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.
Midterm Roundup: Democratic Dough Keeps Rising, NBC News
“Maryland’s 4th District: Two Jewish groups have split over the Democratic primary, with J Street Action Fund launching an ad attacking Glenn Ivey and boosting former Rep. Donna Edwards. United Democracy Project, a super PAC with ties to AIPAC, launched an ad attacking Edwards.”
EU Envoy Calls for ‘International Pressure’ to Halt Evictions of Palestinians, The Times of Israel
An EU envoy warned Thursday over the possible mass displacement of Palestinians from a West Bank area at the center of a protracted legal battle, after a controversial Israeli court ruling. The European Union’s ambassador to the Palestinians, Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff, issued the warning as he toured Masafer Yatta in the West Bank, where evictions of Palestinians have increased after they lost a land rights case in Israel’s top court on May 4.
Palestinian President and Israeli Defense Minister Meet, AP
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met Thursday in the occupied West Bank to discuss security coordination ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to the region next week. The peace process collapsed more than a decade ago. High-level meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders are rare and tend to focus on day-to-day economic and security coordination.
Lapid to IDF Officers: Our Mission Is To Restore Trust in Democracy, IDF, Each Other, The Times of Israel
In his first speech as prime minister at an official ceremony, Yair Lapid said on Thursday that Israel is “stronger, more sophisticated, and tougher” than its enemies, but that it must work to “restore trust” in state institutions.
Blinken to Lapid: U.S. Wants To See Accountability for Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, Axios
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in a phone call on Wednesday that the Biden administration wants to see accountability for the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Israeli officials had hoped that Monday’s State Department statement on the investigation into the death of Abu Akleh would have put the issue behind them, but Blinken’s comments signal the U.S. wants the Al Jazeera journalist’s case to stay at the forefront.
Israel Asks Saudi Arabia To Allow Direct Flights for Muslim Pilgrims on Way to Mecca, The Times of Israel
Israel has asked Saudi Arabia to allow direct flights from Tel Aviv to the Muslim kingdom ahead of this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, expected to be the most prominent Islamic pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic upended the annual event — a key pillar of Islam.
In Call, Lapid, Abbas Discuss Ongoing Cooperation, ‘Need to Maintain Calm’, Haaretz
Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spoke over the phone on Friday, their first discussion since Lapid assumed his role. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Abbas congratulated Lapid on taking the position, and Lapid wished him a blessed Eid al-Adha.
Israel’s Coalition Didn’t Fail. It Set a New Bar., The New York Times
Shmuel Rosner, political editor at The Jewish Journal, argues, “Now Israelis will be once more on their way to the polls — their fifth election in four years — with the realistic prospect of yet another near tie that could force legislators to consider creative alliances. Could there be another Jewish-Arab partnership? The answer is yes, but to make it successful, perceptions must evolve…Whatever happens, a once unthinkable coalition created just over 365 days ago opened the gate to a new and thrilling possibility of cooperation. A dam has broken.”