News Roundup for March 5, 2026
Once a Bipartisan Stalwart, AIPAC Turns ‘Toxic’ in the Illinois Primaries, New York Times
“In Chicago, the group has focused much of its ire on [Daniel] Biss, a grandson of Holocaust survivors who spent many of his childhood summers in Israel, where his mother was born, and whose nuanced views on the Middle East reflect those of many liberal Jews, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the executive director of J Street, which is backing Mr. Biss with $100,000. ‘This is a guy who can’t possibly be considered anti-Israel — he is the quintessential American Jew,’ Mr. Ben-Ami said. ‘He is at the 50-yard line of Jewish Americans, and AIPAC doesn’t want them anywhere near policy.'”
Kurds Backed by Mossad, CIA Could Lead Next Phase of War in Iran, Axios
“Militants from several Kurdish Iranian factions are preparing for a possible ground offensive against Iran’s regime in the northwestern part of the country, according to U.S. and Israeli officials and a senior official in one of the factions.”
‘We’re in It’: Democrats Won’t Rule Out Giving Trump More Money for Middle East War, Politico
“A White House emergency funding request could force Democrats to choose between rebuffing the president and turning their backs on legislation the administration deems necessary for replenishing key defensive munition stocks designed to keep U.S. troops and civilians safe.”
IDF Issues Unprecedented Evacuation Warning for Entire Hezbollah Stronghold in Beirut, Times of Israel
“The IDF issues an ‘urgent warning’ to residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, ahead of planned strikes against the terror group. The unprecedented evacuation order marks the first time that the Israeli military has called on wide swaths of the Lebanese capital to evacuate.”
U.S. Troops Had Little Protection From Drone Strike That Killed 6, Imagery Shows, Washington Post
“The building that was struck — a prefabricated, triple-wide trailer-style structure — was flanked by tall concrete barriers to protect against ground threats, said Sean O’Connor, a satellite imagery analyst with Janes. But it ‘possessed limited defenses able to protect it from a ballistic missile or drone strike,’ lacking overhead protection to defend against the main threats to U.S. bases in the Middle East, he said.”
Iranian Warship Was Returning From Naval Exercises Hosted by India When Hit by US Torpedo, Times of Israel
“An Iranian warship that was sunk by a US submarine near Sri Lanka had participated in naval exercises hosted by India before heading out into international waters in the Indian Ocean on its way home, New Delhi said.”
Hezbollah’s Escalation Puts Jerusalem and Beirut on the Same Side, Haaretz
Zvi Bar’el writes, “The Israeli and Lebanese governments now seek to weaken and disarm Hezbollah. Whether that convergence leads to negotiations will depend on Israel’s plans for a new buffer zone in south Lebanon and how forcefully Washington pushes developments in Beirut.”
