What A Day: Police State School, Crooked
“Some leaders in the Jewish community don’t buy Trump’s argument about arresting protestors: ‘No one has the right to prevent their fellow students from studying and learning,’ Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a prominent liberal pro-Israel think tank, told What A Day. ‘But rather than taking actions that really address antisemitism, the administration is actually making all students who want to express themselves freely a little less safe today.’”
Witkoff Flies to Qatar to Push Hamas, Israel to Continue With Deal, Haaretz
“Israel’s political echelon is demanding that Hamas agree to what it refers to as the Witkoff plan, which calls for releasing half of the living hostages – around 10 people – within the next few days, in one or more phases. In exchange, the cease-fire would continue for 42-60 days, for the duration of Ramadan and Passover, and possibly also Independence Day, to allow the sides to hold talks about the second stage of the cease-fire deal.”
Israel and Lebanon Agree to Talks on Border, Long a Source of Tension, The New York Times
“In a statement, Morgan Ortagus, President Trump’s deputy Middle East envoy, said that the United States was bringing Israel and Lebanon together to discuss the demarcation of the border. She said discussions would also focus on the future of five Israeli military outposts in Lebanon and of Lebanese prisoners still held in Israel after a cease-fire deal last year largely halted more than a year of cross-border warfare.”
Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Say ‘Any Israeli Vessel’ in Nearby Mideast Waterways Again a Target, AP
“Yemen’s Houthi rebels warned shippers early Wednesday that ‘any Israeli vessel’ traveling through nearby Mideast waters is now a target as Israel continues to block aid to the Gaza Strip. The warning from the Houthis again throws into chaos a crucial maritime waterway between Asia and Europe, threatens revenue from Egypt’s Suez Canal and possibly will halt aid shipments to war zones.”
[Audio] Following Arrest of Pro-Palestinian Activist, White House Says More Arrests Coming, NPR Morning Edition
“Following the arrest of student activist Mahmoud Khalil, the White House says intelligence will be used to identify individuals engaged in ‘anti-American, antisemitic, pro-Hamas’ activities.”
Palestinian Authority Condemns Hamas-U.S. Direct Talks, Says Group Is ‘Dividing’ National Position, Haaretz
“The Palestinian Authority condemned Hamas’ statement that said the organization had opened a communication channel with the U.S. administration. The PA’s statement, issued by spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh on Monday, did not mention the United States explicitly, but said that Hamas insists on dividing the Palestinian national position by opening communication channels with ‘foreign entities’ and negotiating with them without a national mandate.”
What Arab Leaders Must Say Out Loud for Their Gaza Plan To Work, The Times of Israel
Former Policy Advisor to the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Nimrod Novik, writes, “To avoid the appearance of occupying Gaza, Arab leaders insisted that their involvement be temporary, undertaken only at the invitation of the Palestinian Authority, and coordinated with Israel to phase out the IDF’s presence. But their failure to publicly commit to disarming Hamas and securing Gaza leaves Washington hesitant, while Israel’s hardline government clings to rejectionism to mask its annexationist ambitions. If Arab states make their commitments explicit, they could push the U.S. to engage more decisively and expose Netanyahu’s government’s real motives.”
Raging, Petulant, Contradictory: How to Interpret Trump’s Middle East March Madness, Haaretz
Alon Pinkas writes, “Trump’s contradictory statements on Gaza—one moment encouraging Israel to resume the war, the next authorizing direct talks with Hamas—reflect not just inconsistency, but a deliberate strategy to keep all options open while pressuring Netanyahu to resolve the conflict on U.S. terms. His growing impatience with Netanyahu’s procrastination suggests that, despite past alliances, Trump no longer sees Israel as an indispensable partner, but rather as a player in a broader geopolitical game he wants to control.”