On Unity: An Open Letter to the American Jewish Establishment, Substack
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “We can take a cue that it’s OK to speak out from a former Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, who this week asked of the Netanyahu government’s Gaza policy, ‘What is it, if not a war crime.’ Or we can look to Yair Golan, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the IDF and now leader of Israel’s Democrats, who called the Netanyahu government’s actions ‘unconscionable’ and warned that Israel risks soon becoming a ‘pariah state.’”
How My Pro-Israel Life Led Me to J Street, The Times of Israel
Board Member of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region Todd Kaufman writes, “Like me (and 90 percent of American Jews), J Street understands that it is possible to be pro-Israel and still publicly disagree with the Israeli government on what is in the country’s best interests, whether it is related to its war strategy or the health of its democracy.”
Attack in Boulder, Colorado, Burns 8 People at March for Israeli Hostages, Officials Say; Suspect in Custody, CBS
“A suspect is in custody after what the FBI is calling a ‘targeted act of violence’ during a peaceful march in support of Israeli hostages at the outdoor Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. Witnesses said the suspect used a ‘makeshift flamethrower’ and threw Molotov cocktails that burned multiple victims, police and the FBI said. Boulder police say eight people were injured.”
31 Palestinians Are Killed Heading to a Gaza Aid Site, Witnesses Say. Israel Denies Responsibility, AP
“At least 31 people were killed and over 170 were wounded Sunday as large crowds were on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, health officials and witnesses said. Witnesses said Israeli forces fired toward the crowds just before dawn around a kilometer (about 1,100 yards) from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation.”
Hamas Pushes Back on the Latest Gaza Ceasefire Proposal Offered by the U.S., NPR
“Hamas has agreed to the 60-day ceasefire and said it would release 10 living and 18 deceased hostages in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners. But the militant group said it doesn’t want to release all of the hostages at the same time, in order to ensure that Israel abides by the entire length of the ceasefire. Hamas also said it wants guarantees for negotiations toward a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.”
Deadly Gaza Attack Sparks Conflicting Reports From Eyewitnesses, IDF and Controversial Aid Group, NBC
“The bombing began with airstrikes, followed by tank fire, according to 28-year-old Ahmad Abu Labdeh. ‘They told us to come and collect aid, and when we gathered, they opened fire on us,’ he said. ‘It was hell.’”
Israel Bars Arab Foreign Ministers From High-Level West Bank Visit, The New York Times
“The Israeli government has barred foreign ministers from a number of Arab states, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, from visiting the Israeli-occupied West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders, the Jordanian government said on Saturday.”
One of the Wounded in Colorado Attack Is Holocaust Survivor, Friend Says, The Times of Israel
“One of the eight people wounded in the attack on a Colorado rally for the hostages held in Gaza is a Holocaust survivor, her friend says. The victim is not named by the outlet. ‘She is an amazing person. Not because she is hurt. She always is an amazing person,’ the victim’s friend Chany Scheiner, tells 9NEWS.”
Opposition to Gaza War Grows Among Israeli Soldiers as Strikes Ramp Up, NBC
“Over 12,000 current and former service members signed a series of letters since the collapse of the ceasefire in March calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to end the war and declaring they will refuse to serve if it continues, according to Restart Israel, an activist group that tracks how many people oppose the government’s actions.”
Trump VS Harvard, The Times of Israel
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “While the Trump Administration has abandoned any semblance of soft power, the steadfast stance of Harvard University stresses that such power, based on liberal values, can lead to change.”
With the World’s Eyes on Gaza, Netanyahu Hits Fast-forward on West Bank Annexation, Haaretz
Amir Tibon writes, “Just a few dozen kilometers east of Gaza, in the hills of the West Bank, another significant development is quietly taking shape. There, the Netanyahu government has accelerated a de facto annexation process – one that began before the October 7 attacks, continued under the guise of war and gained even more momentum following President Trump’s victory last November.”
After the DC Shooting, Both Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel Groups Are Failing, The Forward
David N. Myers writes, “The current moment calls out for more than just condemnation; it also requires a serious measure of self-reckoning by both pro-Palestine and pro-Israeli groups. In the perverse moral logic of the Israel-Palestine conflict, advocates for either side tend to see only the virtue of their own position—and conversely, the perfidy of the other side.”
Yes, Diaspora Jews Can Criticize the Israeli Government [Translation], Le Journal
Sébastien Lévi writes, “Eighty percent of American Jews believe the State of Israel plays an important role in their Jewish identity, but that number drops to 70% among those under 25. If the relationship with Israel must be one of automatic, unconditional assent, it will weaken, and Israel will cease to be a strong identity marker, becoming just another country on the map for these young Jews, who will no longer want to be associated with it—or even know it.”