News Roundup for February 19, 2026
ICYMI: Are We On the Brink?, Word on the Street
J Street Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg and Vice President of Government Affairs Hannah Morris met with J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami from Jerusalem to discuss the looming possibility of war with Iran.
Dan Goldman, in Heated NY-10 Primary, Defends His Pro-Israel Stance as Consistent With His ‘Progressive Values’, JTA
“Goldman has earned the imprimatur of J Street, the liberal pro-Israel lobby, as well as AIPAC. ‘My view is that I will work with both, I will challenge both, and I will continue to work based on my independent and knowledgeable view of what I believe is best for the survival and thriving of the State of Israel,’ he said.”
UN Warns Gaza ‘Not at Peace’ as West Bank Faces ‘Serious Risk of Explosion’, The National
“‘The de facto annexation is occurring daily, and recent steps towards the annexation further endanger prospect for a negotiated solution,'” J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir told the UN Security Council. “‘Palestinian communities are being displaced through terror perpetrated by organised extremist settlers.'”
UN Security Council Members Blast Israel’s West Bank Plans on Eve of Trump’s Board of Peace Meeting, AP
“Hiba Qasas, a Palestinian who is founding executive director of Geneva-based Principles for Peace Foundation, and Nadav Tamir, a former Israeli diplomat who is executive director of J Street Israel, both said they represent a strong coalition of Israelis and Palestinians who believe the only way to end the conflict is through a two-state solution.”
Biss, Illinois Democratic Candidates Blast Reported Aipac Involvement in Congressional Races, The Daily Northwestern
“At the news conference, Biss countered that campaign support from super PACs like 3.14 and J Street, a progressive Jewish lobbying group, is displayed prominently on his campaign website and quarterly financial reports. The mayor contrasted these public-facing groups with PACs like ECW, which he said are ‘registered to phone numbers that don’t answer and email addresses that nobody monitors.'”
Trump Officials Plan to Build 5,000-Person Military Base in Gaza, Files Show, The Guardian
“The plans reviewed by the Guardian call for the phased construction of a military outpost that will eventually have a footprint of 1,400 metres by 1,100 metres, ringed by 26 trailer-mounted armored watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers, and a warehouse for military equipment for operations. The entire base will be encircled with barbed wire.”
Trump’s Board of Peace Convening for 1st Time, as US Bullish on Disarmament Prospects, Times of Israel
“While the US is branding Thursday’s gathering as an inaugural meeting, Board of Peace members met last month in Switzerland for a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.”
Trump Is Hurtling Towards a Catastrophic War in Iran, and Almost Nothing Can Stop Him, Haaretz
Joshua Leifer writes, “From the beginning, the ongoing diplomatic efforts have been shadowed by the U.S. military buildup in the region; notwithstanding Trump’s stated preference for a deal, the American posture has generally faced towards war.”
