Why Being a Liberal Jew Feels So Lonely and Exhausting Right Now, Substack
J Street Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg writes, “What are liberal American Jews to do with this situation where the US government, Israeli government, some progressive allies, and some mainstream Jewish organizations are all coming up short in different ways? The good news is that there is a lot to do and many good options for how to do it.”
Pro-Israel Jewish Democrats Say Zohran Mamdani’s Israel Stances Are Cause for Concern, but Not Panic, JTA
“‘It’s a consensus across the Democratic Party that something like ‘globalizing the intifada’ is deeply offensive, and it would behoove Mamdani to actually acknowledge that,’ said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the founder and president of J Street, a Jewish Middle East policy group that emphasizes a two-state outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is often critical of the Israeli government.”
We Must Distinguish Between Civilians and Combatants, The Times of Israel
J Street Israel Director Nadav Tamir writes, “Too many Israelis do not distinguish between Hamas and the residents of Gaza. According to a survey by the Accord Center, 64% of the Israeli public strongly agree with the shocking statement that there are no innocent people in Gaza. This battle cry has become the national alibi for justifying the extensive immoral harm to civilians in Gaza. Only too often have I heard the disgraceful statement that children who are killed in Gaza were about to become future terrorists.”
Trump Says Israel Agrees to 60-day Cease-fire Terms, Threatens Hamas if It Rejects Proposal, Haaretz
“Though Trump’s Truth Social post alludes to significant developments, he finds himself in a similar position that his predecessor US President Joe Biden and his current Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff have faced: Hamas is demanding a deal that includes guarantees concerning a permanent end to hostilities and a guarantee that Israel will not simply resume fighting following the end of the temporary truce.”
Hamas Says It’s Open to a Gaza Truce but Stops Short of Accepting a Trump-Backed Proposal, AP
“Hamas suggested Wednesday that it was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but stopped short of accepting a U.S.-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza.”
Trump’s Envoy to Meet Netanyahu Aide to Discuss Post-War Gaza Ideas, Axios
“Witkoff is expected to brief Dermer on efforts to secure a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas that would include the release of 10 living hostages and the return of 15 bodies, according to sources familiar with the talks.”
5 Illegal West Bank Outposts Razed by Security Services After Attacks on IDF Troops, The Times of Israel
“The enforcement activity comes against the background of the Har Hatzor incident, as well as a violent protest by radical settler activists at the Binyamin Regional Brigade military base in the West Bank, and an arson attack at an IDF security installation in the territory.”
Top Iran Official Survived Israeli Strike, The New York Times
“Admiral Shamkhani had not been seen or heard from publicly since the attack, fueling reports that he was dead. But on Saturday, he attended the funeral procession, wearing a black suit and shirt, and struggling to walk while clutching a cane. He appeared visibly weak, his face thinner, and his back and shoulders hunched over.”
Iranian Authorities Make Sweeping Arrests in Wake of War with Israel, The Washington Post
“In the week since a ceasefire was declared, security forces have erected checkpoints in Tehran and other cities and urged citizens to report anything suspicious. The Iranian parliament also announced an emergency bill that includes harsher punishments for espionage, including the death penalty, and the judiciary said it had ordered the creation of special courts to swiftly handle ‘traitors and mercenaries.’”
In an Attack at Sunset, Israelis Set a Palestinian Village Ablaze, The New York Times
Fatima AbdulKarim writes, “At the Afeef family’s home on the outskirts, a mother was putting her newborn to sleep in a ground-floor bedroom. Another relative was pulling up outside with her four young children in the car. That calm was shattered soon afterward when scores of Israelis, many masked, descended on the village by foot and in vehicles, according to witnesses and local officials. The attackers hurled Molotov cocktails and set homes and cars on fire, the witnesses and local officials said. The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of Israeli civilians had set Palestinian property ablaze.”
After Zohran Mamdani’s Upset, There’s a Way Forward for Pro-Israel Progressives, JTA
Benjamin Ross writes, “Walking away from the historic Jewish commitment to social justice for all is not just morally wrong. It also fails to protect our own interests. As the stunning collapse of Andrew Cuomo’s campaign illustrates, defense of the status quo is a losing political strategy. The Jewish community must rethink its progressivism, not abandon it.”
“Israel’s Strategic and Diplomatic Posture: A Time of Opportunity and Risk, The Jerusalem Post
Jeremy Issacharoff writes, “While there have been undeniable military successes since October 7, the lack of a coherent strategic vision is steadily eroding these gains, which can only be preserved through diplomacy. Preventing Iran from resuming its nuclear program, either openly or covertly, will require a US-Iran agreement that enforces zero enrichment, prohibits nuclear fuel cycle activities and centrifuge production, and imposes full disclosure with intrusive IAEA inspections.”