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.
Palestinian Shot Dead by Israeli Troops in West Bank After Army Says Firebomb Thrown, The Times of Israel
Israeli troops shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian near the security barrier in the central West Bank on Thursday afternoon, the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said. In a statement, the Israeli army said “three Palestinians hurled a Molotov cocktail at Israel Defense Force soldiers.” The soldiers responded by shooting at them. Palestinian media identified the dead teenager as Odeh Mohammad Sadaqa.
Amid Death Threats, Jerusalem Pride March Draws Thousands, Including Israeli Lawmakers, Haaretz
Thousands of people marched on Thursday through Jerusalem, calling for equal rights for LGBTQ people, with the participation of several Israeli ministers and lawmakers. The Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance is held under tight police security, following threats to organizers and activists. Just before the event started, police said they detained two men in their 20s, who are suspected of planning to attack the marchers. Officers who searched their car found pepper spray, gloves and clubs.
Israel Raises Iran Concerns With Visiting Un Nuclear Chief, AP
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused Iran of deceiving the international community about its atomic activities as he met with the visiting head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Friday. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, paid a brief visit to Israel, which has long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and is opposed to any return to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers.
‘Make Your Voice Heard’: Bennett Appeals to Public To Help Save Teetering Government, Haaretz
The Palestinian leadership believes that the Biden administration is refraining from pressuring Israel to fulfill its commitments to the Palestinians, so as not to destabilize the Bennett government.
‘Make Your Voice Heard’: Bennett Appeals to Public To Help Save Teetering Government, The Times of Israel
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett published an open letter to the Israeli public on Friday calling for support to keep the teetering coalition on its feet for the sake of political stability and a properly functioning government.
High Court Gives Israel More Time on Illegal Outpost Blocking Palestinians From Their Land, Haaretz
A High Court justice on Thursday told an attorney representing the state that despite what she had just told the court, Palestinians who own land in the illegal outpost Homesh are in fact barred by the army from going there. To prove his point, Justice Uzi Vogelman displayed a photograph the landowners submitted with their petition to remove Israelis residing in Homesh illegally.
AIPAC Wants to Defeat This Jewish Democrat. He’s Fighting Back, Haaretz
Joining host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the Haaretz Weekend podcast, Rep. Andy Levin says, “I love Israel. I’m a supporter of Israel and always have been, I voted for all our aid to Israel. I’m against the BDS movement. I voted to replenish Iron Dome. To use the kind of language that they’re using against me, just because I won’t toe AIPAC’s exact line is wrong, and it’s not going to work.”
Racism in Israel, and What to Do About It, The Atlantic
Yair Rosenberg writes, “Ultimately, if the hate on display in Jerusalem is to be defeated, it needs to be named, not dismissed. Some have already begun to do so. When Smotrich touched down in London this past February, the Jewish community’s leadership wanted no part of him. “We reject Smotrich’s abominable views and hateful ideology,” the Board of Deputies of British Jews tweeted. “Get back on the plane, Bezalel, and be remembered as a disgrace forever. You are not welcome here.” Other communities should follow suit, making clear that people like him are unwelcome—as are the sentiments he espouses, whether they come from him or someone from a more mainstream party.”
A Look at Jewish Extremism in Israel, NPR
On NPR’s All Things Considered podcast, Daniel Estrin discusses the violence by Jewish nationalists in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem on Sunday, and the debate in Israel over who is an extremist.