J Street Urges Senators to Support Resolutions Blocking US Arms Sales to Israel, Jewish Insider
“J Street’s campaign will urge senators to ‘vote yes on at least one’ of the resolutions, Ben-Ami said. He asserted that the resolutions are ‘symbolic,’ but said senators should still support them to indicate ‘disapproval of the way the war has been conducted, of the Netanyahu government’s disrespect for President [Joe] Biden’s advice and requests and of the failure of the administration to use our leverage appropriately to change Israel policies and actions.’”
J Street Calls on Senators to Send Message of Disapproval to Netanyahu Government and US Administration for Handling of Gaza War, J Street
“Voting yes on at least one resolution of disapproval sends a signal – seen throughout Washington, American politics, the Middle East and the world – that there is political will in Washington to object to the course of the war, to enforce American law and to use the leverage we have when Israel’s government consistently defies the American president’s will,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.
Sen. Van Hollen Supports Joint Resolutions of Disapproval Limiting Offensive Weapons to Israel, The Jerusalem Post
“The US is not an uninvolved observer. It has supplied so many of the weapons that made this devastation possible,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami wrote. Ben-Ami concluded that “history will not be kind to those who step back when the moment demands a powerful statement of disapproval of how this war has been conducted.”
Rabbinical Group Calls for Stopping Offensive Military Aid to Israel, Religion News Service
“Joining T’ruah’s statement were Americans for Peace Now and J Street, the liberal American Jewish organization dedicated to a two-state solution. The three, in addition to others, are part of the Progressive Israel Network. J Street’s statement said it favors withholding ‘certain’ offensive arms transfers. The organization, whose ‘pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy’ stance reflects the position of most American Jews, issued a statement Monday (Nov. 18), calling on U.S. senators to vote for a resolution of disapproval on arms sales to Israel.”
J Street Welcomes Biden Administration Sanctions Against Extremist Settler Groups, J Street
“J Street has been pressing for President Biden to take this step, and we welcome the immediate impact it will have on the group’s operations. Amana is a key part of the settlement movement’s efforts to push Palestinian families from their land and claim it for Israel,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said.
What Mike Huckabee Means for US-Israel Relations, The Week
“The left-leaning U.S.-Israel relations lobby J Street warned that the consequences of a Huckabee ambassadorship could be historically dire. If implemented, Huckabee’s policies toward Israel and worldwide Jewry ‘would shatter the foundations on which a healthy and strong U.S.-Israel relationship has been built over the past 75 years,’ said the group in a statement.”
J Street U Board Alarmed by Campus Extremism, J Street U
“At their best, college campuses can be the centers of vibrant dialogue and debate. However, extreme rhetoric that denies the humanity of entire groups of people – whatever the context – generates fear and stifles the solidarity needed to fight collectively to end the horror.”
Israel and Lebanon Expected to Start Indirect Talks Over Land Border Following Cease-Fire Agreement, Haaretz
On Monday, Lebanese media reported that Hezbollah had responded positively to the U.S. proposal, now in its final drafting stages. Hochstein is expected to review Hezbollah’s response in Beirut before traveling to Israel to address gaps, particularly regarding the IDF’s operational freedom in Lebanon. Israel believes outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are aligned on the matter, aiming for a swift agreement to end the conflict before the January transition.
US Senate to Consider Measures Blocking Some Arms Sales to Israel, Reuters
The “resolutions of disapproval” were filed by Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. Strong bipartisan support for Israel means the resolutions are not expected to pass, but backers hope they will encourage Israel’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.
Gangs Looting Gaza Aid Operate in Areas Under Israeli Control, Aid Groups Say, The Washington Post
An internal United Nations memo obtained by The Washington Post concluded last month that the gangs “may be benefiting from a passive if not active benevolence” or “protection” from the Israel Defense Forces. One gang leader, the memo said, established a “military like compound” in an area “restricted, controlled and patrolled by the IDF.” Aid organizations say Israeli authorities have denied most of their requests for better measures to safeguard convoys, including appeals for safer routes, more open crossings and permission to allow Gaza’s civilian police to protect the trucks.
Israel Strikes in the Heart of Lebanon’s Capital, AP
Israeli airstrikes targeted a neighborhood in the heart of Lebanon’s capital late Monday evening, slamming into an area near the Parliament, several embassies and the U.N. headquarters, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least five people were killed and 31 wounded.
Woman Killed in Rocket Fire From Lebanon at Northern Israeli Town, Haaretz
One woman was killed and 30 others were wounded in a direct rocket hit to a three-story house in the northern Israeli town of Shfaram, the Magen David Adom rescue service said.
Netanyahu Says Israel Damaged ‘Component’ of Iran’s Nuclear Program in Oct. Strikes, The Washington Post
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a “specific component” of Iran’s nuclear program had been damaged in last month’s Israeli attack on Iranian military facilities.
Elizabeth Warren Denounces Biden Administration Over Gaza Humanitarian Situation, The Guardian
Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive voice in the US Senate, has denounced the Biden administration’s failure to punish Israel over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and endorsed a joint resolution of disapproval in Congress.
American Fighter Pilots Explain How They Fought an Overwhelming Iranian Drone Swarm in Total Darkness, CNN
The attack drove home how the military will have to grapple with a new generation of warfare that pits multimillion dollar fighter jets against cheap, slow-moving attack drones that can easily evade highly sophisticated radar systems.
Australia Backs UN Resolution Recognising ‘Permanent Sovereignty’ of Palestinians in Major Departure, The Guardian
Australia has backed in a United Nations resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, marking a major departure from its previous position. Seven, including the US, Israel and Canada, voted against the resolution while 11 others abstained.
Bernie Sanders: No More Arms Sales to Netanyahu, The Washington Post
Senator Bernie Sanders writes, “As Americans, we are complicit in these horrific and illegal atrocities. Our complicity must end. I understand there are those who will argue that blocking these offensive arms sales will only embolden terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as their sponsors in Iran. I would respectfully disagree. You do not effectively combat terrorism by starving thousands of innocent children. You do not effectively combat terrorism by bombing schools and hospitals. You do not effectively combat terrorism by turning virtually the entire world against your country.”
Will Trump’s Efforts to Fight Antisemitism Help Degrade Democracy?, The Forward
Emily Tamkin shares, “Could these measures fight antisemitism? Maybe, although I’m personally skeptical. What they will certainly do is make it more difficult to speak out against American policy toward Israel. And it will make it more difficult to speak out toward American policy toward Israel as — if Trump’s early cabinet and ambassadorial picks are any indication — the United States embraces the most rightwing elements of Israeli policies. In other words, we can and should expect the Trump administration to bolster policies toward Israel that the majority of American Jews do not support, and to silence criticism by claiming they are fighting antisemitism.”
Out of Gaza, The New York Times
The New York Times reports, “Amputations. Disfiguration. Brain damage. Their injuries are life-changing. Ruba Abu Jibba lost an eye during shelling as her family was fleeing Israeli tanks in Gaza, she says. She and some other badly wounded Gazans survived a war that has killed tens of thousands. They made it out for medical treatment in Qatar, where we photographed and interviewed them. They are alive — even if some are not sure they still want to be.”