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AIPAC-backed Republicans at Center of New Capitol Riot Revelations, Haaretz
Two Republican lawmakers endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee are at the center of the House of Representatives’ special investigation into the attempted insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The committee, which is investigating whether rioters had been aided by lawmakers ahead of time, released footage of Rep. Barry Loudermilk leading a tour of more than a dozen people the day before the riot. In video from the tour, in which the Georgia Republican led the group through several House office buildings connected to the Capitol by a series of tunnels, participants are seen taking pictures of entry points, security positions and office locations in what appeared to be a reconnaissance attempt.
U.S. Secretly Reviews Israel’s Plans for Strikes Against Iranian Targets in Syria, The Wall Street Journal
Israel secretly coordinates with the U.S. on many of the airstrikes it carries out in Syria as the allies face a battlefield crowded with militant groups, Iranian-backed militias and foreign militaries, according to current and former U.S. officials. American officials have said little about Israel’s bombing missions, which have been aimed at interrupting Tehran’s flow of advanced weapons to Lebanese Hezbollah and diminishing Iran’s military forces and proxies in Syria.
IDF Girds for Hamas Surprise Attack With Gaza Border Calmest It Has Been in a Decade, The Times of Israel
More than a year after the Israel Defense Forces fought an 11-day war against terrorists in the Gaza Strip, military officials on Thursday touted new defensive measures as key to maintaining one of the quietest periods in southern Israel in recent years, but warned that the Hamas terror group is working to circumvent them in a potential surprise attack.
Israel Cancels Youth Trips to Poland Over Holocaust Studies, The Washington Post
Israel has canceled educational trips to Poland for thousands of high school students this summer, claiming the Polish government is trying to control the Holocaust-studies curriculum taught to Israeli children, the Israeli foreign minister said.
Even if Israel Goes to Elections, New Government Will Face Same Problems, Arab Leader Abbas Says, Haaretz
Even if Israel heads to elections, the outcome would likely be similar and the resulting ruling coalition would face the same problems the current Israeli government faces, United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas, who holds the government’s majority in its sway, said on Thursday during a Haaretz conference focused on Jewish-Arab ties.
PA Pushing for Un Apartheid Committee on Israel, Amnesty Head Says, The Jerusalem Post
South Africa, Namibia and the Palestinian Authority are pushing to reconvene the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid so that it could end that practice by Israel against the Palestinians, Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said on Thursday.
Bennett Reportedly Weighs a Possible Alternative Government With Likud, The Times of Israel
Prime Minister Bennett discussed the possibility of setting up an alternative government with opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party during a meeting with one of his political advisers in Tel Aviv on Thursday, the Kan public broadcaster reported. Bennett’s Yamina party denied the report.
No, Ben & Jerry’s Does Not Make Its Employees Watch Videos on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, The Forward
Nora Berman writes, “The Jewish internet exploded this week over a Jewish Insider article saying that Ben & Jerry’s, which last year announced it would stop selling ice cream in the occupied West Bank, requires all new hires to watch four informational videos on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…The only problem is that the story isn’t true.”