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.
Netanyahu Delivers a Forceful Defense of Israel to Applause in Congress, The New York Times
Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel advocacy group, criticized the speech for failing to offer “an actual plan for ending the war and bringing real security and peace to the region.” In a statement, he added: “His empty calls for ‘total victory’ are simply an illusion, as there is no military solution to the underlying conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.”
In Netanyahu’s Triumphal Moment, the Heartbreak and Disdain of the Outside World Creeps In, JTA
J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East lobby, counted 68 Democrats and one Republican who boycotted the speech, more than the 58 Democrats who were absent when Netanyahu last appeared at a joint meeting in 2015. At that time, he was directly rebuking President Barack Obama, whereas on Wednesday every mention of Biden was made in praise.
Fading Hope for the Two-state Solution in Israel, Boston Globe
To some enduring members of the peace camp, the shift right may be a temporary reaction to Oct. 7. “People are now traumatized and fearful, and that’s why they become more hawkish,” says Nadav Tamir, the executive director at J Street, a liberal Jewish lobbying group in the United States. But he adds that a two-state solution is the only way to achieve peace and security for Israel. “I think the peace camp will revive,” he says.
J Street Responds to Netanyahu’s Divisive July 24 Address to Congress, J Street
“This was as divisive a speech as many of us feared,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “While Israeli hostage families were outside calling for a hostage release deal, Netanyahu was inside trying to push any kind of ceasefire further from reach. Rather than calm tensions in the United States, he stoked them by attacking protesters and those concerned about civilian casualties. Rather than outline a plan for the future, he offered excuses for his failures. Heavy on spin and saber-rattling, light on any actual plan for peace and security.”
J Street Welcomes Huge Congressional Attendance at Meeting with Israeli Families of Gaza Hostages, J Street
“Everyone in Washington needs to look beyond Netanyahu’s spin and political games, and listen to the people like these families who represent the overwhelming majority of Israelis. They want this war to end, the hostages to be freed, and a path charted toward a better and more secure future for Israelis and Palestinians,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.
Netanyahu Dismisses Critics, Scolds Protesters in Defiant Speech to Congress, The Washington Post
A defiant Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday, dismissed as “utter nonsense” criticisms by the United Nations, human rights groups and the International Criminal Court. The Israeli prime minister told U.S. lawmakers that Israel will settle for “nothing less” than total victory over Hamas, and described a vision for postwar Gaza seemingly at odds with the terms of a peace deal advocated by the Biden administration.
Relatives of Israeli Hostages Want Cease-Fire Deal From Netanyahu Speech, NPR
“What we’re all hoping to hear is that a deal has been completed,” Efrat Moshkoviz told NPR. She is the aunt of Naama Levy, who turned 20 in captivity last month. “To be slightly more realistic, I want to hear explicit commitment. I want Netanyahu to look us in the eye, all of the hostage families, and say, ‘I am committed to this. I will get this done. It’s my top priority and it’s a matter of hours or days.’”
Israeli Military Recovers Five Hostages’ Bodies in Gaza, BBC
The bodies of kindergarten teacher Maya Goren as well as the soldiers Major Ravid Aryeh Katz, Master Sergeant Oren Goldin, Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas and Sergeant Kiril Brodski were found during an operation in the Khan Younis area. The military said it had determined that Ms Goren was murdered in captivity, while the soldiers were killed in combat on 7 October and their bodies then abducted. The announcement means 111 of the 251 people taken hostage are still being held in Gaza, including 39 who the military says are presumed dead.
Nearly 100 Democrats – Many Boycotting PM – Meet with Hostage Families at Capitol, The Times of Israel
Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle Gadi Mozes is being held by Hamas, tells the lawmakers: “Citizens should not have to actively engage in being the voice of their beloved ones who are held underground term in underground tunnels.” “This should have been the first priority of our representatives in the Israeli government and our prime minister.”
