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.
Amid DNC Protests, Jewish Democrats Seek to Claim Political Home on the Left, The Washington Post
“Harris is ‘an incredible messenger of empathy’ for both the Jewish community and Palestinian civilians of Gaza, Jeremy Ben Ami, the president of the center-left Jewish political advocacy group J-Street, said Wednesday during a panel hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America. In July, Ben Ami noted, Harris met Netanyahu and stated her clear and ‘unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel, to its security and to the people of Israel’ — and then called on Americans to eschew a binary view of the war.”
Harris Makes a Forceful Case for Israel’s Security – And Palestinian Self-Determination – In DNC Address, The Forward
“Jewish Democrats exulted in the speech. Abraham Foxman, the former head of the Anti-Defamation League, said Harris’s ‘unequivocal support for Israel’ should ‘put to rest questions as to where she stands.’ Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, said ‘her remarks were spot on.’ And Amy Spitalnick, head of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, said the ‘section on Israel and Gaza was perfect.’”
‘Uncommitted’ Leaders’ Sit-in Enters Second Day After Democrats Deny Their Request for Speaking Slot at Convention, CNN
“In a statement, Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal pro-Israel group J Street, called the situation a ‘challenge’ but said the party had erred. ‘Hosting a Palestinian American speaker at the DNC would have been a powerful way to further underscore the shared goal of an immediate ceasefire and hostage deal and the compassion the party feels for all civilians suffering from this terrible conflict,’ Ben-Ami said.”
Growing Number of Democrats Call for Palestinian Speaker on Final Night of DNC, The Hill
“A dozen congressional Democrats, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), the United Auto Workers, J Street, and a growing number of Democratic Party members have called on the DNC to allow a person of Palestinian heritage to speak during the convention.”
What Jewish Democrats Hope Harris will Say in her DNC Acceptance Speech, The Forward
“I think it is really important that she provides a sense of hope and solution and a focus on the future in a balanced way,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the pro-Israel, pro-peace J Street.
Harris Says Israel ‘Has Right to Defend Itself,’ Palestinians Need ‘Dignity, Security’, NPR
After much speculation, Vice President Harris, now the Democratic nominee for president, came out with the strongest remarks so far on where she stands on the Israel-Hamas war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “Let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself,” she said. She said that Israelis should “never again” go through the horror and “unspeakable” attacks of Oct. 7. “At the same time what has happened in Gaza in the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking,” she said.
US, Israel and Egypt Meet on Gaza Border Security Sticking Point, Axios
Israel, Egypt and the U.S. are holding talks in Cairo on Thursday evening to try to come to an agreement on how to secure the Egypt-Gaza border and reopen the Rafah crossing, U.S. and Israeli officials said. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s demand that Israel Defense Forces continue to be deployed along the Philadelphi corridor on the border of Egypt and Gaza has become one of the main – and final – points of contention.
Exclusive: Israeli Demands for Troops in Gaza Blocking Truce Deal, Sources Say, Reuters
Two Hamas officials and three Western diplomats told Reuters the disagreements stemmed from demands Israel has introduced since Hamas accepted a version of a ceasefire proposal unveiled by President Biden in May. All the sources said Hamas was especially concerned about the latest demand to keep troops deployed along the Netzarim Corridor, an east-west strip Israel cleared during the current war that prevents Palestinians’ free movement between north and south Gaza, as well as in a narrow border strip between Gaza and Egypt known as the Philadelphi Corridor.
‘Completely Overwhelming’: Parents of American-Israeli Hostage React to DNC Support [Video], MSNBC
The parents of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin delivered an emotional speech on the third night of the DNC, and Rachel Polin-Goldberg and Jon Polin-Goldberg join Morning Joe to discuss their address and the fight to have their son and all remaining hostages freed.
Israel’s Evacuation Orders Have Displaced 90% of Gaza Residents, UN Says, AP
Successive Israeli evacuation orders in Gaza, including 12 just in August, have displaced 90% of its 2.1 million residents since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the top U.N. humanitarian official for the Palestinian territory says.
Shin Bet Chief Warns Netanyahu, Ministers that Jewish Terror Endangering Israel, The Times of Israel
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other ministers that Jewish terror carried out by violent settlers and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s actions on Temple Mount are doing “indescribable damage” to Israel in a letter published by Channel 12 News on Thursday.
US Envoy Tells UN: Gaza Ceasefire Deal ‘Now Is in Sight’, Reuters
A Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal “now is in sight,” the U.S. envoy to the United Nations told the Security Council on Thursday, urging members to press Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a bridging proposal agreed to by Israel.
Bullet Wounds in Bodies of All 6 Hostages From Gaza Suggest They Were Killed by Captors, The Times of Israel
Channel 12 reported that the military believes that they were executed by their captors during an IDF operation near where they were being held, with their guards possibly believing a rescue operation was underway. The findings are initial, and the IDF and health officials have not yet determined the exact causes of deaths.
Israel Arrests 4 on Suspicion of ‘Terrorist Incidents’ Against Palestinians, NBC News
The arrests come as Israel has faced mounting pressure from the international community, including its closest ally, the United States, to do more to address a rise in deadly settler violence in the West Bank amid Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Doug Emhoff Tells Jewish Democrats: Antisemitism Was a Massive Problem Before October 7. Now It’s a Crisis, Haaretz
Emhoff paid particular note to the rise of campus antisemitism since October 7, saying “we must do better. It’s not acceptable” and that the administration is working on ensuring students will be safe and not harassed — whether in the classroom or during protests.
Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Voice Opposition to War in Gaza as Delegates Leave DNC, AP
As attendees filtered out of the Democratic National Convention Thursday on its final night, they were met with the chants of pro-Palestinian protesters calling for the party to do more to end the war in Gaza.
Israel Will Collapse Within a Year if the War of Attrition Against Hamas and Hezbollah Continues, Haaretz
Yitzhak Brik writes, “All of the paths chosen by Israel’s political and military leadership are leading the country down a slippery slope. One dictator controls the fate of the country, and a flock of sheep follows him blindly. Netanyahu decided to “die with the Philistines” – in this case, the citizens of Israel – only to retain his power. He has lost his humanity, basic morality, norms, values, and responsibility for Israel’s security. Only replacing him and his cronies as soon as possible can save the country. Israel has entered an existential tailspin and could soon reach a point of no return.”
Here Is the Speech That the Uncommitted Movement Wants to Give at the DNC, Mother Jones
Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman shares the address she would’ve given at the DNC, “In this pain, I’ve also witnessed something profound – a beautiful, multifaith, multiracial, and multigenerational coalition rising from despair within our Democratic Party. For 320 days, we’ve stood together, demanding to enforce our laws on friend and foe alike to reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety. That’s why we are here – members of this Democratic Party committed to equal rights and dignity for all. What we do here echoes around the world.”
The Moment When Kamala Harris’s Speech Came Alive, Vox
Zach Beauchamp writes, “Too often, people discussing this topic feel the need to only recognize one of these narratives — and in American politics, that’s most often the Israeli one. Yet Harris placed them on truly equal footing, taking the moral ideas implicit in a two-state solution to the conflict and bringing them to the fore. The result was a discussion that anyone who cares about both Israeli and Palestinian lives could appreciate, and one that felt genuine in the delivery rather than just pro forma.”
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