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.
Live from Chicago and against the backdrop of the Democratic National Convention, join J Street and the Forward for a conversation diving deep into the challenges facing Democrats amid the Israel-Hamas war. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami will moderate the discussion featuring pollster and American Jewish public opinion expert Jim Gerstein, the Forward’s editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren and Representative Susan Wild from the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. Register here to join us tomorrow at 9am Pacific / 11am Central / 12pm Eastern >>
US Jewish Groups Primed for Democratic Convention as Tens of Thousands Plan Pro-Palestinian Protests Outside, Haaretz
“I’m excited about the Democratic ticket and its balanced approach on Israel/Palestine. The protesters in the streets represent a small minority who see nothing of Israel’s case,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami, whose organization has raised $3.4 million for the Harris-Walz campaign, making it this election cycle’s biggest PAC bundler for the presidential ticket within the Jewish community. “On the other fringe, MAGA Republicans can’t see Palestinians or their suffering. Kamala Harris owns the sensible center and that’s where the majority of Jewish Americans can be found as well,” added Ben-Ami, whose organization now endorses more than 60 percent of all House and Senate Democrats.
Why Gaza Remains a Significant Challenge for Democrats in the 2024 Election, The Forward
Jeremy Ben-Ami is the president of J Street, the self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby. He believes Harris’ approach to balance support for both Israelis and Palestinians could resonate with many Democratic voters. “I don’t know that people on the extreme fringes will ever be satisfied by balance,” he said.
J Street’s PAC Shatters Fundraising Records, Is Now Jewish Community’s Biggest Organizational Bundler for the Harris-Walz Ticket, J Street
On the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, J Street has announced that its PAC has so far raised nearly $10 million for its Democratic endorsees – shattering all previous JStreetPAC records. This includes $3.4 million for the Harris-Walz campaign – making J Street the Jewish community’s biggest PAC bundler for the presidential ticket this election cycle.
How The Siege of Gaza Split America: ‘A Battle for the Political System’s Soul’, The Guardian
“I identify as a progressive,” said Lauren Haines, a senior at the University of Michigan and the former president of J Street U, the group’s campus wing. “I look at pictures and hear about Gaza every single day, like it keeps me up at night, just knowing that I could be complicit because my tax dollars are going to this. But I’ve been very frustrated by some of the left’s tactics. There’s this false dichotomy of ‘you’re with us or against us.’ She continued: “I stand with the Palestinian people, and I think you can absolutely fight for justice for them without engaging in this really polarizing and harmful discourse, like saying all Zionists are evil or attacking Jewish institutions for having ties to Israel.”
Blinken Travels to Israel Amid Push for Gaza Cease-Fire, The New York Times
The visit, part of an intensive diplomatic campaign led by the Biden administration, comes days after Israel’s negotiating team held talks in Qatar with senior American officials, as well as Qatari and Egyptian representatives who are mediating between Israel and Hamas. Those talks ended without a major breakthrough, but the White House said on Friday that the United States had put forward a “bridging proposal,” with Egyptian and Qatari support, aimed at closing the remaining gaps between the sides.
US ‘Bridging Proposal’ for Gaza Deal Said to Exclude Two of Netanyahu’s Key Demands, The Times of Israel
The US “bridging proposal” designed to enable the finalizing of a hostages-for-ceasefire deal in the coming week does not provide for an ongoing Israeli presence along the Gaza-Egypt border or for a mechanism in central Gaza to prevent the return of armed Hamas forces to the Strip’s north, as demanded by Netanyahu, Hebrew media reported Saturday.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad Claim Responsibility for Bomb Blast in Tel Aviv, Reuters
A man who was carrying the bomb was killed and a passerby was injured in the incident late on Sunday, according to police at the scene. In their statement the Brigades added that their “martyrdom operations” inside Israel would return to the forefront as long as the “occupation’s massacres and assassination policy continue” – an allusion to Israel’s offensive in Gaza and the July 31 killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Pro-Palestinian Activists Face Complicated New Decisions as Democrats Gather to Support a Surging Kamala Harris, CNN
The Uncommitted National Movement, which emerged during the Democratic presidential primary to marshal protest votes against the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict, is demanding the party offer a primetime speaking slot to a pediatrician recently returned from Gaza, as well as a series of policy concessions headlined by an arms embargo against Israel.
