News Roundup for August 23, 2022

August 23, 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.


Top News and Analysis

Ben & Jerry’s Loses Bid to Halt Sales in West Bank, The Jerusalem Post
A US judge on Monday rejected Ben & Jerry’s attempt to stop its parent Unilever Plc ULVR.L from allowing its ice cream to be sold in the West Bank, which Ben & Jerry’s said undermined its values. US District Judge Andrew Carter in Manhattan said Ben & Jerry’s did not deserve an injunction to halt ice cream sales and marketing because it did not show it would suffer irreparable harm, or that customers would be confused.

EU Top Diplomat ‘Deeply Concerned’ by Israeli Raids on Palestinian NGOs, The Times of Israel
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday that the union is “deeply concerned” by the Israeli raids on six Palestinian NGOs last week. “These actions are not acceptable,” he said in a statement, calling the move “part of a worrying reduction of space for civil society” in Palestinian territories. Borrell said the EU “stands firm with non-governmental organizations to uphold the right to freedom of expression and association.”

Revived Iran Nuclear Deal is ‘Closer Now Than It Was Two Weeks Ago’ but Gaps Remain, US State Department Spokesperson Says, CNN
The US State Department spokesperson expressed some optimism about the prospects of salvaging the Iran nuclear deal, but stressed that divisions remain between the United States and Iran. “A deal is closer now than it was two weeks ago, but the outcome of these ongoing discussions still remains uncertain as gaps do remain,” Ned Price said at a State Department briefing.

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Palestinians Working in Israel Strike to Protest Salary Payments in Banks, Al-Monitor
Thousands of Palestinians employed in Israel went on a one-day strike Aug. 21, in protest against a decision to pay their salaries into Palestinian bank accounts.

‘Biblical Mandate’: The U.S. Evangelicals Behind the Latest West Bank Land Grab, Haaretz
Founded and run by U.S. evangelicals, Hayovel has for many years been strongly aligned with the Israeli settler movement. But until now, most of its efforts have been focused on recruiting Christian volunteers to harvest grapes at Jewish-owned vineyards in the settlements. Greening Israel is the organization’s first solo project in the West Bank.

Disillusioned with Ra’am, A New Party Wants Bedouins to Have Their Own Voice, 972
A new political party was announced last month under the name “Naqab’s Future.” The party is headed by several prominent Bedouin figures like Talal al-Kirnawi, a former head of the Rahat municipality; Nayif Abu Arar, head of the Ar’arat al-Naqab municipality; and businessman Ibrahim al-Nassasrah, among others.

Opinion and Analysis

Israel’s High Court of Justice Refuses to Free Those in Administrative Detention, Haaretz
The Haaretz ediotrial board argues against the use of administrative detention, writing, “We must not grow accustomed to the wholesale use of this draconian tactic.”

Most Parties Running for Knesset Need More Women on Their Lists, The Times of Israel
Naomi Chazan challenges the Israel’s deterioting record of gender representation in government, arguing, “Bridging the numerical gender gap is essential for democratic rule; it is, however, not sufficient. To ensure the institutionalization and activation of the essential norms of equity and equality, it is necessary to assure the substantive representation of feminist principles, outlooks, and modes of behavior.”

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