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.
Celebrate Hanukkah with J Street! Every night of the holiday, we’re sharing with you something to ponder, something to enjoy, and something to do. The first four nights’ offerings are already up at jstreet.org/8Nights. Check back each night as you light the candles to help guide your evening discussion with family and friends.
The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2021, The Hill
Dylan Williams and J Street were named among the top lobbyists in Washington for the past year.
Biden: ‘We have to stand against the resurgence of this tide of antisemitism’, Jerusalem Post
J Street President, Jeremy Ben Ami, attended US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s traditional Hanukkiah lighting ceremony at the White House on Wednesday, during which Biden confirmed Professor Deborah Lipstadt as his choice for the next special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
Iran accuses Israel of ‘lies to poison’ nuclear talks, Reuters
Iran on Wednesday accused Israel of “”trumpeting lies to poison”” the Vienna talks on reviving Tehran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers and it said all parties in the negotiations faced a test of their political will to complete the job.
Report: Israel failed to probe shootings at Gaza protests, ABC News
Rights groups said Thursday that Israel failed to investigate shootings that killed more than 200 Palestinians and wounded thousands at violent protests along the Gaza frontier in recent years, strengthening the case for the International Criminal Court to intervene.
US warns settlement building thwarts two-states as Atarot project advances, Jerusalem Post
The US warned that Israel’s settlement building thwarts a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the Interior Ministry’s District Planning Committee prepares to debate a 9,000-unit housing project in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Atarot.
Netanyahu trial witness says interrogators threatened to destroy his family, Times of Israel
A key witness for the prosecution in former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial testified Wednesday that police interrogators threatened to destroy his relationships with his family members if he did not turn on his ex-boss.
In Paris, Israel’s Lapid continues to call for more sanctions on Iran, Al-Monitor
Meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid once again made the case for tighter sanctions on Iran.
IDF to probe service conditions in nonmilitary units amid prison ‘pimping’ scandal, Times of Israel
The Israel Defense Forces and Defense Ministry will establish a special team to examine the service conditions of conscripts recruited to units outside of the military to ensure they are appropriate, the IDF said in a statement Wednesday.
Israeli army: Two Israelis drove into Ramallah, car torched, AP News
Two Israelis drove into the Palestinian city of Ramallah Wednesday, and their car was surrounded by a crowd and set ablaze, according to the Israeli army and video footage posted online. Palestinian police turned the men over to Israel.
Iran Feels Cornered by the Biden Administration, The Atlantic
Kim Ghattas explores the rapidly changing regional landscape in the Middle East, making Iran unlikely to compromise in nuclear talks. She writes, “Crisis is always around the corner in the Middle East, and if the nuclear negotiations with Iran go nowhere, tensions will rise again rapidly. This is where the unusual level of inter-Arab dialogue and efforts at cooperation could provide some balance, and a rare win-win for everyone. Except the leaders of Iran.”
‘The occupation is trying to uproot us. Art can bring us back’, 972 Mag
A profile of Fida’a Ataya, a Palestinian storyteller using art as a means of resisting the settlers who have taken over the landscape of her childhood.
In Israel, the New U.S. Ambassador’s Home Lacks a Certain View, The New York Times
The newest American ambassador to Israel, Thomas R. Nides, who arrived in Israel on Monday, has said he will live in Jerusalem to be near the embassy. More than half of the embassy’s staff members, however, still live in Tel Aviv, hampered by Jerusalem’s skyrocketing housing prices and security precautions required for American officials living there. That arrangement will require Mr. Nides to make the hourlong drive several times each week to meet with his own diplomats.