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.
National Security Daily, Politico
“Secretary of State Antony Blinken will address J Street’s national conference in Washington, D.C. this Sunday, a State Department official told NatSec Daily. Blinken’s speech comes at a tense moment in the U.S.-Israel relationship, especially as Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to return as prime minister. The venue of the speech, at a big event hosted by a left-leaning pro-Israel group, is surely meant to send a message to Jerusalem. J Street’s president and founder Jeremy Ben-Ami confirmed to NatSec Daily that Blinken will speak at the conference. “At a critical time for Israelis and Palestinians and for the future of liberal democracy in the region and around the world, our movement is looking forward to hearing about these challenges from our nation’s top diplomat,” Ben-Ami said. The conference will take place from Dec. 3-5 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.”
Blinken to Address J Street Conference as Potential U.S.-Israel Tensions Surface, Haaretz
“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will address the liberal, pro-Israel J Street’s annual conference, where he will deliver the Biden administration’s most high-level remarks since Benjamin Netanyahu’s success in last month’s Israeli elections, and amid escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken To Address J Street Conference, The Jerusalem Post
“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming J Street National Conference, the progressive group announced on Thursday. The four-day conference will run from Saturday through Tuesday under the slogan “living our values, defending democracy,” and Blinken, slotted to speak on Sunday morning, is the most senior administration official announced.”
Secretary of State Blinken to Speak At J Street National Conference, J Street
“The pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy organization J Street announced today that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will give a keynote address at the group’s annual gathering in Washington, DC on Sunday, December 4th at 11 am Eastern Time.”
Israel Moves Troubled Military Unit Out of West Bank, Wall Street Journal
The Israeli military said Tuesday that it is moving one of its most troubled units out of the West Bank amid recent allegations of abuse and disciplinary action against soldiers accused of mistreating Palestinians. The Israel Defense Forces is removing the Netzah Yehuda—a unique, ultraorthodox military unit—from the West Bank after soldiers in the battalion were suspended or demoted for allowing an elderly Palestinian-American to die in their custody earlier this year and beating Palestinian men with no justification, according to Israeli military investigations.
Israeli Forces Kill 2 Militants in West Bank Arrest Raid, AP
Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants during an arrest raid Thursday in the occupied West Bank, according to the military and the Islamic Jihad militant group, the latest bloodshed in months of violence between the sides. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the men as Naeem Jamal Zubaidi, 27, and Mohammad Ayman Saadi, 26 and said they were killed in the Jenin refugee camp.
Netanyahu Says It Was a “Mistake” for Trump To Dine With Kanye, Axios
Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “mistake” for Donald Trump to meet with rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and far-right activist Nick Fuentes, both of whom have made antisemitic remarks. The remarks from Netanyahu, who is highly popular among Republicans, echo criticism from senior Republicans in Congress and several of Trump’s former advisers.
Biden Urged To Threaten Israel Weapons Halt Over Far-Right Concerns, The Guardian
Two former senior US diplomats have made a highly unusual call for the Biden administration to cut weapons supplies to Israel if the incoming far-right government uses them to annex Palestinian land, expel Arabs or finally kill off the diminishing possibility of a Palestinian state.
A Promiscuous Abomination’: Far-right Lawmaker Vows to Cancel Jerusalem Pride Parade, Haaretz
Prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu declared his support for the Jerusalem pride parade on Thursday after one of his far-right allies announced his intention to cancel the annual event, which he termed a “shame and disgrace.”
UN General Assembly Votes in Favor of Commemorating Palestinian ‘Nakba’, The Times of Israel
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted to adopt a pro-Palestinian resolution to commemorate the “Nakba,” the Palestinian term for Israel’s establishment. The UN resolution calls for a “commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Nakba, including by organizing a high-level event at the General Assembly Hall” in May 2023. It also urges the “dissemination of relevant archives and testimonies.”
Israel’s Far-right Coalition Presents Unprecedented Challenge to U.S. Jews, Haaretz
Allison Kaplan Sommer explores, “Jewish organizations that have supported and fundraised on behalf of Israel for generations are deliberating how to handle an extremist government that rejects their liberal values.”
Conceding to Extremists, Netanyahu Hatches Intolerant, Alienating, Vulnerable Israel, The Times of Israel
David Horovitz writes, “He is giving toxic provocateurs more power than they could have imagined and is set to take a wrecking ball to our judiciary. It’s a recipe for disunity and national weakness.”
