Hundreds of Rabbis Condemn President Trump’s Exploitation of Genuine Fears of Antisemitism, J Street
J Street and T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights backed a letter signed by 550 rabbis and cantors condemning the Trump Administration’s assault on American Institutions under the guise of antisemitism. “We cannot allow the fight against antisemitism to be twisted into a wedge issue, used to justify policies that target immigrants and other minorities, suppress free speech, or erode democratic norms,” the statement reads. “We reject these cynical attacks on higher education – institutions that have long been strongholds of Jewish academic and cultural life – under the pretense of protecting Jewish students.”
Over 500 Rabbis Sign Letter Rejecting Trump’s Antisemitism Agenda, The Jewish Telegraphic Agency
“Over 550 rabbis and cantors have signed a letter criticizing the Trump administration for ‘abusing the issue’ of antisemitism, joining a growing chorus of opposition from Jewish leaders. The letter, published [today] and titled ‘A Call to Moral Clarity: Rejecting Antisemitism as a Political Wedge,’ was organized by two progressive Jewish groups — the Israel lobby J Street and rabbinic group T’ruah. The letters have become the latest in a widening call from Jewish leaders who have accused the Trump administration of using antisemitism as a pretext to further its anti-higher education agenda and its crackdown on immigrants.”
Hope in the Darkness, Substack
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes: “Jewish Americans aren’t buying what Trump is selling. Recent polling shows that 7 in 10 Jewish Americans continue to oppose Donald Trump – roughly the same percentage that voted against him in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Trump’s attempt to sell his nefarious agenda as a fight against antisemitism is gaining no traction, with only 31 percent of Jewish Americans approving of his handling of the issue. My third ray of hope is that Jewish Americans continue to stand strong, by more than two to one, against the catastrophic Trump agenda, and they aren’t buying efforts to sell it as either ‘pro-Israel’ or fighting antisemitism.”
For Nearly 60 Days, Israel Has Blocked Food From Gaza. Palestinians Struggle To Feed Their Families, AP
“For nearly 60 days, no food, fuel, medicine or other item has entered the Gaza Strip, blocked by Israel. Aid groups are running out of food to distribute. Markets are nearly bare. Palestinian families are left struggling to feed their children. […] The around 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza are now mainly living off canned vegetables, rice, pasta and lentils. Meat, milk, cheese and fruit have disappeared. Bread and eggs are scarce. The few vegetables or other items in the market have skyrocketed in price, unaffordable for most.”
Netanyahu Says Israel Will Maintain Military Control Over Gaza, Haaretz
“‘We will not succumb to any pressure not to do that,’ Netanyahu said over Israel’s plans for military rule in Gaza at a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) in Jerusalem. Addressing the conference, Netanyahu said, ‘We have to finish the war in Gaza, get our hostages back and destroy Hamas.’ He also praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for what he described as the ‘voluntary relocation’ of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip: ‘Believe me, many of them want to leave,’ Netanyahu said.”
Iran and U.S. Advance to Technical Talks on Tehran’s Nuclear Program, The Washington Post
“Iran and the United States held their first technical-level talks on Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program Saturday, a more complex phase of their high-stakes negotiations. […] President Donald Trump has said he would prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. While Israel and hawks within his own administration push to use military force, he has favored a diplomatic solution — but with a tight timeline: In a letter to Iran in March, he said he wanted a deal in two months. His administration has not publicly declared its red lines, and officials continue to make seemingly contradictory statements about its goals.”
Netanyahu Accuses Israel’s Domestic Security Chief of Lying to Court, The New York Times
“In an acerbic 13-page affidavit defending his decision to remove Mr. Bar, who leads the Shin Bet, Mr. Netanyahu sought to rebut stunning allegations that Mr. Bar made against the prime minister in an equally scathing affidavit that Mr. Bar submitted last week to Israel’s Supreme Court. The extraordinary exchange of recriminations came as part of a case brought by Israeli watchdog organizations and opposition parties against Mr. Netanyahu’s decision to oust Mr. Bar, with his government’s full approval, citing a lack of trust between them. Mr. Bar has said that the decision to remove him stemmed not from professional considerations, but from ‘an expectation of personal loyalty.’”
Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians, AP
“An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital, which received the bodies. Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service. Two other people were wounded. Late Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as 4 years old, according to the Health Ministry. Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.”
Israeli Airstrike Hits Beirut Suburb Despite Ceasefire With Hezbollah, The Guardian
“Videos showed three bombs hitting a building in Dahiyeh and rescue crews working to extinguish blazes after the blast; however, no casualties were reported. The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning before the bombing, prompting panic as residents fled the area. A spokesperson for the Israeli army said in a post on X that Israeli warplanes destroyed storage sites housing Hezbollah precision missiles. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a joint statement: ‘Israel will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and pose any threat to it – anywhere in Lebanon.’”
A Hiring and a Firing Drag Israel Into Fight Over Trump’s Middle East Policy, Haaretz
“Pro-Israel hawks scored a win after the White House hired American-Israeli Merav Ceren, an established GOP policy hand with close ties to pro-Israel think tanks, to oversee the National Security Council’s Israel and Iran portfolios. Despite the White House’s clarification, critics quickly jumped on Ceren’s Israel ties and their implication on U.S. policy as Iran talks enter a critical stage. Amid the controversy surrounding Ceren’s hiring, perhaps the most prominent Israel skeptic in the Trump administration [Dan Caldwell] found himself out of a job after the Defense Department after being accused of leaking.
Israel’s Gaza Aid Blockade Contested in World Court Hearings, Reuters
“Israel will face accusations of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into the Gaza Strip when dozens of nations present arguments at the International Court of Justice during a week of hearings starting in The Hague [today]. […] The U.N. views Gaza and the West Bank as Israeli-occupied territory. International humanitarian law requires an occupying power to facilitate relief programs for people in need and ensure food, medical care, hygiene and public-health standards. After the hearings, the World Court will likely take several months to form its opinion.”
N.Y.P.D. Investigating Reports That 2 Women Were Assaulted at a Protest, The New York Times
“The Police Department is investigating reports that pro-Israel counterprotesters at a pro-Palestinian demonstration assaulted two women, injuring one of them, during protests in Brooklyn over a visit by a far-right Israeli official, Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday night. […] ‘None of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable,’ Mr. Adams said in a statement posted on X hours after another protest broke out on Sunday near a Brooklyn synagogue where Mr. Ben-Gvir had been expected to speak.”
Trump Doesn’t Want to Protect All Jewish Students — Just Those on His Team, The New York Times
Peter Beinart writes: “Jewish students are not generally as vulnerable as their Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Black and noncitizen counterparts, but it is precisely this assumption of greater safety that may have made them more willing to protest in the first place. And many have paid a price. It’s impossible to know what percentage of the students punished for pro-Palestinian activism have been Jewish, since university disciplinary proceedings are often secret. But anecdotal evidence suggests it is significant. And regardless of one’s views about how universities should treat campus activism, there is something bizarre about repressing it in the name of Jewish safety when a number of the students being repressed are Jews.”
Invoking Never Again in Israel, as More Children Die, Haaretz
“The Gaza war, which in its current stages has become an indiscriminate slaughter of innocents, is also bringing extraordinary heroes to the forefront of public attention. I’m not referring to the individuals bestowed such recognition every evening on television whom former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, has described as “a nation of lions.” Today, the genuine Jewish heroes are the survivors of Hamas captivity and their families, who haven’t lost their innate humanity and who cling to humanitarian values and solidarity.”
Opinion: Montclair Rabbis defend Senator Andy Kim, The New Jersey Globe
J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial cabinet members Elliott Tepperman and Ariann Weitzman write: “Senator Kim has worked and voted throughout his career to protect Israelis. He meets regularly with the family of New Jersey hostage Edan Alexander. He has shown deep dedication to releasing the hostages, protecting Israeli soldiers and caring for the needs of the families displaced by Hamas’ barbarism. Like us and like the vast majority of Jews around the world, he also wants to see the end of violence in Gaza that has caused such tragic destruction. Like Israelis pressuring their own government to prioritize hostage release, he fears that Netanyahu’s government has lost sight of this central imperative.”