News Roundup for March 30, 2026
Are You A Zionist?, Word on the Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “My hope is that my children and grandchildren will one day feel pride in the country our family helped build. For that to be possible, Israel must recommit to the moral values at the heart of Jewish tradition. That means rejecting the idea that loyalty requires silence. It means refusing blind allegiance to policies that deny another people freedom and abandon the pursuit of peace.”
Forwarding the News, The Forward
“J Street and the Muslim Public Affairs Council issued a joint statement against surging antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States, writing ‘We are proud as Jewish and Muslim Americans to work together to defend democratic values, oppose bigotry, and support peaceful, diplomatic solutions to conflict.'”
IDF Soldier Moshe Yitzchak Katz, 22, From Connecticut, Killed in South Lebanon, Times of Israel
“An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on troops in southern Lebanon overnight between Friday and Saturday, the military announced early Sunday morning.”
New U.S. Missile Hit Iranian Sports Hall and School, Analysis Shows, New York Times
“The Feb. 28 attack occurred the same day as a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile struck a school in the city of Minab, several hundred miles away, killing 175 people. In the case of Lamerd, though, it involved a weapon that had been untested in combat.”
Outrage Grows Over Israeli Restrictions to Jerusalem Sites During Holy Week, Washington Post
“This weekend, Israeli authorities blocked, then unblocked, the head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from celebrating the start of Easter Week at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — the holiest site in Christianity, where, according to tradition, Jesus was crucified and resurrected.”
Trump Weighs Military Operation to Extract Iran’s Uranium, Wall Street Journal
“President Trump is weighing a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, according to U.S. officials, a complex and risky mission that would likely put American forces inside the country for days or longer.”
Three Lebanese Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike, Say Broadcasters, BBC
“Three Lebanese journalists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday, their employers have said.”
Israel to Vote on Death Penalty Targeting Palestinians Guilty of Lethal Attacks, New York Times
“The Israeli Parliament appeared ready on Monday to enact a death penalty that would in practice apply only to Palestinians convicted of deadly acts of terrorism, not to Jewish extremists, handing the country’s far right a long-sought victory.”
At Synagogues, Tensions Are Boiling Over, New Yorker
Eyal Press writes, “At many Jewish institutions, rejecting Zionism is indeed regarded as a form of sacrilege. But more and more American Jews are having a hard time reconciling other core features of their identity, such as a belief in equality and social justice, with support for a country whose current leaders—a far-right alliance headed by Benjamin Netanyahu—pass racist laws and espouse Jewish supremacy. Some Jews have gone further, condemning Israel as an illiberal ‘ethno-state’ that oppresses Palestinians and should be abolished in its current form.”
