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.
Wednesday July 7 at 12:00pm Eastern: The Realities of the Israeli Occupation: A Deep Dive into Creeping, De Facto Annexation
New Israeli government suffers first major legislative setback on controversial ‘citizenship’ law, CNN
The new Israeli government suffered its first major setback in the early hours of Tuesday morning when it failed to secure enough votes to extend a regulation that effectively bars Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza married to Israelis from becoming citizens. The coalition had agreed to amend the law to grant 1,600 Palestinians living in Israel residency visas, while allowing for a six-month extension to find solutions for thousands of other Palestinians living in Israel. But the law failed to pass in the Knesset with lawmakers voting 59-59 after the opposition Likud Party and its allies voted against extending the ordinance, in a move aimed at hurting the new coalition government, even though in principle the party supports the law.
Can America and Iran revive their nuclear deal?, The Economist
The Grand Hotel on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, the city’s elegant boulevard, is a felicitous spot for nuclear diplomacy. It is not just the opulent surroundings or the unlimited coffee. The hotel was also the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea), the world’s nuclear watchdog, for 22 years. Yet the diplomats that have gathered there for six rounds of talks since April, most recently on June 20th, have had little luck so far. And time may be running short.
Israel’s New Government Shouldn’t Give Up on Peace, Bloomberg
The Bloomberg editorial board writes, “Doing nothing is a formula for escalating conflict. Furthermore, the calculus that yielded the Oslo Accords nearly 30 years ago is still true: No one has presented a plausible one-state solution that would let Israel remain both Jewish and democratic. Unless Palestinians have their own nation, it’s hard to see how Israel can avoid becoming the illiberal state its critics say it already is.”
As Secular Peace Effort Stutters in Israel, Religious Mediators Hope to Step In, New York Times
The inclusion of an Islamist party in Israel’s government has spurred a group of imams and rabbis hoping to build a religious-based peace movement.
Ayman Odeh still wants to be Israel’s first Palestinian prime minister, +972 Magazine
In his first interview following the new government’s formation, the Joint List head talks Ra’am’s decision to join the coalition, his steadfast support for two states, and why he thinks he can lead Israel’s democratic camp to victory.
Israel arrests Palestinian rights lawyer who protested Abbas, AP
A Palestinian human rights lawyer was detained by Israeli forces early Sunday after taking part in a protest in the occupied West Bank against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, his rights group said.
Reporting on Israel: ‘Thirty years on, we are still covering the same old enmities’, The Guardian
The Guardian’s outgoing Jerusalem correspondent Oliver Holmes talks to predecessor Ian Black about how much – and how little – the job has changed over the years
France, Germany, China push to revive Iran nuclear talks, AP
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed there is “a window of opportunity” now for talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the French presidency said. The three leaders, who spoke via videoconference on Monday, agreed on the need to move negotiations forward in order to get a deal “as soon as possible” and avoid the risk of nuclear proliferation, a French top official said.
Separated Palestinian families ready for end to Israel Citizenship Law, Jerusalem Post
Up to 45,000 Arab families are affected by the law that prevents Palestinian spouses from living in Israel, but some slam this week’s Knesset vote as ‘political theater.’
The Real Reason Lapid Went to Abu Dhabi, Foreign Policy
Aaron David Miller writes, “The selection shows an Israeli government eager to double down on ties with Arab countries rather than address the Palestinian issue at home.”
There is no ‘third way’ for Iran diplomacy, The Hill
Bryan Bowman writes, “This increasingly volatile situation will only continue to spiral further out of control without a return to diplomacy, which remains the only viable way for Biden to fulfill his vow to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. Without a swift return to the Iran nuclear deal, Biden faces the risk of a nuclear crisis that could quickly escalate to a devastating war. There is no ‘third way.’”
Netanyahu’s Glee Aside, Bennett’s Defeat on Citizenship Law Is a Promising Step for Israel, Haaretz
Noa Landau writes, “The coalition’s failure on annual vote to deny Palestinian spouses official status was a coup for Netanyahu camp, but it also steers public debate in the right direction and rectifies years-long collective discrimination”
U.S. Support Is Keeping the Undemocratic Palestinian Authority Alive, Foreign Policy
Omar Rahman writes, “Mahmoud Abbas’s unelected and illegitimate government is becoming increasingly violent, but Washington’s largesse is keeping it in power.”