News Roundup for December 15, 2022

December 15, 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

Liberal Jewish Groups, Including Reform Movement, Blast Kevin McCarthy for Pledge To Remove Ilhan Omar From Committee, JTA
“In addition to Reform’s Religious Action Center, the statement was signed by Americans for Peace Now, J Street and Ameinu, all three liberal Jewish Middle East policy groups; the Habonim Dror camp movement; the New Israel Fund, which fund-raises for civil society groups in Israel; and T’ruah, a rabbinical human rights group.”

Top News and Analysis

Hamas Marks Anniversary, Predicts Confrontation With Israel, AP
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians on Wednesday thronged a rally in downtown Gaza to mark the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Hamas militant group, as leaders predicted a year of “open confrontation” with the hardline Israeli government expected to take office in the coming days. Hamas, an armed Islamic group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, worked hard to mobilize the large turnout at the city’s Katiba park, viewing it as a show of strength at a time when it appears to be struggling for popularity.

Palestinian Activist’s Family Seeks ICC Probe Into His Death, The Washington Post
The family of an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority who died last year after allegedly being beaten by Palestinian security forces said Thursday it has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the death. Nizar Banat was a harsh critic of the PA, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and had called on Western nations to cut off aid to it because of what he said was its authoritarianism and human rights violations. Banat’s family said he died after Palestinian security forces arrested him and beat him with batons.

News

Israel Dismantles Illegal Outpost on Galilee Land Claimed by Bedouin, Haaretz
Israel began on Wednesday to dismantle an illegal encampment in the Galilee established by Jews claiming to stand for “Jewish sovereignty” and against Bedouin presence in the area. Accompanied by police, officials from the National Unit for Enforcing Planning and Construction Laws removed two of four caravans from the site, which is on land claimed by both local Bedouin and the Jewish National Fund.

Netanyahu Promises Ultra-Orthodox Parties Exclusion From Military Service, The Jerusalem Post
Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties on Thursday that the next government under his leadership will follow a policy according to which “no one will go to prison for learning Torah,” according to Walla.

72% of Palestinians Support Forming More Armed Groups in West Bank, The Times of Israel
Seventy-two percent of Palestinians support the creation of additional armed groups in the West Bank akin to the Lion’s Den terror group that operates against Israel, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by prominent Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki and his Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), was released Tuesday, as the West Bank wraps up one of its most deadly years since the Second Intifada of 2000-2005.

‘A Democracy in Name Only’: Israel’s AG Sounds Alarm Over Netanyahu’s Legislative Blitz, Haaretz
Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara warned on Thursday against the latest bills put forth in the Knesset that are slated to help form Benjamin Netanyahu’s next government.

Opinion and Analysis

Fears of Full-Blown Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Grow After Bloodiest Year Since 2005, The Guardian
Bethan McKernan writes, “Surge in violence either side of the ‘green line’ has led people to wonder if a third intifada is on the cards.”

What Is Israel’s Proposed Override Clause, and Why Is It a ‘Terrible Mistake’?, Haaretz
Allison Kaplan Sommer explains one of the top items on the agenda of the incoming Netanyahu government is the passage of what is known as the “override clause.”