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.
Countering Israel’s Far Right, Several US Jewish Groups Say They Oppose Resettling Gaza, The Times of Israel
“Gaza resettlement, said J Street Vice President Adina Vogel-Ayalon, would ‘not only cross a red line for the majority of American Jews and for J Street, but for most Israelis and many former military and political leaders. This should be a red line for any pro-Israel group representing American Jews.’”
J Street Responds to Collapse of Assad Regime in Syria, J Street
As a community dedicated to peace, democracy and human rights, J Street welcomes the fall of the Assad regime, which has been responsible for decades of immeasurable suffering and brutal repression of millions of people.
Middle East Policy Under the Next Administration, J Street Policy Center
In the final months of the Biden presidency, the J Street Policy Center held a symposium on the topic of Middle East policy under the next administration, co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress (CAP). The following recommendations are a brief encapsulation of J Street’s policy recommendations, informed by the symposium discussion.
Israeli Ground Forces Cross into Syria, Officials Say, The New York Times
Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border over the weekend, marking their first overt entry into Syrian territory since the 1973 October War, according to two Israeli officials speaking anonymously to discuss sensitive developments.
Netanyahu Takes the Stand in His Corruption Trial. Here’s What To Know, The Washington Post
Revelations in the trial could intensify public demands for fresh elections which, according to Israeli public opinion polls, Netanyahu would likely lose. “Netanyahu is attempting to remain the prime minister for all the remaining years of his trial, and to avoid at all costs going to an early election,” said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Hebrew University.
Israeli Forces Kill at Least 34 People in Gaza, Rescue Workers Say, Reuters
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 25 people in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have operated since October, and injured dozens of others in a multi-floored building, medics said.
Katz Orders IDF to Complete Seizure of Syrian Buffer Zone, Continue Destroying Assad’s ‘Strategic Weapons’, The Times of Israel
In a statement, Katz says he also ordered the military to create a “security zone free of heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” in southern Syria, including beyond the buffer zone, that could pose a threat to Israel.
Israel ‘More Optimistic’ on Prospects of Gaza Hostage Deal, Reuters
Israel is now more optimistic about a possible hostage deal in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday, amid reports that Hamas had asked for lists of all hostages still held by militant groups in the Palestinian enclave.
3 Israeli Troops Killed, 12 Injured in Fighting in Northern Gaza, The Times of Israel
Three Israeli soldiers were killed and 12 others were wounded during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military announces.
University of Michigan Regent’s Home Vandalized in Antisemitic Attack, CNN
The incident marks the third time Jordan Acker, a Michigan attorney elected to the board overseeing the university’s governance, has been targeted since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
How a Hostage Family Leader Became One of the Loudest Anti-War Voices in Israel, +972
Edo Konrad and Oren Ziv write about the political evolution of Ayala Metzger, whose relatives were kidnapped by Hamas. “I grew up learning not to make generalizations, certainly not about 3-year-old children,” she told a packed auditorium. “Yes, the 3-year-old might attend a Hamas kindergarten, but he is not to blame for what he’s being taught. I see it in Ashkelon too, where there is a similar kind of education, just from the opposite side of the political spectrum. So he is not to blame, and he certainly doesn’t deserve a bullet to the head just because he was in a Hamas kindergarten or because his mother was part of Hamas. I’m not willing to be part of that, and I’m not okay with things like that being done in my name.”
Assad’s Fall Deals a Major Blow to the Iranian Axis but Poses Challenges for Israel, Haaretz
Amos Harel writes, “No intelligence agency in the West is reported to have foreseen the developments in Syria, that proved Assad’s regime was weaker than initially thought. For Israel, the massive blow to the Iranian axis – the most severe it has suffered to date – is fundamentally good news.”
The Plight of the Palestinian Scientist, The New York Times
Katrina Miller interviewed four Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and abroad about the conflict that looms over their scientific research and medical work. “It’s definitely hard, but sometimes I have to work to distract myself,” Dr. Alser said. “Listening to what’s going on, it’s just very, very heartbreaking.”