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.
Preyed On by Gangs: Gun Violence Surges Within Israel’s Arab Communities, The New York Times
Arab crime organizations have proliferated over the years, preying on a population that has long faced discrimination and has limited access to bank loans. But Arab officials say the situation has deteriorated — and many put the blame at least in part on the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which they say has done little to fight crimes against Arab citizens since taking power late last year.
Saudi Arabia Offers to Resume PA Funding in Sign of Israeli Normalization, i24
Saudi Arabia has offered to renew funding for the Palestinian Authority, in a reported effort to build relations with Palestinians ahead of a possible normalization agreement with Israel. Riyadh began cutting funding to the PA in 2016, with aid dropping from $174 million a year in 2019 to zero in 2021.
One Killed in Rare Clash Between Palestinian Security Forces and Gunmen, Haaretz
The rare internal violence followed months of intensifying Israeli military raids on West Bank areas where Palestinian gunmen have been increasingly assertive, in a challenge to the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority.
Protest Movement Party to Run in Tel Aviv Election Jointly with Meretz, Greens, The Times of Israel
The party, called the “New Contract,” will run in the upcoming Tel Aviv municipal elections. A joint statement says the slates decided to join forces to represent liberal values.
Israeli PM Orders Ministries To Get His OK Before Secret Talks, as Drama Over Libya Meeting Persists, AP
Netanyahu issued an order Tuesday mandating that his office approve all secret diplomatic meetings in advance, as officials scrambled to contain the growing firestorm over Israel’s disclosure that its top diplomat met with his Libyan counterpart.
US Ramps Up Efforts to De-escalate Growing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions, Axios
Any small border incident between Israel and Hezbollah could quickly turn into a bigger conflict in Lebanon. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have been escalating for months over an outpost established by the Lebanese militant group 100 feet south of the border in an area recognized by the UN as Israeli territory.
Top Israeli Ministers Witness Demolition of Bedouin Houses; Ben-Gvir: It’s a ‘Sacred Duty’, Haaretz
Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday arrived together with Housing and Construction Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf to witness the demolition of houses in an unrecognized village in the Negev. Referring to the village’s residents, Ben-Gvir said they should understand “that we govern here and that this country has a landlord.”
I’m a Jewish Day School Student. We Need to Learn Palestinian History, The Forward
Ary Hammerman writes, “I am a rising junior at a Jewish day school in New York and have attended Jewish day school for 12 years. As I return to school this year, I hope that my teachers will one day be able to answer my questions. Jewish educators must find a way to marry a love of the idea of Israel with an exploration of multiple perspectives of the different people in the land.”
Israeli Media is Also to Blame for Neglecting Crime on Arab Streets, The Times of Israel
Tal Schneider notes, “Imagine if a man had burst into a private residence in Kfar Tavor, Yokne’am, or Nahariya and opened fire on the occupants. Imagine if a terrorist had entered a home in a West Bank settlement and shot at everybody. Would the TV channels have continued with scheduled broadcasts? Even when just one person is killed in a terror attack they break to live coverage from the scene.”
Israeli-Saudi Normalization Could Cripple Palestinian Aspirations, The Hill
Abdelhalim Abdelrahman argues, “Even if the Abraham Accords were not designed to resolve the Palestinian issue comprehensively, it has since become clear that the accords weakened the Palestinian cause by failing to condition normalization upon Palestinian statehood and an end to the 56-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as the parts of East Jerusalem that Israel formally annexed in 1980.”