News Roundup for December 15, 2025
J Street Condemns Antisemitic Terror Attack in Australia, J Street
J Street Director of Communal Relations Sam Berkman said in a press release, “We are horrified and heartbroken by the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, where Jews celebrating the first night of Hanukkah were targeted in an act of unspeakable violence. Our hearts are with the families of those killed, the many injured and all who witnessed this atrocity.”
J Street U Mourns Victims of Brown University Shooting, J Street
J Street U Director Erin Beiner said in a press release, “Deadly gun violence has devastated countless schools and universities. The loss of the victims of this attack is the loss of entire worlds. We join the victims’ family, friends and classmates in honoring their lives and cherishing their memories.”
Where Have All the Profiles in Courage Gone?, Word on the Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “The failure of the Republican Party in Congress to stand up to Donald Trump – and to defend the prerogatives of the legislative branch in the face of his unprecedented expansion of executive power – may be the clearest example. Over and over, Members who know better have chosen acquiescence over accountability.”
Trump ​A​dministration’s ​A​DD ​is​ ​E​ndangering ​its​ ​Peace Plan, Times of Israel
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “The transition between two different crisis arenas is illustrative of one of the most problematic characteristics of Trump’s foreign policy: extreme centralization around a handful of advisors, who, instead of dedicating themselves to the resolution of one crisis, automatically move on to dealing with the next one, while the previous one is still far from being resolved.”
Roei Eisenberg and the Open Tent Young Jews Are Building Themselves, Times of Israel
“ANU: A New Union’s social media success stemmed partly from its clarity about boundaries. The organization welcomed supporters across the political spectrum—AIPAC and J Street supporters alike—but maintained clear values-based requirements for entry into the tent.”
Next Phase of Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Faces Thorny Questions, The Hill
“’I think the Qataris and the Turks are still the essential player to get Hamas to do that, whether they agree to do it instantaneously or whether they agree to do it in some moderately phased period,’ Shapiro, who is now a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, said on the J Street Podcast.”
Gunmen in Australia Open Fire During Hanukkah Event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Killing at Least 15, Haaretz
“Chabad named four of the victims so far: Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an emissary for Chabad; Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor; Reuven Morrison, a resident of Melbourne and member of the Chabad community and Tibor Weitzen, 78, who was fatally wounded while shielding his wife.”
Hamas Confirms Top Commander’s Death in Israeli Strike in Gaza, New York Times
“The killing of Raed Saad on Saturday was the most high-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since Israel and the militant group agreed to a cease-fire about two months ago.”
Brown University Students Light First Hanukkah Candle in the Shadow of Mass Shooting, The Forward
“On Saturday, a gunman opened fire on a room where students had gathered to review for their final exam in Principles of Economics, Brown’s most popular class that is dominated by freshmen. He killed two students and injured nine others at the Barus and Holley engineering and physics building in Providence, Rhode Island.”
Rising Tensions With Israel Have Lebanon Fearing Return to All-Out War, Washington Post
“Lebanese officials in recent days said messages from intermediaries, including the United States, have warned of a potential large-scale Israeli military operation in the country, though the timing is unclear. The threat has highlighted the failings of the truce agreement, brokered by the U.S. and France, that was touted as a breakthrough that would restore calm.”
