Why I, an Israeli, Work for J Street, The Times of Israel
J Street Vice President of Engagement Gal Peleg Laniado writes, “As an Israeli, it’s not obvious to dedicate your career to influencing American policy. But for me, joining J Street – a pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy American organization – has been one of the most deeply patriotic things I’ve ever done. […] Working for J Street isn’t just a job. It’s a continuation of my Zionist journey – one rooted in courage, conscience and the unshakable belief that a better future for Israel is not only possible, but worth fighting for.”
Dismantling USAID: Consequences for the West Bank and Gaza, J Street
J Street Policy Fellow Larry Garber writes, “The Trump Administration’s assault on foreign assistance is now in its final stage. The United States Agency for International Development has been systematically dismantled and more than 80 percent of the agency’s projects have been terminated. Congress must still approve Secretary Rubio’s reorganization plan and the dramatically reduced foreign assistance budget, but the tragic consequences of the administrations actions are already being felt worldwide, including in the West Bank and Gaza.”
Israel Bombs Yemen’s Main Airport in Retaliation for Houthi Strike, The New York Times
“Israeli fighter jets bombed the main international airport in Yemen on Tuesday in retaliation for a missile attack by the Houthi militia that struck near Israel’s main airport last weekend. The Israeli strikes were the latest salvo in a battle with the Iran-backed Houthis, who rule much of northwestern Yemen, including the capital, Sana.”
Israeli Official Says Gaza Will Be ‘Entirely Destroyed,’ Palestinians ‘Will Start to Leave in Great Numbers’, CBS News
“‘Gaza will be entirely destroyed, civilians will be sent to … the south to a humanitarian zone without Hamas or terrorism, and from there they will start to leave in great numbers to third countries,’ Smotrich, the firebrand top official, said at a conference on Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.”
Report: US Proposes Gaza Truce and Hostage Release Ahead of Trump’s May Mideast Visit, Haaretz
“Egypt has received a proposal from the United States to renew ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the region in mid-May, according to Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, citing an Egyptian source. A senior Israeli official said that a new American proposal had not been received. Another Israeli source said that reaching a cease-fire deal before Trump’s visit is unlikely.”
US to Downgrade Palestinian Affairs Office in Jerusalem, Officials Say, The New York Times
“In recent years, an office within the US Embassy in Jerusalem had a direct line of communication with Washington. That was meant to signal that the United States saw Palestinian issues as important, and considered the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to be separate from Israel. Now, the new US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has decided to shut down this direct channel, according to US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.”
Smotrich Says Gov’t Set to Approve Construction Plans That Would Divide West Bank in Half, Haaretz
“Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Tuesday that the government will move forward in the coming months with plans to approve construction in the E1 area of the West Bank, a step that would effectively divide the territory’s northern and southern regions.”
Israel Lobbying Trump to Visit During Middle East Trip, Axios
“Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will visit Washington on Wednesday with the potential stop in Israel likely on the agenda, the Israeli officials say.”
Trump Announces US Truce with Houthis, Who Say Their Strikes on Israel Will Continue, The Times of Israel
“The announcement did not mention the ongoing Houthi attacks on Israel, and a spokesman for the Yemeni rebel group pledged that such strikes would continue. Israeli officials told Hebrew media outlets that Washington did not give Jerusalem advance notice of the announcement, and that Israel was surprised by it.”
Israel and Those Who Love It Are Stuck in a Hopeless Present. Can We Ever Get Back to the Future?, JTA
Shalom Hartman Institute President Yehuda Kurtzer writes, “To pause in the present one day a year is a blessing; to live permanently while stuck in the present feels like a curse. The war in Gaza is unending, and now resumes with a massive call-up. The prime minister continues to define victory as Hamas’ utter defeat, which Hamas will never concede and which may be a ‘supreme goal’ that can never be decisively reached. […] Why then do Israel’s current leaders insist on the kind of absolute outcomes that make it impossible to get out of the present morass?”
How Trump’s Walkaway Diplomacy Enabled Israel’s Worst Impulses, The Guardian
Andrew Roth writes, “The common perception in both Washington and Israel is that Trump has largely moved on, leaving an emboldened Netanyahu to his own devices, while his offhand proposals for turning Gaza into a ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ have provided cover for right-wing Israeli politicians to enthusiastically support the forced resettlement of the Palestinian population.”
Palestinians Awoke to Bulldozers. Their Village was Destroyed by Noon, +972 Magazine
Basel Adra writes, “Amna’s voice cracked as she described the chaos. Border police walked around the homes, evicting family after family. Men, women, and children were pushed up a hill overlooking the destruction of their community. ‘This village has suffered demolitions for 20 years,’ Amna said, ‘but never like this.’ She stood crying among dozens of others, watching her life’s work reduced to rubble. Despite the trauma and shock, she kept repeating: ‘I will never leave this village – not until my last day.’”
This Is the Moment of Moral Reckoning in Gaza, The New York Times
Sean Carroll writes, “At makeshift clinics run by my relief organization, American Near East Refugee Aid, signs of prolonged starvation are becoming more frequent and alarming. In the past 10 days, our lab technicians began detecting ketones, an indicator of starvation, in one-third of urine samples tested, the first time we have seen such cases in significant numbers since we began testing in October 2024. Food, fuel and medicine are exhausted or close to it. Every hour is a race against time – but without the access and political will needed to deliver aid, save lives and end the unimaginable suffering, our hands are tied.”