House Democrats To Send Letter to Trump on Friday Urging US To Recognize Palestinian Statehood, The Guardian
“J Street, the prominent pro-Israel advocacy group, will endorse Khanna’s letter. ‘In light of the explicit efforts being made by the far right in Israel to bury the idea of a Palestinian state, actions like this letter are vital to affirm the global commitment to Palestinian self-determination,’ said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the lobby’s president. ‘From the pro-Israel perspective, a Palestinian state next to Israel is vital if Israel is to remain Jewish and democratic in nature.’”
“Shana Tovah”(with Theo Baker and Jeremy Ben-Ami) [Audio], Substack
Former Assistant Defense Secretary Doug Wilson and Silicon Valley Actor Josh Brener are joined by Stanford senior Theo Baker – the youngest-ever winner of the George Polk Award for special achievement in journalism – and J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami for a special Rosh Hashana BoomerLennials discussion.
God’s “Blank Check”: Christian Zionists Are Pouring Billions of Dollars Into Israeli Extremism, Mother Jones
“Jeremy Ben-Ami, who runs J Street, the liberal lobbying group focused on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, suspects that there is ‘very little awareness’ even among American Jews of this dynamic. ‘Most Jewish Americans view the US-Israel relationship through the lens of the American Jewish community’s influence and through its politics,’ he said. ‘They don’t give as much weight and consideration to what’s happening in the evangelical community.’”
A Frustrated Sen. Van Hollen Urges Democrats To Take Bigger Risks, The Washington Post
“’There are so many senators who agree with Van Hollen who were unwilling to do or say anything’ until public opinion began to turn, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the founder of J Street, which advocates for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ‘He took the heat.’”
Some Biden Aides are Shifting Their Tune on Israel, Politico
“Other Biden-era officials, such as Ilan Goldenberg, whose roles included working for Harris, have written about what they saw as missed opportunities in ways that show frustration if not outright remorse. Goldenberg wonders whether Biden should have heaped pressure on Netanyahu in December 2023 or January 2024 to end the war, even to the point of cracking the Israeli leader’s far-right government.”
World Leaders Consider Palestinian Statehood As Israel Pummels Gaza City:, Huffington Post
“The president of pro-Israel policy group J Street welcomed the decision by several world leaders this week to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN, rejecting claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump that such recognition only rewards Hamas.”
Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Gets Support From Regional Leaders, Axios
“President Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff presented Arab and Muslim leaders with a ’21-point plan’ for ending the war in Gaza and for post-Hamas governance on Tuesday, garnering positive responses from the attendees.”
Palestinians in West Bank Stranded as Israel Shuts Only International Crossing, BBC
“Israel has closed the only crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and neighbouring Jordan, stopping more than two million Palestinians from accessing the outside world.”
It’s Time to Impose Conditions on Aid to Israel, Politico
Jon Finer and Philip Gordon write, “Under these circumstances, with Hamas decimated and humanitarian conditions in Gaza beyond intolerable, we believe it is long past time for more decisive U.S. action to try to end the war. And that includes the most meaningful and material step the United States could take — arguably the only one of consequence — which is to finally leverage the billions of dollars it provides to Israel annually for security assistance.”
Trump Tells Arab Leaders He Won’t Let Israel Annex the West Bank, NBC
“President Donald Trump has assured Arab leaders that he will not allow Israel to annex the already occupied West Bank, sources told NBC News, amid fears of retaliation from the U.S. ally after a host of countries moved to recognize Palestinian statehood.”
Drone Fired by Yemen’s Houthis Wounds 22 in Southern Israel, in a Rare Breach of Missile Defenses, AP
“A drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels wounded 22 people in the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday, according to medics. It was a rare breach of Israel’s sophisticated missile defenses, which have greatly limited casualties from such attacks.”
FM Sa’ar: Israel Not Considering Annexation of PA-Controlled West Bank Areas, The Times of Israel
“Speaking to the Italian Corriere Della Sera daily, Sa’ar says ‘there is no intention of even discussing the annexation of Palestinian Authority territories because we don’t want to control the Palestinians.’”
Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza City, Hospitals Say, as Offensive Expands, BBC
“More than 80 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, most of them in Gaza City, local hospitals said. Women and children were among at least 20 who died when a strike hit a building and tents sheltering displaced families near Firas market in Gaza City’s central Daraj neighbourhood overnight, according to first responders.”
Our True Friends in the US Are in the Democratic Party, The Jerusalem Post
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “The US is in a period of polarizing leadership and rising political violence that could push the world’s greatest power into yet more chaos and instability. In this moment, we must remember: Our true friends are not those who exploit Israel to attack their opponents, nor those who give Netanyahu a blank check in Gaza. They are the ones who have stood by us consistently – and still do – even when their support comes with tough love that many Israelis would rather not hear.”
Our Isolation Is Not Due to Muslim Influence, The Times of Israel
Nadav Tamir writes, “Liberal Israelis need to understand that Netanyahu is lying to them as usual. He is the one responsible for Israel’s growing isolation due to his insistence on continuing a pointless and meaningless war. He blames social media, Qatari money, and Muslim immigrants, but they aren’t responsible.”
UNGA 2025: Five Middle East Flashpoints to Track, J Street Policy Center
J Street Policy Analyst Liam Hamama writes, “Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior ministers have signaled that Israel may officially annex parts of the West Bank in retaliation for the wave of recognition by Western states.”