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.
When I Met With President Carter About Israel’s ‘Apartheid’, The Jewish News of Northern California
J Street’s Rabbi Andrew Straus writes, “Carter was a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people. His warning of ‘apartheid’ — which he also later clarified was meant to highlight the possible outcome if Israeli policies didn’t change — rings just as true today as it did in 2006. May we heed his warning and may his memory be a source of blessing and inspiration to us now.”
Marking January 6th, A Stark Reminder of What’s at Stake, J Street
“Recalling our community’s history and values, J Street remains steadfast in our commitment to the liberal and democratic principles that guide us. Over the next four years, we will do everything in our power to safeguard those principles as they face attacks and challenges.”
UAE Discusses Post-War Gaza Government With US and Israel, Reuters
The behind-the-scenes discussions, reported by Reuters for the first time, included the possibility of the UAE and the United States, along with other nations, temporarily overseeing the governance, security and reconstruction of Gaza after the Israeli military withdraws and until a Palestinian administration is able to take over, a dozen foreign diplomats and Western officials told Reuters.
Violence Surges in West Bank As Three Israelis Killed and Reprisals Reported, CNN
Multiple Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have been reported in parts of the occupied West Bank after gunmen killed three Israelis and injured eight others earlier on Monday in the latest explosion of violence there. While tensions have been rising in the West Bank for years, the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza has ushered in a volatile new chapter in the occupied territory.
US Envoy in Beirut Amid Uncertainty Over Future of Israel, Hezbollah Ceasefire, The Washington Post
Israeli troops withdrew from the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura on Monday as U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to Beirut and chaired a meeting of the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire amid growing accusations from both sides of major violations of the deal.
World Food Programme Condemns Israeli Attack on its Gaza Convoy, Reuters
The agency said the convoy of three vehicles carrying eight staff members from central Gaza to Gaza City in the north was struck by 16 bullets near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint on Sunday, causing no injuries but immobilising the convoy.
Israel To Locally Produce Heavy Bombs, Reducing Reliance on US After Shipment Holdup, The Times of Israel
The Defense Ministry on Tuesday signed two major deals with Elbit Systems for the local arms contractor to supply the military with thousands of heavy bombs and establish a new facility to manufacture raw materials. The deals were estimated at NIS 1 billion ($275 million), the Defense Ministry said.
Residents of Syria’s Quneitra Are Frustrated by Lack of Action To Halt Israeli Advance, AP
Israeli troops may advance farther or try to permanently occupy the area they have already taken. Israel still controls the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel that it captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed. The international community, with the exception of the U.S., regards it as occupied.
Historians’ Group Votes to Condemn ‘Scholasticide’ in Gaza, The New York Times
Jennifer Schuessler writes, “The Israeli military campaign, the resolution states, has ‘effectively obliterated Gaza’s education system,’ destroying 80 percent of its schools, all 12 of its universities and numerous archives, museums, cultural sites, which it says ‘will extinguish the future study of Palestinian history.’ As a basis for the charge, the resolution cites an April 2024 statement by United Nations experts, which said Israel’s ‘pattern of attacks’ amounted to ‘scholasticide.’”
American Jews Skeptical of Trump’s Ability to Combat Antisemitism, New Survey Shows, The Forward
Jacob Kornbluh shares poll results from the Jewish People Policy Insititute, “A plurality of Reform (49%) and Conservative (42%) Jews said they were ‘not at all’ confident in Trump’s ability to address antisemitism effectively. At the same time, nearly half of modern-Orthodox (44%) and Haredi (44%) respondents expressed strong confidence that Trump will handle the issue appropriately.”
Biden’s Last Multi-billion Arms Sale to Israel Leaves an Explosive Legacy, Haaretz
Ben Samuels writes, “As far as his legacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict goes, the proposed arms sale is yet another wrinkle after a series of missed opportunities to press the Israeli government as hostages remain captive and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens.”
Four Years After Jan. 6, Pardons for Rioters Would Be an Insult – and Threat – to Jews, The Forward
Rob Eshman writes, “At least 1,572 defendants have been charged in the Jan. 6 attack, and more than 1,251 have been convicted or pleaded guilty. At least 645 of those defendants have been sentenced to jail or prison for terms ranging from a few days to 22 years. Beyond individuals, many of the groups behind the riot have a track record of promoting antisemitic and white supremacist ideologies and conspiracies. The Three Percenters, QAnon, Oath Keepers and Proud Boys have all pushed Holocaust denialism and Jewish financial conspiracies.”