Smotrich’s Retaliatory Attack on West Bank Economy Undermines Israeli Safety, J Street
J Street Senior Vice President and Chief of Policy Ilan Goldenberg writes, “Minister Smotrich’s action to essentially decimate the Palestinian banking system punishes everyday Palestinians and threatens chaos in the West Bank. Smotrich has long wanted to take this step and if not reversed, it will not only lead to Palestinian suffering but put every Israeli in greater danger.”
Israeli Fire Kills 60 in Gaza, Many Near Aid Site, Medics Say, Reuters
“Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 60 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, most of them near an aid site operated by the U.S- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the centre of the enclave, local health officials said.”
Hamas Says It Killed 12 Israeli-Backed Fighters. Israeli-Supported Group Says They Were Aid Workers, AP
“A unit of Gaza’s Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early Thursday. Hours earlier, an Israel-supported aid group said Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least eight of them.”
Israel Says It Recovered the Remains of Two Hostages in Gaza, The New York Times
“‘The bodies of two of our hostages were returned to Israel,’ Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that only one of their names, Yair Yaakov, had been cleared for publication.”
Israel Considering Military Strike on Iran, Sources Say, NBC
“Israel is considering taking military action against Iran — most likely without U.S. support — in the coming days, even as President Donald Trump is in advanced discussions with Tehran about a diplomatic deal to curtail its nuclear program, according to five people with knowledge of the situation.”
Iran Threatens to Attack U.S. Forces if Israel Strikes Nuclear Sites, Newsweek
“Tehran has vowed to unleash an ‘unprecedented response’ if Israel launches a military strike on its nuclear facilities, warning that any such action would engulf the region in war and drag U.S. forces into the line of fire.”
Israel Knesset Rejects Opposition Bill to Dissolve Parliament, France 24
“Israel’s Knesset early Thursday rejected a preliminary vote to dissolve itself after a deal was reached on a military conscription dispute. The motion, which could have led to early elections polls suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose, failed 61-53. A 61-vote majority was needed in the 120-seat parliament.”
Netanyahu Asks U.S. To Broker Israel-Syria Negotiations, Axios
“Netanyahu is interested in negotiating an updated security deal and working up towards a full peace agreement, according to a senior Israeli official. These would be the first such talks between Israel and Syria since 2011, and would be particularly remarkable given recent history.”
Thousands Head to Egypt in Bid to Break Israel’s Gaza Blockade, CNN
“Thousands of activists from around the world are expected to descend on Egypt on Thursday for a ‘Global March to Gaza,’ a movement aiming to break the Israeli blockade that has pushed the territory to the brink of famine.”
MBS Attendance at 2-State Confab Could Signal France Will Recognize Palestinian State, The Times of Israel
“France is weighing whether to recognize a Palestinian state, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s attendance at a UN conference next week aimed at promoting a two-state solution will signal if Paris will go ahead with the pivotal move, four diplomats familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.”
Mike Huckabee’s Stunning, Terrifying New Gift to the Israeli Right, The Forward
Dan Perry writes, “The U.S. should be actively pressing forward with grand plans for spreading peace in the region, exploiting the current weakness of Iran. Instead, the White House appears to have chosen passivity. What Huckabee’s comments signal most powerfully is that the only international actor with massive leverage over Israel may be vacating the stage.”
Sanctioning Far-right Israeli Ministers Is the Opposite of Moral Confusion, Haaretz
The Haaretz Editorial Board writes, “The sanctions are not an expression of moral confusion, just the opposite. They are a near-desperate attempt to make a distinction between the dangerous, ultranationalist far right and a normal Israel, with which there is, ostensibly, a possibility of dialogue.”