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.

The Danger From Messianic Extremists, The Times of Israel
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “The messianic visions of the three monotheistic religions are closing in on the citizens of the State of Israel and are threatening to take away from us the Zionist and secular Jewish state that our parents and grandparents sought to establish here. They also threaten those who seek peace, security, and prosperity in the region and in the entire world.”

Probe of Soldiers Over Alleged Sexual Abuse Fuels Tension Between Israeli Military and Hard-Liners, AP
Nine Israeli soldiers were due to appear before a military court for an initial hearing Tuesday over what a defense lawyer said were allegations of sexual abuse of a Palestinian at a shadowy facility where Israel has held prisoners from Gaza during the war. The soldiers’ detention Monday triggered angry protests by supporters demanding their release, including members of parliament and at least two government ministers. On Monday, several hundred protesters broke into the facility in southern Israel, known as Sde Teiman, and then later into the military base where the soldiers were being held.

Region Braces for Netanyahu to Decide Israeli Response to Golan Heights Strike, The Washington Post
Civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border braced Monday for the Israeli army to launch a counterstrike — of a scale, scope and intensity that is still unknown — after Israel’s security cabinet authorized a military response to the weekend rocket attack from Lebanon that killed 12, all teenagers and children. The region was gripped with uncertainty, hoping for a calibrated, pinpoint response but prepping for a widespread assault that diplomats warned could erupt into a regional war.

Hamas, Israel Accuse Each Other of Stalling Hostage Deal with New Demands, The Times of Israel
Hamas accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday of preventing a ceasefire in Gaza by adding new conditions and demands to a US-backed Israeli truce proposal, charges the prime minister later denied. The Palestinian terror group said it had received the latest response from Israel, following talks in Rome involving Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar. In response, the Prime Minister’s Office placed the blame squarely on Hamas.

White House: Risk of Israel-Hezbollah War Is ‘Exaggerated’, Axios
Kirby’s comment suggests the administration is trying to tone down some of the public rhetoric around the situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, while it quietly works behind the scenes to prevent a major escalation.

Prime Minister Netanyahu ‘Strongly Condemns’ Break-in Into Sde Teiman Prison Following Soldiers’ Detention, Haaretz
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “strongly condemned” the clashes that broke out at the Sde Teiman military detention center on Monday and demanded that peace be restored “immediately” after dozens of far-right protesters, including lawmakers, stormed the facility.

Turkey’s President Says His Country Could Enter Israel to Help Palestinians, The New York Times
Erdogan has raised the possibility that Turkey could enter Israel in support of the Palestinians, a significant step-up in his harsh words toward the Jewish state over the Gaza war. But it was unclear whether his comments reflected any concrete plans by Turkey or were just intended to appeal to his political base.

New British Government Mulling Arms Embargo Against Israel Over ‘Violations of International Law’, Haaretz
The impending British decision comes as no surprise to Israeli officials. International treaties to which Britain and European countries are bound prohibit arms trade with countries that violate human rights.

Gallant to PM: Check If Ben Gvir Curtailed Police Response to Mob Assault on IDF Bases, The Times of Israel
Gallant demanded an inquiry as to whether Ben Gvir, who oversees the Israel Police, had intervened to prevent or delay the force from acting to stop the riots. He also urged the prime minister to take firm action against coalition members who led protesters at the bases, warning that the incidents were a blow to the country’s security and its international standing.

New Mass Exodus Hits Central Gaza as Hamas Says Israel Stalls on Ceasefire, Reuters
Hundreds of thousands of people have converged on Deir al-Balah, a small city in the centre of the enclave that is the only major area yet to be stormed, many forced there by fighting in the ruins of Khan Younis further south since last week. In its latest assault, Israel ordered residents on Sunday to flee Al-Bureij, just northeast of Deir.

Israeli Forces End East Khan Yunis Offensive as Palestinians Recover Dozens of Gazans’ Bodies, Haaretz
Rescue services in Khan Yunis reported that rescue teams found 42 bodies among the rubble of buildings in the neighborhoods where the army operated. Gaza’s Civil Emergency Service said more searches were underway with 200 people still reported missing.

Netanyahu Met by Angry Crowd on Visit to Site of Deadly Rocket Strike in Majdal Shams, The Times of Israel
A crowd of Druze residents dressed in black gathered outside the soccer field where 12 children were killed while Netanyahu toured with local leaders, and chanted in Hebrew for him to leave. A crowd of locals — about ten rows deep — pushed up against barriers as Netanyahu toured the area, some yelling at the premier, calling him a “murderer” and demanding that he leave.

Palestinians Recount Deadly Abuse in Israeli Prisons: ‘It Is Guantánamo’, The Washington Post
Loveday Morris and Sufian Taha report, “One Palestinian inmate died with a ruptured spleen and broken ribs after being beaten by Israeli prison guards. Another met an excruciating end because a chronic condition went untreated. A third screamed for help for hours before dying. The three men are among at least 13 Palestinians from the West Bank and Israel to die in Israeli jails since Oct. 7, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel. An unknown number of prisoners from the Gaza Strip have also died. Rights groups say conditions in Israel’s jam-packed prisons have deteriorated dangerously since the Hamas attacks on Israel.”

Former Shin Bet Leader: Netanyahu and the Far-Right Threaten Israel’s Democracy, Safety and Jewish Identity, J Street
Ami Ayalon, former Director of the Shin Bet, shares, “If we continue to turn a blind eye, to remain silent, we all — the silent, the blind, the fools, and the corrupt — will find ourselves carrying the Zionist dream, realized with the establishment of the Jewish-democratic State of Israel, to its death. We are marching in a march of folly, following a weak leader who has lost his way and is politically led by a minority messianic group that believes in Rabbi Kahane’s racist and Jewish supremacist doctrine and exploits the weaknesses of democracy to bring about its collapse.”

Can Anyone Govern Gaza?, Foreign Affairs
Dan Byman writes, “If Hamas became puppet master to a generic Palestinian administrative power in Gaza, the Israeli government could publicly claim that Hamas no longer governs Gaza, and foreign governments could send aid to the territory without openly assisting a terrorist government. Ordinary Gazans could thus gain some humanitarian relief and, if all sides accepted the charade, a degree of stability. But the risks for Israel – beyond accusations of hypocrisy –would be many.”

Will Israel Go to War in Lebanon? Saturday’s Attack and What Might Come Next, Explained, The Forward
Ben Sales shares his analysis of what an Israel-Hezbollah war might look like, “Hezbollah is a much bigger force than Hamas, with more than 30,000 soldiers and an estimated 150,000 missiles. It has often boasted of being able to hit urban centers throughout Israel, including the country’s crowded central district. That would mean virtually no place in Israel would be a safe haven, and critical infrastructure would be at risk.”

The Decimation of Gaza’s Academia Is ‘Impossible to Quantify’, 972
Ibtisam Mahdi writes, “All of Gaza’s 19 universities have sustained severe damage or lie in utter ruins, with over 80 percent of university buildings destroyed. […] The annihilation of higher education is particularly tragic for Gaza’s future: this source of learning, economic growth, livelihoods, and community is now gone. But the stories of the teachers and schools we have lost, and the educational opportunities that are now foreclosed, deserve to be told.”

For Israel, Pariah Status Now Beckons, Haaretz
Alon Pinkas argues, “Israel is still strong, powerful and vibrant. It cannot be defeated externally, only by internal and internecine forces. It is held hostage by an untethered, narcissistic prime minister and an End-of-Days coalition of zealots determined to march into follies. It tragically seems to exemplify the old line: We are on the verge of the abyss but are determined to take a step forward.”

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