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.
We Must Not Go Down This Road in America, J Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami shares, “Condemning political violence does not mean one has to stop speaking out about the stakes of the moment. It does not mean we cannot be clear in our assessment of the dangers posed by one or another political leader or party. Indeed, it would be a disservice to all that is at stake – for the democratic future we believe in – if a horrendous event such as Saturday’s attack derailed our country’s ability to have an open and honest conversation about the choice ahead and its implications.”
The Trump–Vance Ticket Is a Disaster for America’s Democracy and Israel’s Future, J Street
“A Trump-Vance White House would be a disaster for America’s democracy, the Jewish community, and Israel’s long-term future as a proud, safe and democratic homeland for the Jewish people. JD Vance has said it is ‘right’ for American Jews to be ‘ashamed’ of voting for President Biden, defended Trump after dining with antisemitic white supremacist Nick Fuentes, and has repeatedly echoed the racist, antisemitic “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which has led to lethal attacks on Jews and immigrants.”
In First Remarks as Trump’s VP Pick, J.D. Vance Urges Israel to Finish Gaza War ‘As Quick as Possible’, Haaretz
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami, whose organization is much more critical of Israeli policy than DMFI, warned about the consequences a Trump-Vance administration would have on Israeli policy. “With Trump and Vance in the White House, the Israeli right would have full U.S. support for their wildest fantasies – a judicial coup, West Bank annexation, settlements in Gaza and military confrontations with both Hezbollah and Iran. […] Vance will enthusiastically help bulldoze the democratic foundations of our union, embed antisemitic and conspiracy theories deeper into our society, and hand victory to Putin in Ukraine. We cannot afford to have Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in the White House.”
Liberal Jewish Groups Blast Trump’s VP Pick: Vance Voted Against Israel Aid, Promoted Antisemitic Conspiracies, The Times of Israel
“Vance has said it is ‘right‘ for American Jews to be ‘ashamed’ of voting for President Biden, defended Trump after dining with antisemitic white supremacist Nick Fuentes,” says a statement from J Street. “He has implied that Palestinian refugees are ‘terrorist sympathizers’ and described providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian citizens as ‘stupid,’” J Street adds.
Israel in Talks Over Withdrawing From Egypt-Gaza Border, Officials Say, The New York Times
Israel and Egypt have privately discussed a possible withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza’s border with Egypt, according to two Israeli officials and a senior Western diplomat, a shift that could remove one of the main obstacles to a cease-fire deal with Hamas. The discussions between Israel and Egypt are among a flurry of diplomatic actions on multiple continents aimed at achieving a truce and putting the enclave on a path toward postwar governance.
What a JD Vance Vice Presidency Would Mean for American Jews and Israel, The Forward
Vance was also a promoter of replacement theory during the 2022 campaign, versions of which implicate Jews as the orchestraters of a plan to replace white Americans with people of color. He warned of an immigrant “invasion” ahead of the midterm elections to influence the vote.
Far-Right Groups That Block Aid to Gaza Receive Tax-Deductible Donations from US and Israel, AP
Three groups that have prevented humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza — including one accused of looting or destroying supplies — have raised more than $200,000 from donors in the U.S. and Israel, The Associated Press and the Israeli investigative site Shomrim have found in an examination of crowdfunding websites and other public records.
Hospital Officials Say an Israeli Airstrike Has Killed 17 Palestinians in a Gaza ‘Safe Zone’,, AP
The strikes late Monday and early Tuesday hit four residential homes, according to emergency workers. An Associated Press journalist saw the bodies of the dead, some wrapped in blue blankets and a floral sheet, as they were ferried to Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah.
EU Imposes Sanctions on Five Israeli Individuals and Three Entities, Reuters
The list included Tzav 9, a group which it said had regularly blocked humanitarian aid trucks delivering food, water and fuel to the Gaza Strip. Also on the list were Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the Lehava organization, and Isaschar Manne, whom the EU described as the founder of an unauthorised outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
DNC Committee to Vote Today on 2024 Platform, Jewish Insider
The platform, portions of which — relating to Israel and antisemitism — were obtained by Jewish Insider, maintains the party’s support for President Joe Biden’s efforts to “build a durable peace in the Middle East, bolstered by regional integration” and “a strong coalition to counter and deter Iran” and a “negotiated two-state solution that ensures Israel as a Jewish and Democratic state with recognized borders and upholds the right of Palestinians to live in freedom and security in a viable state of their own.
