News Roundup for February 6, 2026
Qatargate: Explaining Israel’s Wartime Foreign Influence Scandal, Word on the Street
J Street Policy Fellow Yael Patir writes, “Qatargate is especially sensitive given Qatar’s indispensable role in the past and future of Gaza. Before October 7, Netanyahu long maintained a policy of allowing Qatari funds into Gaza. This policy was based on flawed thinking that keeping the West Bank and Gaza divided and propping up Hamas would effectively ‘manage’ the conflict, weaken the Palestinian Authority, and prevent Palestinian statehood. While that policy was openly debated and coordinated with international actors, Qatargate suggests that Israeli government engagement with Qatar may have extended beyond official channels.”
How AIPAC Could Help Elect the Next Member of the Squad, HuffPost
“Others simply did not see the strategy in turning on a former ally, especially one seen as the frontrunner in the race. ‘It feels like a case of mistaken identity,’ said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of the moderate pro-Israel group J Street. ‘I cannot, for the life of me, understand the theory behind this.'”
Private Jet Owned by Trump Friend Used by ICE to Deport Palestinians to West Bank, The Guardian
“On the morning of 21 January, Israeli authorities left eight Palestinian men at a West Bank checkpoint. Disoriented and cold, they were dressed in prison-issued tracksuits and carried their few belongings in plastic bags. Hours earlier, they had been sitting with their wrists and ankles shackled on the plush leather seats of a private jet owned by the Florida property tycoon Gil Dezer, a longtime business partner of Donald Trump.”
In Four Minutes, Israeli Settlers Descended From the Hills and Burned Down an Entire West Bank Bedouin Community, Haaretz
“Evidence from videos, satellite images and eyewitness accounts show how one of the most ruthless attacks on this small community took place last month as part of a recent wave of Jewish terrorism in the West Bank. We see how in just a few minutes the attackers – about 20 have been seen in various frames of footage – set fire to a number of structures and escaped.”
Netanyahu Suggests Top Officials to Blame for Oct. 7 Failings, New York Times
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has repeatedly refused to take direct responsibility for the security and intelligence failings that occurred on his watch in the lead-up to the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7., 2023, the bloodiest day in the country’s history. On Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu indicated that he had no intention of changing course, releasing a 55-page document that appeared to direct the blame onto others, including top security and political officials.”
U.S.-Iran Talks in Oman End With Tehran Warning of ‘Wall of Mistrust’, Haaretz
“Tehran’s leadership remains deeply concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump may still carry out his threats to strike Iran amid a buildup by the US. Before talks began, a Middle Eastern official familiar with the details told Haaretz that the sides would limit discussions to Iran’s nuclear program.”
Most US Jews Do Not Identify as ‘Zionists,’ Even When They Support Israel, JFNA Survey Finds, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
“Only one-third of American Jews say they identify as Zionist, even as nearly nine in 10 say they support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and Democratic state, according to a new survey conducted by Jewish Federations of North America. The findings of the survey reveal that American Jews do not have a mutually agreed-upon definition of Zionism — with those identifying as anti-Zionist and those identifying as Zionist ascribing sharply different meanings to the term.”
Senator Cassidy’s IHRA Crusade Is a Political Stunt, Not a Plan to Protect Jews, Times of Israel
Vice President of Government Relations at the Nexus Project Kevin Rachlin writes, “Senator Cassidy’s letter asks Mayor Mamdani many questions, but here is one question the senator must answer himself: What tangible action has he taken—beyond letters and press releases—to make Jewish Americans safer? Until he can answer that honestly, we can safely conclude that his latest oversight crusade is exactly what it appears to be: a bad-faith, cynical political exercise that exploits Jewish concerns over antisemitism, while doing nothing to address them.”
Aiding and Abetting Jewish Rioters in the West Bank, Haaretz
Former Prime Minister of Israel and J Street 2026 Convention speaker Ehud Olmert writes, “We are talking about hundreds of violent young men who could not riot without having been armed at the initiative of, and inspiration by, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. In other words, a militia is operating in the West Bank with the backing, support and aid – direct and indirect – of Israeli government officials. […] Remember the defense minister’s announcement: No more administrative detention orders against Jews. That was a clear signal to the rioters that possibly the only obstacle that might deter them has been removed.”
