J Street Slams Trump’s ‘Petty, Nonsensical’ Decisions to Deny Visas to Palestinian Passport Holders and Officials Ahead of UNGA, J Street
J Street Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg said, “This is a decision consistent with the political interests of the extreme Israeli right, not the national interests of the United States.”
Transactional, Impulsive and Contradictory: How to Make Sense of Trump’s Actions on Gaza, Haaretz
J Street Policy Fellow Larry Garber writes, “The inconsistency in the Trump administration’s policy toward Israel and Palestine is evident. Far less clear is whether there are a set of circumstances that will draw the U.S. back into a constructive diplomatic role on Gaza, the Palestinians and the greater Middle East, seeking more than a short-term cease-fire”
About That Latest Gaza Riviera Plan, Politico
Speaking to Politico’s National Security Daily, J Street Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg said, “The downsides of this plan are so high… Now you have all these crazy plans to push millions of people out of Gaza, that before were considered fringe but now actually have legitimacy with the Israeli public.”
Smotrich Proposes Annexing 82% of West Bank in Bid to Prevent Palestinian State, Times of Israel
“Smotrich and other longtime proponents of Israel annexing the territory say their moment has come, despite international warnings against such a move.”
Gaza Postwar Plan Envisions ‘Voluntary’ Relocation of Entire Population, Washington Post
“A postwar plan for Gaza circulating within the Trump administration, modeled on President Donald Trump’s vow to ‘take over’ the enclave, would turn it into a trusteeship administered by the United States for at least 10 years while it is transformed into a gleaming tourism resort and high-tech manufacturing and technology hub.”
UAE Warns Israel: Annexing West Bank is a ‘Red Line’ That Would ‘End Regional Integration’, Times of Israel
“‘Annexation would be a red line for my government, and that means there can be no lasting peace. It would foreclose the idea of regional integration and be the death knell of the two-state solution,’ Emirati special envoy Lana Nusseibeh told The Times of Israel in an interview conducted in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi.”
Trump Says Israel Has Lost Its ‘Total Control’ of Congress, Is Losing PR War Over Gaza, Haaretz
“Trump said it’s ‘a little surprising’ that Israel no longer has a strong lobby, stating that the change began about 15 years ago. ‘Israel was the strongest lobby I’ve ever seen. They had total control over Congress, and now they don’t.’”
Netanyahu Faces High-Level Opposition to His Stance on Gaza Truce, New York Times
“There is growing skepticism that Israel could now achieve militarily what it has not managed to accomplish in the 22 months of war.”
Hebron Mayor Arrested by Israeli Forces, Suspected of Support of Terrorism, Source Says, Haaretz
“A source in the Israeli defense establishment said that the mayor, Tayseer Abu Sneineh, was detained on suspicion of incitement and support of terrorism, including support for militant Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad.”
Shin Bet, IDF Foil Hamas Plot to Assassinate Ben-Gvir, Jerusalem Post
“The Shin Bet thwarted a Hamas terror cell planning the assassination attempt of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir using explosive drones, the security agency said Wednesday.”
The State of Hamas in Gaza After October 7, J Street Policy Center
Agora Initiative Executive Director Khalil Sayegh and J Street Policy and Research Coordinator Avraham Spraragen write, “Israel must adopt an integrated political, security, and reconstruction plan for the ‘Day After’ in Gaza. Absent such a plan and determined to keep fighting, Israel will find itself in a similar position to that of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan: waging an unwinnable war with no end.”
Zionist Values Cannot Coexist With Gaza’s Children Starving to Death at Israel’s Hands, Haaretz
“The Zionist movement didn’t aspire only to Jewish sovereignty, it also sought the creation of a society based on morality, justice and social responsibility. This vision was shared by the architects of Zionism across the political spectrum.”