News Roundup for February 9, 2026
Politico Playbook PM, Politico
Tali deGroot, J Street’s Vice President of Political and Digital Strategy, told Playbook that J Street Action Fund plans to “Use the funds to take on the most extreme anti-democracy members and candidates in November, specifically ones that tout their unconditional support of Israel, but then at the same time, traffic in antisemitic comments or are actively working to undermine democracy here in the U.S.”
Illinois 9th District Race Tests Long Jewish Legacy in 15-Way Democratic Party Fight to Succeed Schakowsky, Chicago Tribune
“Biss, meanwhile, has the endorsement of the more liberal pro-Israel organization, J Street, and he’s publicly criticized AIPAC’s influence in Democratic primaries.”
AIPAC Allies Picked a Candidate to Target in New Jersey. They May Have Boosted a Stronger Critic of Israel, CNN
“This is just the opening chapter,” Tali deGroot told CNN. “Even though they failed so epically (Thursday) night to elect a candidate that aligns with them, their political influence is not going away.”
What Was AIPAC Thinking When It Went After Tom Malinowski? A Lament, Word on the Street
“Armed with a war chest of $100 million, [AIPAC] is intervening aggressively in Democratic primaries – not necessarily against Israel’s harshest critics, but tipping the scale against mainstream Democrats like Malinowski or Daniel Biss (the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor running in Illinois’ 9th District) whose views sit well within the Jewish communal consensus,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes.
Trump Reverts to Diplomacy With Iran, but the Road Is Narrow, New York Times
“Mr. Trump, too, told reporters on Friday evening that the talks were off to a ‘good start,’ and that he was in ‘no rush’ to make a deal. Iran, he said, would have to agree to ‘no nuclear weapons.’”
Israeli Forces Kill Four Militants in Gaza, Farmer Also Shot Dead, Reuters
“There was no immediate comment from Hamas, but some sources close to the group identified one of those killed as Anas Annashar, the son of a former senior Hamas politician.”
Isaac Herzog Meets Survivors of Bondi Terror Attack as Thousands in Sydney and Melbourne Protest Visit, The Guardian
“Herzog’s trip – which began in Sydney on Monday morning – has prompted protests, with thousands turning out in Sydney and Melbourne to voice their opposition to his visit.”
Court Orders Ben-Gvir to Promote Officer Who Led Probe Into Netanyahu, Haaretz
“The officer, Superintendent Rinat Saban, petitioned after Ben-Gvir refused to promote her, in what appears to be a pattern by the minister affecting officers involved in the criminal proceedings against Netanyahu.”
How Crime Groups Drew a ‘Ring of Death’ Around Arab Towns That Were Once Ruled by Israeli Military Law, Haaretz
“The cancellation of the military administration did not eliminate the racially based segregation system that was instated in the country’s first years; it only became more sophisticated. You no longer needed to deal with travel permits or closures imposed on Arab communities – the boundaries imposed on Arabs inside the Jewish state became self-evident.”
