News Roundup for March 19, 2026
[Watch] Daniel Biss on Why this Victory Belongs to J Street, Word on the Street Live
Evanston mayor and newly victorious Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District Daniel Biss joined J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg to discuss lessons from the race and what comes next.
I Wargamed Iran for Obama. This Is the Worst-Case Scenario, Zeteo
J Street Senior VP and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg writes, “A major US-Iran war is not some unknowable black box. People have spent decades studying it, gaming it, and thinking through its consequences. The conclusion has been consistent: it would be enormously costly for Iran, for the United States, for the Middle East, and for the global economy. […] That is why, for decades, presidents of both parties listened to experts and tried to avoid it.”
To Ron Dermer Ahead of Your Fateful Talks With Lebanon, Times of Israel
Executive Director of J Street Israel Nadav Tamir writes, “Today, we have an opportunity like never before. The new Lebanese government is led by Maronite President Michel Aoun and Sunni Prime Minister Nawaf Salam – Lebanese patriots who understand that Iran must not be allowed to use their country to promote the agenda of the Ayatollah in Iran.”
Jewish Progressive Prevails in Closely Watched Illinois Primary, Blasting AIPAC in Victory Speech, JTA
“‘Daniel Biss’ victory tonight is a win for democracy and a clear rejection of efforts to buy this primary,’ Jeremy Ben Ami, head of the liberal pro-Israel lobby J Street, which backed Biss to the tune of about $350,000, said in a statement. ‘Tonight’s results should send a clear message to candidates across the country: you do not have to fear AIPAC’s spending or intimidation. Standing on principles and trusting voters matters more than outside money.'”
Iranian Cluster Bombs Kill Foreign Worker in Israel, 4 Palestinian Women in West Bank, Times of Israel
“The four women were apparently struck by the missile while they were inside a bridal salon in the village, preparing food for a traditional Ramadan nighttime meal.”
Israel and Iran Attack Gas Facilities in a Major Escalation That Rattles Markets, NPR
“Iran attacked the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas complex in Qatar, targeted a gas field and facility in the United Arab Emirates, fired missiles and launched drones on a Saudi Arabian oil refinery and on two Kuwaiti gas units on Thursday, following Israel’s bombing of Iran’s South Pars gas field a day earlier.”
Pentagon Seeks $200 Billion in Additional Funds for the Iran War, Associated Press
“It’s an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of extra funding the Defense Department already received last year in President Donald Trump’s big tax cuts bill. […] Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the figure, saying it could change. But he said ‘we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to to ensure that we’re properly funded.'”
Drones Over Base Where Rubio, Hegseth Live Raise Security Concerns, Washington Post
“The military is monitoring potential threats more closely because of the heightened alert level as the United States and Israel strike Iran, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters. Multiple drones were spotted over Fort Lesley J. McNair on a single night in the last 10 days, the official said, prompting increased security measures and a meeting at the White House to discuss how to respond.”
Gaza Aid Reduced by 80 Percent Since Start of Iran War as Food Prices Surge, Haaretz
“Reports from the Gaza Strip indicate a sharp surge in food prices due to shortages. The price of a sack of flour weighing 25 kilograms (55 lbs.), for example, has climbed to 100 shekels ($32), three times higher than before the war. The price of tomatoes rose from $1.5 per kg to $4. Products such as cooking oil and tinned goods have disappeared from shelves. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are also reporting shortages in medical supplies.”
It’s Not Just a Crime; It’s an Evil Partnership, Times of Israel
Executive Director of J Street Israel Nadav Tamir writes, “Every Palestinian villager who is expelled, every house that is burned, and every person who is killed distances more diaspora Jews from the State of Israel. In the end, the settlers may achieve an Area C free of Palestinians, but they will leave all of us not only in a moral abyss but also without the solidarity of Jewish and other communities in the United States. We will lose those who grew up loving Israel and now feel that the Jewish state is betraying them and the values it claimed to represent.”
Israel’s Lebanese Campaign Will Backfire, New York Times
Distinguished Israel policy chair and a senior fellow at RAND Shira Efron writes, “Washington now has an opportunity to save Israel from itself and create a clear distinction: Fight Hezbollah, yes; punish all of Lebanon in doing so, no. The Trump administration should rein in Israel’s military operation, make serious efforts at bolstering the Lebanese state and military so that they can crack down on Hezbollah and broker a security arrangement that could even lead to peace.”
Why AIPAC Shouldn’t Get Too Excited About Its Illinois Primary Strategy, Semafor
“Five years ago, when pro-Israel groups began spending to beat left-wing candidates, their raison d’etre didn’t really become an issue in their races. UDP and the Democratic Majority for Israel didn’t focus on the Jewish state in their advertising. Progressives, winning or losing to them, didn’t talk about it either. But nowadays, unconditional US aid to Israel is deeply unpopular with Democratic voters, who are more likely than ever to sympathize with Palestinians over the Jewish state. That’s an existential threat to AIPAC.”