Netanyahu Labels Critics of War in Gaza ‘Iran’s Useful Idiots’ in Speech to Congress, CNN
Netanyahu painted protesters with a broad brush, claiming that “many choose to stand with evil” and that “they stand with Hamas” and “rapists and murderers.”
Netanyahu Sketches Vague Outline for Post-war Gaza, Reuters
He said his post-war vision was of a “demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza” led by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. U.S. officials have repeatedly pressed Netanyahu to present a “day after” plan for Gaza. Netanyahu has said Israel would not allow Hamas to return to power but would also not accept the Palestinian Authority.
US Flag Set Ablaze, 23 Arrested as Thousands Protest Netanyahu’s DC Visit, The Washington Post
Though most demonstrators walked and chanted peacefully, there were some clashes with law enforcement, and D.C. police and Capitol Police said they arrested 15 people in total. The U.S. Park Police arrested eight people.
Harris Navigates Biden and Netanyahu as She Considers Her Stance on Israel, CNN
She has been concerned since right after October 7 both about expressing empathy for the Palestinians and about thinking of what the political reverberations could be back home from the way Biden hugged Netanyahu close, figuratively and then literally on his trip to Israel two weeks after the attacks.
Netanyahu Will Meet with Biden and Harris at a Crucial Moment for the US and Israel, AP
Critics of Biden’s handling of the Gaza war will also be watching Harris’ interaction with Netanyahu and what she has to say in the days to come about the conflict. Voters in electoral battlegrounds where anger over Gaza has become a key issue are waiting to see if Harris will be “turning the page on Biden’s disastrous policy,” said Layla Elabed, a leader in the “uncommitted” movement of voters that has threatened to withhold support from Biden because of Gaza.
Israeli Gov’t Urges Top Court to Reject PA Petition Against Terror Victim Compensation Law, Haaretz
Besides the prospect of economic collapse, the petition states that these laws will “harm the civilian lives of Palestinians who are defined as ‘protected residents,’ while violating the international law that give the PA ‘top’ standing and obliges Israel, as the occupying force, to treat the protected Palestinians in a certain way.”
I’m the Youngest Jewish Member of Congress. Here’s Why I’m Not Attending Netanyahu’s Address., MSNBC
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs shares, “Growing up, I was taught about Jews’ sacred task of tikkun olam – to repair the world. It’s our responsibility as Jews to speak out against injustice and work to make the world a better place. It is because of my Jewish upbringing and values that I can’t attend Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address.”
Fact Focus: A Look at Netanyahu’s Claims About Israel, Hamas and Iran During His Speech to Congress, AP
Laurie Kellman reports, “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his country’s conduct in the devastating Gaza war, urged the U.S. to support the fight against Hamas and ridiculed protesters during a scathing address to Congress. But he also cited an unverified intelligence report and ignored much of the criticism in a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza. […] Here’s a look at the facts.”
What Kamala Harris Really Thinks About Israel and Gaza, Vox
Nicole NareaI writes, “In a high-profile speech in March, she became the first person in the Biden administration to call for an immediate ceasefire, albeit only a temporary one. She also said that the Israeli government must do more to increase the flow of aid to Gaza, ‘no excuses,’ and called the situation in Gaza a ‘humanitarian catastrophe.’ The version of the speech that was ultimately delivered had reportedly been softened from its original draft, which more directly criticized Israel for its obstruction of aid trucks into Gaza.”
‘He Should Go and Stay’: As Netanyahu Visits Congress, Israelis at Home Are Tired of the Act, The Forward
Rob Eshman shares, “How do Israelis feel about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s much-scrutinized diplomatic trip to Washington, D.C.? ‘Honestly, no one here cares,’ one college student who recently returned from reserve duty in Gaza said. ‘We all have bigger problems.’ On this kibbutz just 20 miles from the Gaza border, none of the Israelis I spoke with are impressed with Netanyahu for making the trip, or excited about its potential results.”
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