J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street’s positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.
J Street Deeply Alarmed by Killing of US Citizen in West Bank, Calls for Transparency and Accountability, J Street
“With circumstances unclear and the incident under review by the IDF, J Street urges the Biden Administration to ensure there is an independent US-led investigation of this tragedy and that responsible parties are held fully accountable. This incident resurfaces painful memories of other cases in which American citizens – including Shireen Abu Akleh and Omar Assad – were killed in the West Bank, leaving grieving families fighting for answers and accountability.”
Q&A With J Street Founder Jeremy Ben-Ami, TC Jewfolk
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami shares, “I think 80 plus percent of Jewish Americans understand that Palestinians have rights and they too are human beings. And we can have empathy for the fact that civilians are being trapped between a terrorist death cult of Hamas and a right-wing Israeli government that’s showing no mercy. That nuance, that ability to find the middle, does speak to the overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans.”
What Kind of Legacy Is President Biden Leaving After 4 Years in Office?, YNet News
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “Biden is now free to take firm action against Netanyahu’s intransigence over a hostage deal because it is the right thing to do for both American interests as well as for Israeli and Palestinian interests. Netanyahu has now squandered the American credit he may have held for too long.”
American Woman Shot and Killed by Israeli Gunfire in West Bank, Zeteo
Ayşenur, who went by Izgy and held dual citizenship with Turkey, was shot at the same weekly demonstration where American teacher and volunteer Amado Sison was shot last month. The shooting also follows Israeli settlers attacking American volunteers and Israeli forces throwing stun grenades at them. Eygi arrived three days ago as part of the International Solidarity Movement — the same group of which 23-year-old peace activist Rachel Corrie was part of; Corrie was killed in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer.
What Settler Violence Is Doing to Israel, The Atlantic
Assaf Gavron shares, “The chaos of war may be one reason for settler violence. The settlers see the level of aggression that the state is employing against Palestinians in Gaza. […] But perhaps the more important factor is that the Israeli establishment is supporting settler violence to an entirely new degree. Not only are the IDF or police failing to stop the attacks, but members of the Knesset openly praise and legitimize them.”
Biden Cease-Fire Push Falters Again after New Demand by Hamas, The Washington Post
The latest obstacle — the abrupt introduction by Hamas of a new demand surrounding which prisoners Israel would release — underscores the frustrating, often excruciating process that has preoccupied top U.S. officials, and Biden himself, for nine months. At several recent points the United States, along with Qatar and Egypt, believed a deal was within reach, only for Israel or Hamas to derail the talks with new demands that set negotiators back weeks or months.
Organizers Claim Largest-Ever Rally in Tel Aviv as Calls for Hostage Deal Intensify, The Times of Israel
Protest organizers estimated that 500,000 people attended the flagship rally in Tel Aviv, organized by the Hostage Families Forum – an estimate they claimed was confirmed by police. They said another 250,000 demonstrated in other areas around the country.
UN Calls for Full Inquiry Into West Bank Shooting, BBC
The United Nations has called for a “full investigation” into the killing of a US-Turkish woman in the occupied West Bank during a protest on Friday. Local media reported that Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot dead by Israeli forces as she took part in a weekly protest against Jewish settlement expansion in the town of Beita near Nablus.
Israeli Strikes in Syria Leave 14 Dead, Syrian State Media Says, AP
The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 14 with more than 40 wounded, Syrian state media said Monday morning.
Israeli Strike Kills Senior Rescue Service Official in Gaza as Fighting Rages, US News
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Jabalia on Sunday killed Mohammad Morsi, deputy director of the Gaza Civil Emergency Service in the northern areas of the Gaza Strip, and four of his family, health officials said. The Civil Emergency Service said in a statement that Morsi’s death raised to 83 the number of its members killed by Israeli fire since Oct. 7. There was no immediate Israeli comment on Morsi’s death.
Chased Away by Israeli Settlers, These Palestinians Returned to a Village in Ruins, AP
Roughly 40% of former residents have so far chosen not to return. The 150 or so that have come back are sleeping outside the ruins of their old homes. They say they are determined to rebuild – and to stay – even as settlers once again try to intimidate them into leaving.
Ben-Gvir’s Secretary Told Cops Not to Use Force After Civilians Broke Into Israeli Army Base, Haaretz
In July, after army police arrested IDF soldiers for alleged abuse of Palestinian prisoners, Israelis stormed two army bases, including Beit Lid where the soldiers were detained. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gave an order to treat rioters lightly.
Report: Top Israeli Negotiator Told Hostages’ Families Gaza Deal Is Unlikely Anytime Soon, The Times of Israel
“At the moment, it looks like a deal isn’t going to happen. Not even the first phase. The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator reportedly told the families. “Keep acting to get the public behind bringing about an end to the war,” the source adds.
Doubts Grow in White House About Presenting New Gaza Deal Terms, Axios
The murder of six hostages by Hamas, among them American citizen Hersh Golberg-Polin, and the group’s new demand to release 100 more Palestinian prisoners who are serving life sentences for murdering Israelis caused significant pessimism at the White House, the officials said. At the same time, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his demand to maintain full Israeli military control along the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border in a press conference last week, it created frustration at the White House.
Gunman Kills 3 in Rare Attack at Border Crossing With Jordan, Israel Says, The Washington Post
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that security forces fatally shot the gunman. The IDF said the man approached the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the vehicle and opened fire on security forces operating the bridge. The attack is the deadliest on record at the typically quiet crossing, which is the main point of entry and exit for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
A Dialogue: Meeting Today’s Challenges in Israel, The Times of Israel
Laurence Wolff writes, “We taught Israel as a kind of fairy tale story — a dynamic democracy, militarily strong, innovative, the fulfillment of a dream, a critical element of Judaism. And we taught our children about ‘social justice’ but did not apply those concepts to Israel. This approach continues now in many of our schools, especially those that are religious. In our schools, we need to recognize that, like many countries, Israel has anti-democratic, prejudiced, aggressive, oppressive, and intolerant elements. We should encourage debate on the internal and external challenges Israel faces, with a nuanced story about Israel, Palestinians, and the Arab Israeli conflict.”
On GPS: A Joint Vision for Peace in the Middle East [Video], CNN
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and former Palestinian Authority foreign minister Nasser al-Kidwa talk to Fareed Zakaria about their joint vision for a long-lasting peace in the Middle East.
No, Anti-Zionism Is Not Antisemitism – Except When It Is, The New Republic
Eric Alterman writes, “Pro-Zionists engage in a similar sort of sleight of hand when they employ the same antisemitic tropes to accuse liberal Jews of being insufficiently supportive of Israel. The king of this tactic is none other than Donald Trump. Yes, the very same guy who defended violent neo-Nazis in Charlottesville as ‘good people’; whose party repeatedly ran election ads featuring Jewish financiers’ faces, attacking their alleged ‘globalist’ conspiracies; and who hosted the unapologetic antisemitic agitators Nick Fuentes and the rapper Ye to dinner at Mar-a-Lago, nevertheless feels himself empowered to make frequent assertions that Jews who vote for Democrats ‘hate Israel’ and hate ‘their religion.’”
Jewish Voters Favor Kamala Harris over Donald Trump 68% to 25%, Poll Shows, JTA
Ron Kampeas reports, “American Jews plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris by a wide margin, according to a new survey by a Jewish Democratic group. The survey also found that 87% of American Jewish voters support the Biden administration’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that would release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.”