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.
Takeaways From Maryland-04: GOP-Aligned Millions Should Not Shape Democratic Primary Results, J Street
J Street’s Vice President of Public Affairs, Kevin Rachlin, released the following statement on the results of the Democratic congressional primary in Maryland’s 4th district: “While we in the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement are disappointed in the outcome of this race, we’re proud of our endorsee Donna Edwards for running a principled, hard-fought campaign, and we congratulate her opponent Glenn Ivey on his victory…It’s extremely harmful to the Democratic party when a group that endorses over 100 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election on January 6th, and that is funded in part by Republican billionaires, spends seemingly unlimited sums of money to decisively shape the outcome of Democratic primaries. Democratic voters deserve to know that a Republican-aligned group with right-wing foreign policy views is pouring millions into Democratic primaries – yet far too many remain in the dark about this dramatic new trend in our politics.”
Israeli Forces Evacuate Short-lived Outposts Set Up by West Bank Settler Movement, Haaretz
Israeli forces evacuated day-old encampments and detained several activists on Thursday morning, after thousands of far-right settlers affiliated with the Nachala settler organization attempted to set up five new outposts across the West Bank on Wednesday. The evacuation put a stop to an operation the movement had been preparing over the course of recent months.
Israel Acknowledges Use of Attack Drones for First Time, AP
The Israeli military on Wednesday confirmed one of its worst-kept secrets, publicly acknowledging for the first time that it uses unmanned aerial vehicles to carry out attacks. Israel is a world leader in UAV technology. But until Wednesday, the military censor barred official confirmation of the use of attack drones.
One Dead, Two Wounded in Separate Shootings in Arab Community Overnight, Haaretz
A 23-year-old man was shot dead Thursday in the Bedouin city of Rahat in southern Israel. Israel’s police opened a probe into the suspected murder. Two more men sustained gunshot wounds in a separate shooting incident in the Arab town of Reineh in the country’s north.
Former Israeli PM Denies Blame for Deadly Stampede, ABC
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified on Thursday that he bears no responsibility for the safety gaps that led to a deadly stampede that killed 45 people last year. The incident, which was the worst civilian disaster in the country’s history, took place on Mount Meron in northern Israel during a Jewish festival in April 2021.
Hezbollah Threatens War Over Lebanon-Israel Maritime Border Dispute, Axios
With the U.S., Israeli and Lebanese governments hoping to finally reach a deal on the disputed Israel-Lebanon maritime border, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah again threatened war if Lebanon’s “rights” in the Mediterranean aren’t respected.
12 Arrested in West Bank Operation, Violent Clashes Reported in Ramallah, Jenin, The Times of Israel
Israeli security forces arrested 12 Palestinian suspects throughout the West Bank overnight Thursday, with violent confrontations reported in some areas. As part of the arrest operation, Israeli troops entered the towns of Huwara, Salem, Bir Zayt, Al-Yamun and Einabus among others to arrest individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity, the Israeli military said.
Two States: Still the Best Solution for an Israeli-Palestinian Future, Haaretz
Ami Ayalon, Gilead Sher and Orni Petruschka write, “It is clearer now that there are no shortcuts to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, contrary to what Trump and Netanyahu would have liked us to believe with the festivities over the Abraham Accords. For us and those like us, Israelis who do not shy away from both love of our country and concern about its future as the democratic and secure nation-state of the Jewish people, the spirit of the Declaration of Independence is a lodestar. Whenever liberal Zionist patriots like us, who served the country without batting an eye, do not deal with the occupation and its consequences, we abandon the arena and allow the continuation of the creeping annexation process. And every day that passes without advancing toward disengaging from the Palestinians and ending the occupation, the creeping annexation distances us from the possibility of changing reality.”
Biden Leaves Palestinians – And Israelis – Without Hope for Peace, The Times of Israel
Bishara A. Bahbah argues, “Despite the pressing need to restart peace now between Israel and the Palestinians, the Biden administration appears to have concluded that with minimal incidents of violence in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, Israel can live with the status quo for a very long time – allowing it to keep expanding Jewish settlements throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem and consolidating control over the Palestinian political structure, the Palestinian Authority.”