Israel Allows UN to Bring Armored Vehicles, Protection Gear for Its Gaza Aid Workers, The Times of Israel
The UN has long complained of obstacles to getting aid into Gaza — Israel inspects and approves all trucks — and says it is also struggling to distribute aid amid “total lawlessness” within the enclave.
Netanyahu Ordered Israeli Army to Turn Off Recording of Meetings After October 7, Haaretz
Normally, the recording system is in automatic operation and records everything that takes place in the command center at army headquarters, but immediately after the war started, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered all recordings to be turned off. The army complied with this order.
Biden Says He Considers Himself a Zionist, Adds That He’s Done ‘More for the Palestinian Community Than Anybody’, CNN
“You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, and a Zionist is about whether or not Israel is a safe haven for Jews because of their history of how they’ve been persecuted,” Biden said. The president also touted his efforts to get aid into the beleaguered enclave. He also said, “I have been very supportive of the Palestinians, but Hamas, they’re a bunch of thugs.”
Facing Manpower Shortage, Government Backs Raising Mandatory IDF Service to 3 Years, The Times of Israel
The decision will apply to soldiers currently serving, as well as to women serving in positions whose service period is equal to that of men in the same roles. All soldiers who serve more than 28 months will receive an unspecified bonus.
Palestinians Can’t Sue over Biden Support of Israel in Gaza War, Court Rules, Reuters
A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a lawsuit by Palestinian rights activists accusing the Biden administration of being complicit in genocide in Gaza by continuing to provide Israel military, diplomatic and financial support.
US-Made Munitions Used in Israeli Strike On Gaza School That Killed 22, Experts Say, CNN
Weapons experts have identified the remnants of two US-made munitions used in an Israeli missile strike Sunday on a school in central Gaza that according to local authorities killed at least 22 people. Hundreds were taking refuge at the former school in Nuseirat when it was struck by two missiles.
Palestinian Factions, Including Hamas and Fatah, to Meet in China in July, Reuters
The meetings come amid rising tensions between the two factions over Hamas’ continued war with Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads the Fatah movement, has previously criticized the Islamist Hamas group for the war, while Hamas has accused the Palestinian president of taking Israel’s side.
For a Moment, Gazans Had Hope the War Would End. Now They Feel They’ve Been Abandoned, Haaretz
Jack Khoury writes, “The feeling is also of a disconnect between Palestinians in Gaza and the leadership in Ramallah. Saturday’s statement by the Office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which partly blamed the strike in Khan Yunis on Hamas, was perceived in Gaza as an attempt by the Palestinian Authority to intensify the division rather than supporting the people.”
What Will Vance Do for Trump’s Foreign Policy?, Responsible Statecraft
Daniel Larison reports, “Like Trump, Vance also holds some very hawkish foreign policy views. He has attacked Biden for ‘micromanaging’ Israel’s war in Gaza, and he agrees with Trump that the Israeli government should ‘finish the job.’ He has taken a remarkably hardline position on the war and U.S. support for it. He has said, ‘don’t use America’s leverage to effectively cause the Israelis to pull back here.’”
For Palestinian Parents, Every Day of This War Provokes Existential Anxiety, +972
Abed Abou Shhadeh shares, “Every day, Palestinian parents face this ongoing dilemma: do we cling to our land, or ensure our children’s safety and leave? The potential for destruction spans from the river to the sea; despite our relative safety, we as Palestinians inside Israel are also vulnerable, lacking any institution to protect us or to speak on our behalf internationally.”
A Palestinian American Raises More than $1 Million to Feed His Family and Others in Gaza, NPR
Marisa Peñaloza speaks with Hani Almadhoun, a Palestinian American who is the Director of UNRWA USA, “In those first few months after the conflict started, Almadhoun tried to engage U.S. officials, attending meetings at the White House and the State Department, but he became discouraged, he says. ‘Sometime in January, I realized that this is not about the United States,’ he recalled thinking. ‘We can only save ourselves.’ […] He created a GoFundMe in February. He set a goal to raise $25,000. Today, people are still giving, and so far he’s raised more than a million dollars.”
Know someone who may be interested in receiving this newsletter? Did a friend forward you this email and you want to subscribe? Sign up for the J Street News Roundup here.