Of course not. Among other things, according to informed sources, Defense Minister Benny Gantz was the one who intervened, the evening before the event, to allow the Homesh march to happen. In this game of chicken, everyone knew ahead of time who would win. Anything else is a pretense, and it’s not clear that anyone still buys it.”