News Roundup for January 19, 2022

January 19, 2022
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J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street’s positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.

J Street in the News

Diplomacy, Not War, With Iran, Wall Street Journal
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “Diplomacy has proven to be the only effective way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and avoid war. Leading American and Israeli security experts have made clear that there is no viable military solution to this problem. Mr. Biden would be wise to heed the words of these experts, and to ignore the latest claims of armchair generals like Messrs. Dubowitz and Kroenig.”

Top News and Analysis

Israel Demolishes Palestinian Home, Arrests Family in Flash-Point Jerusalem Neighborhood, The Washington Post
Israeli police demolished a Palestinian home in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem early Wednesday, after a surprise overnight raid and the arrest of family members and protesters. The action ended a standoff in which some family members at one point barricaded themselves on the roof and threatened to blow up the structure.

Israel to Offer More Work Permits for Palestinians, Bennett Says, Bloomberg
Israel will provide more work permits for Palestinians in the West Bank and is considering a similar move for inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday.

News

Two Israeli Soldiers Injured in West Bank Training Accident, Haaretz
Two soldiers were injured on Tuesday by shrapnel from the detonation of unexploded ordnance during training in the West Bank. The accident occurred near the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim.

UN Palestinian Refugee Agency Seeks $1.6b to Counter ‘Chronic’ Budget Shortfalls, Times of Israel
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, announced a $1.6 billion funding appeal Tuesday to help counter “chronic” budget shortfalls.

Israel Says Test of Long-Range Missile Defense System Was Successful, The Hill
Israel along with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on Tuesday successfully tested a system meant to “intercept ballistic missiles outside the earth’s atmosphere,” the countries said in a joint statement.

Israeli police accused of using Pegasus spyware on domestic opponents of Netanyahu, The Washington Post
Israeli police have used NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to remotely access, control and extract information from cellphones belonging to Israeli citizens, including leaders of a protest movement against former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to an investigation published Tuesday in the Israeli outlet Calcalist.

Possible Netanyahu Plea Deal Could Force Him Out of Politics, Axios
Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu has for several weeks been negotiating a plea agreement with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, according to Israeli media reports.

Opinion and Analysis

I Spent a Week Watching the Israeli Fox News. Here’s What I Learned, +972 Mag
Noam Sheizaf writes about his experience watching Now 14, describing it as “a look into the right’s paranoid stream of consciousness, which loathes progressives, loves settlements, and remains loyal to King Bibi.”

Planting Seeds for the Future: Two Way Street for Tu Bishvat, J Street
JTS Rabbinical Student Andy Weissfeld reflects on Tu Bishvat, writing about the famous story of Honi the Circle Maker and the carob tree, speaking both about what it is to plan for a distant future and what that means for our obligations to those yet to come. In particular, he speaks about Honi’s need for instant gratification, and how this relates to our collective hope for a just and swift solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.