News Roundup for December 14, 2022

December 14, 2022
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J Street News Roundup

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

J Street Welcomes Biden Administration’s Inter-Agency Antisemitism Task Force, J Street
“J Street welcomes the Biden Administration’s establishment of a new inter-agency task force to combat antisemitism and other related forms of discrimination, and we are glad to see that the task force will work to establish a national strategy for combating antisemitism.”

Top News and Analysis

Concern Grows in Israel’s Military as Netanyahu Nears Coalition Deal, The New York Times
Leading members of the Israeli security establishment fear that image and role is under threat. A significant proportion of rank-and-file soldiers voted for the far right in last month’s general election — mirroring a wider shift in the country at large, but increasing the likelihood of friction between low-ranking soldiers and their commanders.

Dramatic Effect’: Israel Police Chief Warns Against Expanding Ben-Gvir’s Powers, Haaretz
Israel’s national police chief warned Knesset lawmakers on Wednesday that expanding Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police powers as the soon-to-be National Security Minister could have a “dramatic effect – not only on the activity of the police but also its reputation in the eyes of the public.”

News

Far-right Lawmakers Introduce Bill Permitting Return to West Bank Settlements Evacuated in 2005, Haaretz
Far-right Knesset members from parties that are due to make up the incoming Israeli coalition government introduced legislation on Tuesday that would lift the ban on entering four West Bank settlements that were evacuated in 2005, when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip.

Hamas Leader Threatens Israel Over ‘Plans’ for Temple Mount, The Times of Israel
The political leader of the Hamas terrorist group, Ismail Haniyeh, threatened retaliation on Tuesday to any changes to the status quo at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. “We will absolutely not permit the implementation of Zionist plans at the al-Aqsa Mosque or in Jerusalem more broadly,” Haniyeh said in an address commemorating Hamas’s 35th anniversary.

Netanyahu’s New Government Must Affirm 2-State Support – EU Parliament, The Jerusalem Post
The incoming Israeli government must affirm its support for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the European Union’s parliament said in a wide-ranging resolution it approved in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The parliament said that “the next Israeli government should make a clear commitment in favor of the two-state solution.”

Iran Says UN Nuclear Inspectors To Visit in Coming Days, After Previous Tour Nixed, The Times of Israel
Iran said Wednesday that officials from the UN nuclear watchdog would visit the country in the coming days with the aim of resolving “ambiguities” over claims of secret activities. The UN’s Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, has for months been calling on Iran to explain the presence of nuclear material at three undeclared sites.

Opinion and Analysis

Far-right Israel Explained: What You Need to Know About Netanyahu’s Radical New Government, Haaretz
“To end the unremitting cycle of elections, Benjamin Netanyahu unleashed far-right forces that will hold unprecedented power in the most religious, right-wing coalition in Israel’s history. Haaretz explains the key issues, profiles the extremists and analyzes how far this radical coalition could go.”