J Street Leaves It All on the Field, Leading Jewish Support for Kamala Harris, J Street
On the eve of the national election, JStreetPAC – the political fundraising arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy advocacy group J Street – announced it has raised nearly $15 million this cycle. The total includes over $6 million for the Harris-Walz campaign – the largest by far raised by any Jewish organization for the presidential ticket – and more than $8.5 million for 180 House and Senate incumbents and challengers.
Cautiously, Nauseously Optimistic, J Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “We’re in close contact with pro-democracy allies and the Harris campaign to ensure that every last vote is counted and to push back on Trump’s efforts to sow chaos and division. After a result is known, we’re ready to double down on ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of hostages, and ensuring an urgent flood of aid to civilians in Gaza. To press for far stronger action from the Biden Administration in the transition period to secure this outcome, and to find a sustainable political solution to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict as well.”
U.S. and Saudi Arabia Discuss Security Agreement Separate From Israel Mega-Deal, Axios
The idea is to draft a bilateral U.S.-Saudi security agreement similar to those the Biden administration signed with other Gulf countries in recent years, which strengthened the U.S. position in the region, the source said.
Israeli Strikes in Eastern Lebanon Are Hitting Civilians Without Warning, The Washington Post
The bomb that crashed into a residential building here in rural Lebanon on Friday turned the sky black, residents said. It took almost 10 minutes for them to figure out what had been hit.
US Gives Israel a ‘Fail’ Grade on Improving Aid to Gaza So Far, AP
The Biden administration is stepping up criticism of Israel for not doing enough to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza as a 30-day deadline looms for Israeli officials to meet certain requirements or risk potential restrictions on military assistance.
Dozens Killed in Gaza as Israel Says It Targeted a Weapons Facility, AP
Israeli strikes killed at least 30 people in Gaza, including on a home where displaced families were sheltering, according to Palestinian health officials. Ten people were killed early Tuesday, including four children and two women, and a strike late Monday on the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya killed at least 20 people, including eight women and six children, health officials said.
Hamas Nixes Cairo’s Proposal for Brief Gaza Ceasefire in Exchange for 4 Hostages, The Times of Israel
The US State Department said on Monday that Hamas had rejected a proposal for a short-term ceasefire and hostage release deal, indicating that the terror group was refusing to budge from its key demand for a permanent withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip even after the IDF’s killing of its leader Yahya Sinwar last month.
French FM To Visit Israel in Call for Gaza Ceasefire, ‘Respect for International Humanitarian Law’, The Times of Israel
“France’s role is to deliver messages and that is why I will go to Israel and the Palestinian territories tomorrow evening to meet with the authorities and humanitarian officials, to carry the voice of France within this region where the war has already lasted far too long.”
Musk-Linked PAC Accused of Targeting Jewish and Arab Americans in Swing States, The Guardian
Texts, mailers, social media ads and billboards targeting heavily Arab American areas in metro Detroit paint Harris as a staunch ally of Israel who will continue supplying arms to the country. Meanwhile, residents in metro Detroit or areas of Pennsylvania with higher Jewish populations have been receiving messaging that underscores her alleged support for the Palestinian cause.
Activist Group Urges Progressives to Vote Without Candidate Endorsement Amid Gaza Crisis, Haaretz
NDN’s message shines a light on a dilemma many Democrats are facing this year in light of the ongoing war in Gaza: fear of another Trump presidency versus staunch opposition to President Joe Biden’s Israel policy and subsequent distrust in Harris’ inability to create meaningful distance between her own policy and that of her predecessor.
5 Questions and Answers on Jewish Voters and Candidates As Election Day Approaches, The Forward
Jacob Kornbluh writes, “Though American Jews in general feel connected to Israel, it has never been a top-tier issue for them. There are some indications, however, that it has moved up on their priority list in the wake of Oct. 7 and as Israel battles its enemies on several fronts. Trump and Harris have been vague about how they would approach the war in Gaza and Lebanon. Nonetheless, Jewish voters, especially those who feel strongly attached to Israel, are listening closely for candidates’ plans to end the war.”
Furious About the Gaza War? Trump Is Still Far Worse for the Palestinians, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin discusses, “Beyond all these specific pieces of evidence lies a simple matter of the Trumpian political agenda, versus those who care about the fate of Palestinians. Presumably, we all want Palestinians to live through the current catastrophic assault, but survival and subsistence are not enough. Palestinians have the right to self-determination, political independence, geopolitical unity in Palestine, opportunities for education, growth, a functioning economy – in short, freedom. I cannot speak for Palestinians, but my personal friends and colleagues would like a democratic Palestine too.”
My Hope for Palestine, The Atlantic
Samer Sinijlawi shares, “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government aren’t interested in making any concessions to the Palestinians. They hardly see us, and are intent on ignoring our demands indefinitely. But I don’t think they represent the majority of Israelis, who dislike Netanyahu and want his rule to end. I believe that those who protest by the tens of thousands every week in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem know that the status quo is not acceptable for either people.”