News Roundup for April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022
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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.

J Street in the News

What’s the Deal With the Iran Nuclear Deal?, Vox
“The technical procedure likely involves getting this deal through the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), a congressional review process created in response to the previous deal. But INARA is a negative mechanism, meaning the deal is adopted unless both houses effectively get veto-proof majorities to disapprove of it. The Senate, through this complex parliamentary review, didn’t formally disapprove of the deal in 2015. “That’s a process that is favorable to the administration,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami of the advocacy group J Street. “It’s not a real fight, because the outcome is clear.””

Blinken Not Overly Optimistic With the Prospects of Iran Nuclear Deal, The Jerusalem Post
“J Street’s vice president of policy and strategy Dylan Williams issued a statement saying it was “deeply disappointing to see a handful of House Democrats criticize the president’s important efforts to restore the limits on Iran’s nuclear program that Donald Trump abandoned.” “The JCPOA nuclear agreement succeeded in blocking Iranian pathways to a nuclear weapon – until Donald Trump made the disastrous decision to break the deal,” said Williams.”

Top News and Analysis

In Ultimatum, Bennett Ally Demands Settlement Construction for Not Joining Netanyahu’s Opposition, Haaretz
Nir Orbach, one of the main targets of the opposition’s campaign to recruit another defector, apparently gave Bennett an ultimatum, stating that the coalition needs to promote more “right-wing steps.” These included convening the planning council which approves West Bank settlements and connecting settlement outposts to electricity. “Without a solution to these issues, I won’t be able to stay in the coalition,” he said.

News

At Rally of Supporters, Netanyahu Calls on Right To Unite and ‘Return Home’ to Likud, The Times of Israel
Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu attended a right-wing rally held in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, calling on right-wing lawmakers in the coalition “to return home,” amid a coalition crisis that has revived his hopes of toppling the government and returning to power.

Three Israeli Arabs Charged With Smuggling Weapons for Hamas-linked Palestinian, Haaretz
State prosecutors have filed indictments against three Israeli Arabs accused of smuggling and trading in arms brought from Lebanon for a Hamas-affiliated Palestinian. According to an Israeli security source, the three smuggled in revolvers with silencers for a Palestinian from Hebron who is known to security forces as someone who identifies with Hamas.

Iran Nuclear Chief Says Tehran Has Given IAEA Documents on Outstanding Issues, Reuters
Iran has handed over documents related to outstanding issues to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Iranian nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday, as Tehran demands closure of the agency’s investigation into uranium particles found at three undeclared sites.

Terror Attacks Bring Work on Separation Fence Back To Israeli Agenda, Al-Monitor
The wave of terrorist attacks in Israel over the past two weeks has brought the failures of the West Bank separation fence back into public debate. The Palestinian assailant who killed five people March 29 in Bnei Brak drove into Israel through an unmonitored agricultural gate in the fence, bringing with him an automatic weapon which he used in his attack.

Opinion and Analysis

The Start-up Spy State, +972 Mag
Sophia Goodfriend writes, ‘The massive scale of Israeli surveillance in Palestine has provoked concern for many privacy advocates. Researchers allege recent practices violate international human rights law by exposing a civilian population to invasive surveillance with no recourse to privacy safeguards and protections. Palestinian digital rights advocate Mona Shtaya describes the systemic denial of privacy in Palestine as “disastrous.” “People start living in fear,” she explained in an interview on Al-Shabaka’s podcast last winter. “They start feeling afraid for their life.””