News Roundup for November 17, 2025
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.
The Greatest Threat to American Jewish Life Isn’t Criticism of Israel, Word on the Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “Even with America’s democratic foundations under severe strain, the organizations with the largest budgets and loudest megaphones place Israel – not Jewish life in America, not democracy, not civil rights – at the center of their mission.”
Netanyahu Breaks Silence on Burgeoning Settler Violence, Vows ‘Forceful Action’, Times of Israel
“In his first public comments on the violence that has been marring the West Bank for months, Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet meeting that Israel ‘will take very forceful action against the riots against IDF soldiers – against Palestinians, and against IDF soldiers – because we are a nation of laws, and a nation of laws acts in accordance with the law.’”
At Least 98 Palestinians Have Died in Custody Since October 2023, Israeli Data Shows, The Guardian
“Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) tracked deaths from causes including physical violence, medical neglect and malnutrition for a new report, using freedom of information requests, forensic reports and interviews with lawyers, activists, relatives and witnesses.”
Displaced Gazans Face More Misery as Torrential Rain Lashes Enclave, New York Times
“The punishing rain and chilling winds that have swept through Gaza since Friday are a bitter reminder that despite a cease-fire that went into effect last month, life remains far from normal for the enclave’s two million people.”
Berlin to Lift Suspension of Israel Weapons Sales, but Says Ceasefire Must Hold, Reuters
“The decision affected weapons and systems that could be used in Gaza but not others deemed necessary for Israel to defend itself from external attacks.”
Takeaways From AP’s Report on a Surge in Palestinian Deaths in Israeli Custody, AP
“The former guard at a military prison notorious for its harsh treatment of Palestinians told the AP detainees were routinely shackled with chains and kicked and hit with batons, and that the facility had been dubbed a “graveyard” because so many prisoners were dying there. ”
Israel Deported Me for Helping West Bank Palestinians. I Won’t Give Up on a Peaceful Future for the Country I Love, The Forward
Leila Stillman-Utterback writes, “In the two months before my deportation, I was introduced to a world of Jewish leftists in Jerusalem who split their time between synagogue, Shabbat meals, political demonstrations, and solidarity actions side-by-side with Palestinians in the West Bank. They showed me a way to be deeply Jewish and connected to Israel, yet unapologetically critical of the injustice I saw.”
The Unapologetic Voices of Palestinian Citizens of Israel Are Now More Important Than Ever, Haaretz
Vera Weidenbach writes, “The Netanyahu government is only ready to think about ‘peace’ as a term that signifies exclusively Israeli power and strength and which refuses to recognize Palestinians as worthy of the same rights as Israelis. ”
Ending the Gaza War Won’t Halt Israel’s Legal Troubles in the Hague, Haaretz
Chen Maanit writes, “Experts further note that recent developments – most notably the Sde Teiman affair, the arrest of former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, and the defense minister’s statements regarding her replacement – are deepening Israel’s already weakened international standing. ”
