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J Street Welcomes Bill to Reverse Congressional Funding Freeze on UNRWA Humanitarian Aid, J Street
“Aid workers with ties to terrorists are abhorrent. They should always be rooted out and held to account. But they are the exception. Punishing children and an entire civilian population for the purported sins of a few is not only wrong – it’s immensely dangerous,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “Fully cutting off a key source of humanitarian assistance doesn’t make Israel safer. It risks doing the exact opposite by deepening the desperation and deprivation that breeds terrorists.”
Progressive US Politicians Push to Fund UNRWA but Face Major Opposition, The National
The UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act has also been endorsed by more than 120 organisations, according to Mr Carson, including Jewish-American groups Americans for Peace Now and J Street. J Street’s president Jeremy Ben-Ami said his organisation was proud to support the legislation, and that Washington must “stop playing politics with Palestinian welfare and Israel’s security.”
Israel Unleashes Heavy Strikes on Lebanon as US Urges Urgent Diplomatic Solution, Reuters
Israeli warplanes carried out late on Thursday their most intense strikes on south Lebanon in nearly a year of war, Lebanese security sources said, heightening the conflict between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah amid calls for restraint. The White House said a diplomatic solution was achievable and urgent, and Britain called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The U.S. is “afraid and concerned about potential escalation,” spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.
New Evidence Reveals Netanyahu’s Relentless Efforts to Block Hostage Deal, Report Shows, Haaretz
Israel’s Channel 12 News exclusive report features new documents and previously unheard conversations showing Netanyahu’s efforts to sabotage any hostage deal
U.S. Fears Israeli Finance Minister Will Topple Palestinian Banks, Axios
G7 official said the U.S. warned that if the Palestinian banks are cut off from Israeli banks it could significantly destabilize the West Bank and create a violent escalation that would spill over into Israel. The West Bank would turn into a “cash economy” that could benefit terrorist organizations that largely use cash to operate, the G7 official said.
Saudi Crown Prince Says No to Israel Ties Without Palestinian State, The New York Times
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia has declared that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel before the “establishment of a Palestinian state,” an apparent hardening of his position on an issue that could reshape the diplomatic map of the Middle East.
Trump Says Jews Would Deserve Much of the Blame if He Loses, The Forward
“The Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss,” Trump said during the first speech of the evening, an hour-long address at an event called “Fighting Antisemitism in America,” organized with GOP megadonor Dr. Miriam Adelson, at the Hyatt Regency hotel on Capitol Hill.
Six Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Occupied West Bank’s Qabatiya, Reuters
Six Palestinians were killed and 18 others injured by Israeli forces during a military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Qabatiya, the governor of Jenin told Reuters on Thursday. The governor, Kamal Abu al-Rub, said four of the injured are in critical condition, and that Israeli forces withdrew from Qabatiya after destroying infrastructure in the area.
Defense Secretary Postpones Trip to Israel Amid U.S. Concerns of War with Lebanon, Axios
A source with knowledge of the issue said the decision to postpone Austin’s trip was a combination of the tensions in the region and the scheduling issues of some leaders in the region.
Ben-Gvir’s Logs Reveal Hidden Meeting With Judge, Visit to Yeshiva Commemorating Jewish Terrorist, Haaretz
The logs further disclose that, last March, he was present at the Purim celebrations at the Ha’Raayon Hayehudi yeshiva in Jerusalem, which commemorates Baruch Goldstein, who massacred 29 Muslim worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on Purim 30 years ago.
With Little Prospect for a Deal, Israel Floats Sinwar Exile Proposal to Biden, CNN
The proposal from Gal Hirsch, a close Netanyahu ally who serves as Israel’s coordinator for hostages and the missing, would see a permanent end to the conflict in Gaza, the release in one stage of all hostages held there in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and the safe passage for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to be exiled out of Gaza, according to Kan 11, an Israeli national broadcaster and CNN affiliate.
Israel’s Pager Attack Was a Tactical Success Without a Strategic Goal, Analysts Say, The New York Times
Patrick Kingsley writes, “If the pager attack impressed many Israelis, some of whom had criticized their government for failing to stop Hezbollah’s strikes, their core frustration remained: Hezbollah is still entrenched on Israel’s northern border, preventing tens of thousands of residents of northern Israel from returning home.”
War, Apartheid, Dehumanization: Polls Reveal Bleak Parallels Between Palestinians and Israelis, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin reports, “As the poll shows, feelings of victimization fuel justifications for war and violence. Eighty percent of Palestinians believe that their recent years of suffering in Gaza justify October 7, and 84 percent of Israeli Jews believe that October 7 justifies the war. Eighty-nine percent of Palestinians believe the land ‘very much’ belongs to them and 92 percent of Israeli Jews say the land very much belongs to them.”