News Roundup for February 15, 2023

February 15, 2023

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J Street In the News

J Street Congratulates Senator Feinstein on her Planned Retirement, Distinguished Career, J Street
As she announces that she will retire from the US Senate at the end of her current term, J Street congratulates JStreetPAC endorsee Senator Dianne Feinstein on her incredibly distinguished political career and three decades of service as a United States Senator.

Top News and Analysis

Senate Judiciary Chair: Netanyahu Has Put His Own Interests Above Israel’s Democracy, Haaretz
Senator Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the second-highest ranking Democrat in the chamber, told Haaretz on Monday that President Joe Biden was right to offer his own comments on Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul. “President Biden is correct in highlighting the importance of democratic checks and balances, strong institutions, and an independent judiciary in regards to the serious test currently facing Israel,” he said.

Palestinians Pushing for UN Security Council Vote on Israel Settlement Expansion, Axios
The Palestinian Authority is talking to members of the UN Security Council about a possible resolution against Israeli government policy, mainly around the latest decision to expand the settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials told Axios.

European Allies Condemn Israel’s Plan to Build More Housing Units in the West Bank, NPR
In a rare move, key European allies — France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom — joined the U.S. on Tuesday in condemning Israel’s plans to build 10,000 more housing units in existing settlements in the occupied West Bank.

News

Senator Dianne Feinstein to Retire at the End of Her Term, The New York Times
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, announced on Tuesday that she would not seek re-election in 2024 but would finish out her term in Congress, making official a retirement that was long assumed by her colleagues, who had grown concerned about her memory issues.

Herzog Sits Down Separately with Rothman, Lapid, Gantz to Discuss Judicial Talks, The Times of Israel
Coalition and opposition leaders met separately with President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday to discuss the president’s urgent call for compromise on the government’s fraught push to overhaul the judiciary, as coalition lawmakers said they were willing to discuss some parts of the proposal, but unwilling to fold on others.

Opinion and Analysis

Regional Monarchs Nervously Watching Events in Israel-Palestine, Responsible Statecraft
Giorgio Cafiero discusses how the Israeli governmnent’s recent actions — along with the escalation of violence in the West Bank — impact countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Israeli Protestors’ Only Option: Winning, Haaretz
Zvi Bar’el writes, “This protest hasn’t taken to the streets to engage in discussions but rather to defeat the government’s destructive plans and to underline the message that winning an election is a necessary condition for governing, but it doesn’t justify trampling fundamental values. It also demonstrates that half of the Israeli public cannot be treated like gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe.”