News Roundup for March 31, 2022

March 31, 2022
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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.

Top News and Analysis

Israel Boosts Security Amid Deadly Wave of Terrorist Attacks, The Wall Street Journal
Israel is beefing up its military forces in the West Bank and carrying out a wave of arrests as its leaders grapple with the deadliest surge of terrorist attacks on the country’s soil in years.

Israel Raids West Bank, 2 Palestinians Killed in Gun Battle, AP
Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank early Thursday, setting off a gun battle in which two Palestinians were killed and 15 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. In a separate incident, a Palestinian stabbed a 28-year-old Israeli man on a bus in the West Bank before being killed by a bystander, the Israeli military said.

News

After Israel Attacks, Sidelined Palestinian Issue Reemerges, AP
Three deadly attacks in Israel in a week are raising questions over Israel’s approach to its conflict with the Palestinians, after years of efforts to sideline the issue and focus instead on other regional priorities. The attacks by Palestinian assailants, including most recently on Tuesday night, have killed 11 people in the deadliest spate Israel has seen in years. They come as peace talks on ending Israel’s rule over Palestinians and setting up a Palestinian state on occupied lands are a distant memory. In the meantime, Israel has shifted its priorities to containing archenemy Iran and building regional Arab alliances.

Gantz Pressured Abbas To Condemn Attack, Threatened To Pull Planned Ramadan Gestures, The Times of Israel
Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s office passed along a “stern message” to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urging him to condemn Tuesday night’s deadly terror attack in Bnei Brak, two officials familiar with the matter confirmed.

US Issues Sanctions on Iran’s Missile Program Amid Nuclear Talks, The Hill
The Biden administration on Wednesday issued sanctions against an Iranian network officials say funds Tehran’s ballistic missile program. The move came in response to rocket attacks this month that targeted U.S. officials in Iraq and struck inside Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Israel Tries To Reassure U.S. On Russia Sanctions, Axios
During Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s visit to the Middle East, Israeli officials sought to reassure the Biden administration they are taking steps to prevent Russian oligarchs from using Israel to evade U.S. and European sanctions.

Israel to Revoke Work Permits of Terrorists’ Relatives After String of Deadly Attacks, Haaretz
Israel’s security cabinet decided Wednesday to revoke work permits of terrorists’ relatives amid a wave of terror attacks that began in Israel last week and left 11 people dead. Cabinet ministers also decided to push forward a plan to reconstruct the West Bank separation barrier.

Opinion and Analysis

In Life, They Showed Israel’s Breadth. In Death, They Were Victims., The New York Times
Patrick Kingsley, Gabby Sobelman and Raja Abdulrahim write, “The five victims of Israel’s deadliest terrorist attack in years came from different walks of life, highlighting the complexity of Israeli society.”