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.
Israeli Officials Condemn Netanyahu’s Coalition Deals With Far Right, The Wall Street Journal
Senior Israeli officials have raised concerns over coalition agreements being made between incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies ahead of the government’s swearing-in expected this week.
Netanyahu Government: West Bank Settlements Top Priority, AP
Benjamin Netanyahu’s incoming hard-line government put West Bank settlement expansion at the top of its list of priorities on Wednesday, vowing to legalize dozens of illegally built outposts and annex the occupied territory as part of its coalition deal with its ultranational allies.
Close Aide Curses Palestinian Leader in Leaked Audio, ABC News
A top aide to President Mahmoud Abbas was heard in newly released recordings on Tuesday cursing the Palestinian leader and insulting other members of the Palestinian leadership. The purported remarks by Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior official who is seen as a potential successor to the 87-year-old Abbas, gave a glimpse of the bitter infighting inside the Palestinian leadership as several hopefuls try to position themselves for the post-Abbas era.
Bill Granting Israel’s Far-right Ben-Gvir Expanded Police Power Signed Into Law, Haaretz
The Knesset passed on Wednesday the so-called “Ben-Gvir law,” a bill that would give more authority over police to the far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir who is slated to become national security minister in Israel’s incoming government.
Israeli Doctors Reject Netanyahu Allies’ Anti-LGBTQ Remarks, AP
Israel’s largest medical center and health care workers from hospitals around the country have spoken out against remarks by allies of Benjamin Netanyahu calling for a law to allow discrimination against LGBTQ people in hospitals and businesses.
Gantz Rejects Far-Right Push To Extend Political ‘Cool Off’ for Retiring IDF Chiefs, The Times of Israel
Outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday rejected an Otzma Yehudit proposal to extend the amount of time retiring senior IDF officials must wait before entering politics, as far-right members of the incoming government appear increasingly at odds with the military.
For Israel, There Is No Way Back From Netanyahu’s Chaos, Haaretz
David Grossman argues, “The chaos is here, with all its suctioning force. Internal hatreds are here. Mutual loathing is here; as is the cruel violence in our streets, on our highways, in our schools and hospitals. The people who call good evil and evil good are also already here. The occupation also evidently won’t end in the foreseeable future; it is already stronger than all the forces now active in the political arena. What began and was honed with great efficiency there is now seeping into here. Anarchy’s gaping maw has bared its fangs at the most fragile democracy in the Middle East.”
