Substack Live: The Aftermath of the Israel-Iran War and the NY Mayor’s Race, Substack
This week’s Substack Live with J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and Ilan Goldenberg. Catch Substack live every Wednesday at 4pm Eastern / 1pm Pacific.
Israeli Settlers Rampage Through West Bank Village; Three Palestinians Killed by IDF Fire, Haaretz
“According to the IDF, dozens of Israeli settlers set fire to property in the village and threw stones at residents. IDF forces who arrived at the scene claimed that several people from the village fired at them and threw stones, prompting the soldiers to return fire, which killed three and wounded several others.”
Trump Wages All-Out Fight for Control of Iran Strike Narrative, Axios
“Trump has staked his credibility — and major parts of his foreign policy legacy — on the success of Saturday’s military intervention, which punctuated decades of U.S. debate over the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. He has treated the leak of an initial Pentagon battle damage assessment as an act of sabotage, launching an aggressive campaign to discredit the report as preliminary, inaccurate and already outdated.”
Netanyahu Halts North Gaza Aid After Smotrich Threatens to Quit Coalition Over Alleged Hamas Access, Haaretz
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to leave the coalition if aid continued to reach Hamas.”
She Walked for Hours in Hope of Getting Food. Israeli Forces Killed Her, Family Says., NBC
“Zeidan would soon join the dozens killed as they struggled to secure food, underscoring the pitfalls of a new aid system in which tens of thousands of Palestinians must walk long distances — often through areas controlled by the Israeli military — to have a chance of getting a fraction of the limited aid being handed out.”
Trump Calls for End to Netanyahu Corruption Trial, BBC
“US President Donald Trump has called for Israel to ‘pardon’ Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for alleged corruption, or drop the case altogether. He also claimed in a social media post that the US had saved Israel – alluding to its intervention in Israel’s war with Iran – and would now also ‘save’ Netanyahu.”
Trump Says US to Hold Nuclear Talks With Iran Next Week, Reuters
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would likely seek a commitment from Iran to end its nuclear ambitions at talks next week and credited U.S. strikes on Iran with bringing a swift end to the war between Israel and Tehran.”
Gaza Mediators Intensifying Ceasefire Efforts, Hamas Official Says, BBC
“A senior Hamas official has told the BBC that mediators have intensified their efforts to broker a new ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, but that negotiations with Israel remain stalled.”
Did the Attacks on Iran Succeed?, Foreign Affairs
Richard Nephew writes, “Even in the best-case scenario, in which Washington and Israel have set Tehran back by many years, the military campaign could prove costly to U.S. efforts with Iran in other ways. Iran’s parliament, for example, just passed legislation that will greatly reduce its cooperation with the [International Atomic Energy Agency].”
I’m Begging Netanyahu – Only Diplomacy and a Hostage Deal Can Save My Son’s Life, Haaretz
Yael Freidson shares the words of Kobi Ohel, whose 24-year-old son Alon was taken hostage from the Nova music festival. “I’m demanding, requesting and begging the Israeli prime minister: We need to save Alon’s life and the lives of the other hostages today. They’ll be saved through diplomacy. I know that it’s only through an agreement that Alon will be returned.”
Gaza Without Gazans, Foreign Affairs
Max Rodenbeck writes, “The Israeli government appears to be seeking precisely the outcomes that Netanyahu ruled out in January 2024: not only long-term military occupation of Gaza but also the large-scale displacement—or even expulsion—of its civilian population.”