Dear Friends,
I wanted to be sure you saw the invitation below to join J Street’s Policy Center today for a discussion on the spiraling situation in the West Bank with a leading panel of experts including Lior Amihai, Michael Sfard and Celine Touboul.
Register here for the call at 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific >>
The West Bank re-entered the news cycle this week for reasons all too painful. Secretary of State Blinken called the IDF’s killing of peace advocate and US citizen Aysenur Eygi “unprovoked” and called on Israeli security forces to make “fundamental changes” to the way they operate there. And in a statement issued the morning after the presidential debate, Vice President Harris added, “No one should be killed for participating in a peaceful protest.”
J Street’s Director of Policy Dr. Debra Shushan will turn to our thought leaders to break down the ongoing turmoil and examine steps and strategies that could make a difference in curbing the growing violence, expanding settlements and rising tensions in the West Bank. Register here, and see below for more details.
– Jen Abrahamson, VP of Communications
Friends,
Media attention was jerked back to the West Bank Friday following the horrifying news that a 26-year-old American peace advocate had been shot dead by Israeli forces.
The news comes amid ongoing reports of an unprecedented rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, increased IDF military operations and a near-total lack of accountability for soldiers and settlers alike – with over 500 Palestinians killed since October 7, including more than 140 children. Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations warn that the situation is going from bad to worse, with security experts alarmed that simmering violence risks boiling over into full-scale conflict.
To discuss everything at stake right now, J Street’s Policy Center is bringing together an expert panel this Thursday at noon Eastern / 9am Pacific featuring renowned human rights lawyer Michael Sfard, Israeli-Palestinian peace and security expert Celine Touboul, and Peace Now Executive Director Lior Amihai. Register to join us here >>
Here’s what you can expect:
- Lior Amihai will take us right into the situation on the ground in the West Bank and unpack the indispensable work Peace Now is doing, the high level of danger posed to Palestinians and peace advocates, and rising Israeli and Palestinian extremism.
- Michael Sfard will share his analysis of the damning international legal implications of decades of occupation, including this summer’s significant ruling by the International Court of Justice that found Israeli occupation of the West Bank to be illegal.
- Celine Touboul will offer expert policy analysis and recommendations for defusing the growing crisis in the West Bank, protecting human rights and safety there, and charting a better course.
We will also discuss the role that sanctions on those most responsible for violence and instability in the West Bank can play in holding perpetrators accountable and impacting the reality on the ground.
This J Street Policy Center briefing promises a top-tier lineup to take you behind the scenes on the profoundly concerning situation unfolding in the West Bank. I hope you can join us. Register here to mark your calendar >>
See you soon,
Dr. Debra Shushan
Director, J Street Policy Center
