Trump Has Options in Iran. None Are Likely to Help Protesters Much, Wall Street Journal
“Even a targeted strike can escalate the situation in unpredictable ways. ‘I think it has a huge potential to open up a Pandora’s box inside of Iran, where the opposition rises up momentarily, but the regime still has a lot of power,’ said Ilan Goldenberg, a former Iran team chief at the Pentagon during the Obama administration now at advocacy group J Street. ‘And that is called civil war.’
Explained: Israel’s Deregistration of International Aid Organizations, Word on the Street
J Street Policy Fellow Larry Garber and Policy Assistant Liam Hamama write, “The delivery and provision of humanitarian aid requires specialized and technical personnel, as well as deep community trust and integration, which INGOs and their personnel have built up over many years. For example, Doctors Without Borders is the second largest medical provider in the Strip, running or supporting over 20 percent of the remaining hospital beds in Gaza, and delivering one in three childbirths. Forcing these organizations to cease their operations, therefore, will worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza severely.”
Trump’s Gaza Plan Moves Forward Over Israel’s Security Cabinet’s Head, Haaretz
Jonathan Lis writes, “The series of American statements surrounding the launch of the Board of Peace in Davos indicated that the situation has slipped out of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hands. A source close to Netanyahu said Israel has been using the Rafah crossing as leverage against Hamas, which has yet to return the remains of Ran Gvili, the last deceased hostage still in Gaza. Nonetheless, the U.S.-backed administrator of Gaza said the crossing will reopen next week.”
D.H.S. Cited Foreign Students’ Writings and Protests Before Their Arrests, New York Times
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally approved the deportation of five student activists last year after receiving memos largely describing their participation in pro-Palestinian protests and their writings about the war in Gaza, according to internal government documents unsealed by a federal judge on Thursday.”
Israel’s Arab Parties Announce Plans to Unite for Joint List in Upcoming Elections, Haaretz
“The leaders of the Arab parties United Arab List, Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad announced their intention to run in the upcoming Knesset elections on a joint list at a Thursday meeting following a demonstration held in Sakhnin protesting crime and violence in the Arab community.”
Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza Than Back In, Associated Press
“Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the matter said ahead of the border’s expected opening next week. […] The three sources said that Israel also wants to establish a military checkpoint inside Gaza near the border, through which all Palestinians entering or leaving would be required to pass and be subjected to Israeli security checks.”
Trump Disinvites Canada’s Carney From Board of Peace as Spain, France Decline to Join, Times of Israel
“Ottawa had said no to request for $1 billion for a permanent seat; EU leaders express doubts about board’s scope, governance, and compatibility with UN, but endorse Gaza role.”
Trump Says U.S. ‘Armada’ Is Heading to Iran, New York Times
“‘We’re watching Iran,’ Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ‘We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens,’ he added.”
Despite Concerns, PM’s Reliance on Trump Left Him No Choice but to Join Board of Peace, Times of Israel
Jacob Magid writes, “Speaking on condition of anonymity, the [Israeli] official acknowledged that Israel has doubled down on its dependence on the US at a time when many other countries are looking to diversify their alliances. […] That has made it harder for Netanyahu to say no to Trump — whether to the president’s demand that he apologize to his Qatari counterpart for Israel’s botched strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha in September, or the Gaza ceasefire deal that Washington brokered the next month.”
Kushner’s Vision for Rebuilding Gaza Faces Major Obstacles, Associated Press
“Kushner said his reconstruction plan would only work if Gaza has ‘security’ — a big ‘if.’ It remains uncertain whether Hamas will disarm, and Israeli troops fire upon Palestinians in Gaza on a near-daily basis. Officials from the militant group say they have the right to resist Israeli occupation. But they have said they would consider ‘freezing’ their weapons as part of a process to achieve Palestinian statehood.”
