J Street Condemns Smotrich’s Annexation Plans, Calls for Stronger Opposition, J Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “Pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy leaders in Congress and our community must speak out against this plan – and the strongest way to slam the door shut on far-right annexationist fantasies is to recognize Palestinian people’s right to statehood now, before it’s too late.”
[Video] Democracy Under Fire in Israel and the US, Featuring Ambassador Norm Eisen, J Street
This week on Word on the Street Live, Jeremy and J Street Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg sat down with Ambassador Norm Eisen. From serving as Obama’s ethics counsel to serving as co-counsel during Trump’s first impeachment, Norm has spent his career on the front lines of democracy.
Children Killed by Israeli Strike While Getting Water in Area Palestinians Were Told to Go, NBC
“Israel directed Palestinians to a safe zone, promising access to water and food for a population left starving and thirsty by its military assault. The same day, bloodied children lay next to water jugs near a fountain. Others sprawled out on stretchers at a nearby hospital, their families wailing. Palestinian health authorities said at least 13 people were killed, including seven children.”
Hamas Says It Is Ready for a Comprehensive Deal to End the Gaza War, The New York Times
“Hamas said it was ready to free them in exchange for an end to the war, the full withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza, the beginning of reconstruction and the opening of border crossings to bring everything that is needed into Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel dismissed the statement as ‘spin’ and ‘nothing new.’”
Israel Intensifies Gaza City Attacks as UN Warns of ‘Horrific’ Consequences for Displaced Families, BBC
“The UN and aid groups said the Israeli operations were already having ‘horrific humanitarian consequences’ for displaced families sheltering in the city, which is home to a million people and where a famine was declared last month.”
Houthi Missile, 3rd in 24 Hours, Falls Short of Israel; Katz Threatens ‘All 10 Plagues’, The Times of Israel
“The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, still reeling from deadly Israeli strikes last week, launched a missile at Israel on Thursday and accused UN staffers of spying for the Jewish state.”
Some Israeli Reservists Say They’d Rather Go to Jail Than Serve in the Assault on Gaza City, NBC
“Amid widespread global outrage about renewed military operations in northern Gaza and large-scale protests in Israel calling for a deal to free the hostages still being held, NBC News spoke to several reservists including Kresch, all of whom have served but do not want to fight any more in Gaza.”
Despite Looming Israeli Offensive, Many in Gaza City Insist They Won’t Flee Again, The Times of Israel
“As artillery and bombs pound around Gaza’s largest city and Israel promises a punishing new offensive, Palestinians in the city are paralyzed with fear — unsure whether to go and what will happen if they do.”
A Rogue Force Operates in Gaza Under IDF Cover, Endangering Soldiers and Unarmed Palestinians, Haaretz
Yaniv Kubovich and Josh Breiner write, “You can see them across the Gaza Strip, almost everywhere. Teams of people operating heavy equipment for one purpose: demolition. They aren’t part of a regular military unit, but rather small groups that form through independent initiatives. They are civilians, many of them settlers, who are mobilized into the reserves through contracting companies. The goal is to destroy buildings and tunnels, or in the common words of those involved: ‘to flatten Gaza.’”
The Meeting That Haunts Netanyahu to This Day, Jewish News
Peter Lerner writes, “Bringing the PA into Gaza after Hamas is dismantled would be a political earthquake for Netanyahu. That’s why he has chosen the path of armed clans and gangs. To bring back the PA to Gaza would be an admittance that his policy of division was a failure. That Hamas was not contained. That the Palestinian Authority, whom he dismissed and derided, was not the problem, but part of the solution.”
A Call to Israelis: Speak Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace, The Times of Israel
Tova Herzl writes, “Research shows that steady protest by 3.5% of the population leads to change. Sometimes less is enough and success isn’t guaranteed. Regardless, the number of people out on the streets indicates commitment and determination; staying away sends the opposite message.”
Israeli Intelligence Data: Militants Account for Only 1 in 4 Gaza Detainees, +972
Yuval Abraham writes, “Only one in four Palestinians captured by Israeli forces in Gaza were identified by the army as militants, with civilians making up the vast majority of “unlawful combatants” detained in Israeli prisons since October 7, a joint investigation by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and the Guardian can reveal.”