Eighteen Members of Same Family Killed in Israeli Strike on Gaza, The Guardian
Among those killed was Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, a wholesaler who coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children aged two to 22, a grandmother to the children, and three other relatives, according to a list provided by the hospital.
Police Refused to Probe Israeli Who Tried to Infiltrate Palestinian Village, Defense Source Says, Haaretz
Six Israelis, some of whom were masked, attempted to enter a Palestinian village south of Nablus, but fled after Israeli forces arrived to the scene. This comes after settlers raided last week a West Bank Palestinian village leaving one dead.
Israeli Guard Hurt in West Bank Hammer Attack Dies of His Wounds, The Times of Israel
According to the IDF and medics, the man in his 30s was hit over the head with a hammer by a Palestinian attacker. The terrorist then snatched the guard’s handgun and fled the scene.
Aid Groups in Gaza Aim to Avert a Polio Outbreak with a Surge of Vaccinations, AP
“This is very concerning,” UNICEF spokesperson Ammar Ammar said Saturday. “It is impossible to carry out the vaccination in an active war zone and the alternative would be unconscionable for the children in Gaza and the whole region.” Aid workers anticipate the number of suspected cases will rise, and worry that the disease could be hard to contain without urgent intervention.
Israel Says Investigation Underway in Palestinian Prisoner Abuse Case, Reuters
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said prosecutors have requested that soldiers accused of abusing a Palestinian detainee be placed under house arrest with their detention extended to next Thursday.
In Cairo, Israel Said to Agree to Scaling Down IDF Presence in Philadelphi Corridor, The Times of Israel
Netanyahu reportedly said he was prepared to discuss how the troops would be deployed, but not to compromise on the fundamental imperative for them to be present. The terror group Hamas officially rejected the US proposal discussed in Doha, as it insists on a full IDF withdrawal from the corridor.
Harris Can Change Biden’s Policy on Israel Just by Upholding the Law, The New York Times
Peter Beinart writes, “When it comes to Israel, Ms. Harris should simply say that she’ll enforce the law. The law in question has been on the books for more than a decade. It prohibits the United States from assisting any unit of a foreign security force that commits ‘gross violations’ of human rights. Aid can be reinstated if the foreign country adequately punishes the perpetrators. Passed by Congress in 1997, it bears the name of former Senator Patrick Leahy — and it has been applied hundreds of times — including reportedly against U.S. allies like Colombia and Mexico. But it has never been applied to Israel, the country that over the past eight decades has received more U.S. aid, by far, than any other.”
‘They Came to Kill’: After Israeli Settler Attack on Palestinian Village, Locals Fear There’s No One to Save Them, Haaretz
Deiaa Haj Yahia shares, “Villagers told Haaretz that the settlers moved around in groups ‘as if it were a well-planned mission,’ said Hassan Arman, whose car was torched in the attack, during which settlers broke into his house’s yard. Villagers say some of the invaders used heavy iron bars to break the windows of houses and cars. Others used flammable substances to set alight anything in their way. The bitter stench of smoke and burned plastic quickly wafted through the village and the fire spread to nearby fields. Hours later, you could still smell the smoke.”
‘We Need Your Students to Lead:’ How J Street U Built a Movement on Campus, J Street
J Street U Director Erin Beiner shares, “The path that our students carved for their peers has become indispensable to their community members who, by and large, represent a mainstream middle ground that believes the Jewish people have a right to a homeland and the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians matter. This middle ground maintains that no form of hatred – including antisemitism – can be tolerated and that campuses must be a safe space for all students.”