Two Terrible Truths About the Antisemitic Murders in DC, Vox
“‘Fears of anti-Israel political violence on the left are real, and last night that threat became deadly,’ Jeremy Ben-Ami, the leader of the pro-peace J Street activist group, said in an emailed statement. ‘We urge all those in the pro-Palestine movement to take stock of this moment and recognize the danger of extreme rhetoric as it hits the ears of unhinged individuals.’”
Waking Up to Horror this Morning, J Street
In a message to supporters yesterday, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami wrote, “This is a terrible event growing out of terrible circumstances, and all of it makes the work we do to find a pathway out of perpetual violence, terror and bloodshed that much more relevant and important. Rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace and conflict resolution is the only way to give meaning to the new wave of horror and loss we feel today, and have been grappling with for far too many years now.”
Court Papers Say Suspect in Embassy Killings Declared, ‘I Did it For Palestine, I Did it For Gaza’, AP
“Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted ‘Free Palestine’ as he was led away after his arrest, according to charging documents that provided chilling new details of the Wednesday night shootings in the nation’s capital that killed an American woman and an Israeli man who had just left an event at the museum. They were set to become engaged. […] Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials and other crimes and did not enter a plea during a perfunctory court appearance. Additional charges are likely, prosecutors said, as authorities continue to investigate the killings as both a hate crime against the Jewish community and terrorism.”
Aid Deliveries Begin to Reach Gazans After Days of Delays, The New York Times
“The UN humanitarian affairs office and the Israeli military both confirmed that the aid deliveries were reaching warehouses and other points inside Gaza after days of delays. But aid officials said the shipment was a tiny fraction of what was needed. ‘Desperately needed aid is finally trickling in – but the pace is far too slow. We need more aid trucks coming in daily,’ the World Food Program, one of the main UN agencies operating in Gaza, wrote on social media.”
An Embattled Netanyahu Says ‘Trump Plan’ for Gaza Emigration is a Condition for Ending War, JTA
“[Netanyahu] said the ‘Trump plan’ was ‘such a correct plan – and so revolutionary. It says something simple: Residents of Gaza who want to leave can leave.’ In fact, Trump has at various times called for Gaza to be completely depopulated and for the United States to ‘take over’ the territory. In recent weeks, Trump hasn’t emphasized the plan, instead calling for the war to end and reaching a deal, without Israeli involvement, to free American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.”
Defying AG’s Order, Netanyahu Selects IDF General as Next Shin Bet Chief, The Times of Israel
“The announcement came a day after the High Court of Justice issued a ruling that Netanyahu’s firing of outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was made ‘improperly’ and ‘unlawfully,’ and that he had a conflict of interest. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara then informed Netanyahu on Wednesday that he was barred from appointing a new Shin Bet chief while she worked out the implications of the ruling.”
Gaza’s Main Hospital is Overwhelmed with Children in Pain from Malnutrition, AP
“Grabbing her daughter’s feeble arm, Asmaa al-Arja pulls a shirt over the 2-year-old’s protruding ribs and swollen belly. The child lies on a hospital bed, heaving, then wails uncontrollably, throwing her arms around her own shoulders as if to console herself. This isn’t the first time Mayar has been in a Gaza hospital battling malnutrition, yet this 17-day stint is the longest.”
Israel to Increase Security at its Embassies Around the World Following DC Shooting, JTA
“Israeli outposts abroad are already heavily fortified, in part because of widespread anti-Israel sentiment and protests targeting Israeli officials abroad. Israel maintains 196 diplomatic missions around the world, including 10 in the United States, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Harvard Sues Trump Administration to Halt Federal Ban on Enrolling International Students, CNN
“Harvard and Trump officials have been locked in conflict for months as the administration demands the university make changes to campus programming, policies, hiring and admissions to root out on-campus antisemitism and eliminate what it calls ‘racist diversity, equity and inclusion practices.’ The administration has homed in on foreign students and staff it believes participated in contentious campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.”
In Wake of DC Shooting, False Flag Conspiracies Spread, The Forward
“Online, however, doubt percolated almost immediately. Specifically, theories began to amass that the shooting was a false flag operation. The argument goes roughly like this: Israel has lost its moral standing thanks to its bombardment of Gaza. Israel needed to divert attention from starving Palestinians, and to paint pro-Palestinian activism as an antisemitic, terrorist movement.”
‘They Don’t Look Like Humanitarians’: Who Are the Opaque US Military Contractors Hired to Guard the New Gaza Aid Project?, Haaretz
Ben Samuels writes, “Very little is known about the private companies contracted by the new Gaza Humanitarian Fund, staffed by former CIA, Blackwater and US military personnel, from their funding to their rules of engagement. ‘This scheme,’ says one expert, ‘is simply a way to corral Palestinians into a smaller piece of land.’”
Even If the Capital Jewish Museum Shooter ‘Did it For Gaza,’ His Actions Were Antisemitic, The Forward
Emily Tamkin writes, “The line of thinking for those who are defending this attack as not antisemitic is that it was motivated by injustice perpetrated by Israel, which is doing much worse to Palestinians in Gaza. But the motivation doesn’t change the fact that the shooting was carried out at an event by and for Jews (and not only Israelis) at a Jewish (and not Israeli) space. One may condemn every single action Israel has taken in Gaza; that doesn’t change the fact that two people were shot and killed.”
When the US and Israel Bomb the Houthis, Civilians Pay the Highest Price, The New York Times
Ismaeel Naar and Saeed Al-Batati writes, “Israeli airstrikes on Yemeni cities this month, including on the international airport, caused nearly $500 million in damage, according to the airport’s director, and flights were suspended for more than a week. Israel said the attack had been in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport. But the airport in Sana is mainly used for civilian travel and is one of the few ways Yemenis can get access to emergency medical treatment overseas.”