News Roundup for August 30, 2022

August 30, 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 Do Jewish Organizations Think About the Iran Deal Revival?, The Jerusalem Post
“J Street is supportive of reviving the deal and dedicated an entire section in its website to it under the headline “Iran Diplomacy works.” Dylan Williams, senior vice president of policy and strategy at J Street, said, “Securing a return to the deal and blocking Iran’s paths to a nuclear weapon would be another major victory for President Biden. “Obama’s original deal had strong support because it blocked Iran’s path to nuclear weapons, and it only became more popular after Trump pulled out and we saw the alternative of an unrestrained, escalating nuclear program,” Williams said. “We’re backing Biden’s efforts 100%,” he continued. “If a return to the deal comes out as we expect and it verifiably blocks Iran’s nuclear program, then J Street is ready to lead the campaign in our community, in Congress and across the country to build support and get this done.””

Top News and Analysis

Israelis Shot and Wounded After Entering West Bank City, AP
Several Israelis were wounded overnight after they entered the Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus and came under fire, the Israeli military said Tuesday. The Israelis appeared to have headed on their own to a flashpoint shrine in the city, where visits are usually coordinated with the military under tight security precautions. After they came under fire, troops entered the city, which is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority and its security forces, to evacuate the Israelis, the military said. Israelis are prohibited from entering the Palestinian-controlled areas, although some still do.

White House Pressures Israel To Fulfill Jordan Crossing Promise, The Times of Israel
The Biden administration is reportedly increasing pressure on Israel to follow through on its commitment to opening the Allenby Bridge border crossing 24 hours a day by September 30. The crossing is used almost exclusively by Palestinian West Bank residents en route to Jordan’s capital Amman for international flights. The Allenby crossing is currently only open from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the weekend, meaning queues can last hours or up to an entire day to cross into Jordan, a long-time headache for Palestinians.

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News

Israeli Jewish Voters Have Moved Significantly Rightward in Recent Years, Data Shows, The Times of Israel
Israel’s right-wing Jewish voter base has grown from 46 percent before the April 2019 election to 62% now, ahead of November’s vote, according to an analysis of self-reported political affiliation by the Israel Democracy Institute. The growth has been mostly at the expense of the political center, although the left has also taken a dip.

Herzog Calls for UN Nuclear Watchdog to Continue Its Probe of Iran, Haaretz
Israeli President Isaac Herzog responded on Monday to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s threats to back out of the nuclear deal with world powers if international inspectors do not end the probe on man-made uranium particles found at undeclared sites in the country.

Lapid, Netanyahu Meet To Discuss Possible Iran Deal, i24 News
Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid met with Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to brief him on the developing nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. The meeting focused on the nuclear deal “and the political and security activities that Israel is leading in order to influence the issue, as well as other national security issues,” according to a statement from Lapid’s office.

Gaza Aid Worker Gets 12 Years on Israeli Terror Charges, AP
An Israeli court on Tuesday sentenced the Gaza director of a major international charity to 12 years in prison after the court earlier convicted him of terrorism charges in a high-profile case in which independent investigations found no proof of wrongdoing.

Opinion and Analysis

How Israelis Are Taught to Erase the Palestinians, Haaretz
Eitan Nechin writes, “When Israel’s education ministry ordered the removal of maps showing the 1967 borders from classrooms, it was the just the most recent blatant, dangerous, absurd attempt to erase the occupation – and the Palestinians.”

What If Netanyahu Wins?, New Lines Magazine
Neri Zibler hypothesizes, “A blindly pro-Netanyahu majority in Parliament could also theoretically then pass legislation retroactively shielding the (newly restored) prime minister from any legal action until the end of his term, thereby gutting the ongoing trial. A different move with the same end goal would see the government fire the current attorney general, appointed only in January for a seven-year term, and replace her with someone pliant enough to, as Fuchs puts it, simply “delay the proceedings” in the Netanyahu corruption cases, effectively stopping the trial.”

Register here for the J Street 2022 National Conference. Early bird pricing available through August 31