News Roundup for February 11, 2026
J Street Condemns Israeli Cabinet Decisions That Expand Israeli Control Over the West Bank, J Street
J Street Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg said, “By extending Israeli enforcement authority to areas that Palestinians have governed for decades, the cabinet’s decisions grant Smotrich and his far-right allies the power to demolish homes and displace Palestinians across the entire West Bank. This is another dangerous step toward full annexation that undermines the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”
J Street Announces Record Midterm Spend as Scrutiny Grows Over AIPAC Strategy, Haaretz
“‘We’re focusing all our fire on defeating the MAGA agenda this cycle. The Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress continue to support Netanyahu’s callousness in Gaza unquestioningly and his warmongering with Iran. These extremists in both Israel and the U.S. are bad for America, Israel and the safety of the Jewish people,’ said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.”
Mejia Declares Victory in New Jersey Race After Her Main Rival Concedes, New York Times
“Jeremy Ben-Ami, the founder and president of J Street, a left-leaning Jewish lobby group, said that AIPAC’s ‘aggressive intervention here and elsewhere is alienating many who should be allies of the Jewish community and of Israel.'”
What to Watch When Netanyahu Meets Trump Tomorrow, Word on the Street
J Street Policy Fellow Frank Lowenstein writes, “On Wednesday, February 10, Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with President Trump, his seventh White House visit since Trump took office last January. Netanyahu reportedly requested the meeting this week to ensure that the Israeli position is clear before the next round of negotiations between the US and Iran is held next week. […] The meeting agenda will also include Gaza, including Trump’s plan to convene the first meeting of the Board of Peace while moving forward with the implementation of Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.”
Shin Bet Says Police Refusing to Allocate Forces for Fighting Jewish Terror in West Bank, Haaretz
“‘The Shin Bet is being ignored by the police when it comes to cooperation on nationalist crime,’ a senior law enforcement official told Haaretz, hinting that the force is avoiding action out of fear of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.”
Hamas Would Keep Some Arms Initially in Draft Gaza Plan, Officials Say, New York Times
“The United States is demanding that Hamas surrender all weapons that are capable of striking Israel, but will allow the group to keep some small arms, at least initially, according to a draft plan, officials and people familiar with the proposal said.”
Trump Says He Opposes Israeli Annexation Steps in West Bank, Axios
“Asked about the Israeli move, Trump didn’t comment on the specifics but said, ‘I am against annexation. We have enough things to think about now. We don’t need to be dealing with the West Bank.'”
Netanyahu Set to Tell Trump That Phase 2 of Gaza Peace Plan ‘Is Not Moving’, Times of Israel
“The US-brokered ceasefire plan reached in October foresees the demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave. Hamas, however, has not agreed to give up its weapons, a matter that both Israel and the US consider to be nonnegotiable. To that end, the source said Israel has been telling the US that another Israeli military operation is necessary to move toward Trump’s vision for the war-torn Gaza Strip.”
‘Tectonic’: Israeli Annexation of the West Bank Is Now a Legal Reality, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin writes, “It’s no longer a matter of workarounds to the Oslo agreements, which originally aimed to draw down Israel’s occupation; this means upending the whole system. ‘We’ve been trying to point out that it’s de jure annexation and not just creeping or de facto, but now we don’t have to argue it. They’re saying it and they’re doing it.'”
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