Friends,
Just like 2017, the weeks feel like months with Trump in the White House.
The administration has wasted no time sowing chaos and targeting communities for their own political gain: Refugees, immigrants, LGBT+ Americans, public servants. Cutting off aid to millions of people around the world. The list goes on.
At the same time, we have reason for some hope in the Middle East. Though fragile, the ceasefire is holding. So far the administration seems to be using its leverage with the Netanyahu government to keep the ceasefire and hostage deal on track. It was incredibly encouraging that Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza this week to see the devastation with his own eyes – and that he is committed to negotiations necessary to advance the deal to Phase 2.
More on all this – and how J Street is meeting the moment and advancing our values – below.
– Jen Abrahamson, Vice President of Communications
Take Action ➡️
✍️Tell Washington to Make this Ceasefire Work: Scenes of hostage families reunited and aid reaching Palestinians in Gaza make it abundantly clear: We cannot restart this war. Every hostage must come home.
The Latest 👇
🌪️ Reflecting on Trump 2.0: The early days of Trump have been dominated by chaos: From withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization to pardoning violent insurrectionists and canceling the flights of refugees to America just as they were ready to depart. All of this was malicious but not surprising.
- Our Response: J Street is upholding our end of the bargain, fulfilling the promise we made on November 6 to lock arms with political allies, build strong coalitions and rally support in our own communities. How we’re joining the fight at home: J Street is upholding our end of the bargain, fulfilling the promise we made on November 6 to lock arms with political allies, build strong coalitions and rally support in our own communities. How we’re joining the fight at home:
- J Street joined an open letter opposing Trump’s cruel anti-immigrant plans along with 87 other Jewish groups. “Our Jewish values make immigration policy deeply personal,” the letter said.
- We condemned Trump’s apparent interest in “cleaning out” millions of Palestinians from their homes in Gaza. As we wrote, “Trump's illegal and immoral plan would only condemn generations of Israelis and Palestinians to endless violence.”
- J Street also opposed legislation threatening non-citizen college students with deportation simply because they attended a campus protest we might disagree with. As we said, “We will be watching closely to see whether the executive order is enforced in accordance with American laws and the Constitution.”
- Our Approach: “We’re ready for it all,” Jeremy wrote. “We’ll push back on all things Project 2025 as Trump implements his extremist anti-immigrant, anti-choice, anti-democratic, anti-LGBT+ agenda. And concurrently, we’ll be pressing him and his team to move in the right direction when it comes to bringing the remaining hostages home, ending this horrific war and setting in motion a serious ‘day after’ plan.” Read and share here >>
🎗️Welcoming the Hostages Home: We are overjoyed that on three separate occasions now, Israeli hostages held by Hamas have returned to Israeli soil. This week, we were particularly moved by the release of Gadi Moses.
- Gadi’s Home: We are overjoyed for Gadi – whose family members J Street has worked closely with over the past 16 months – and so relieved he's back in their arms. Gadi, a peacenik from Kibbutz Nir Oz, has spent much of his life advocating for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. We owe it to him to not give up the fight. We cannot let the ceasefire deal fall apart.
What We’re Watching ⚠️
📄 Dangerous Bill Blocked: We were glad to see Senate Democrats block legislation that would levy broad sanctions against the International Criminal Court, its staff and a wide range of others. This legislation would have put us at odds with our Western allies and hampered US-supported efforts to hold tyrants and warlords to account, including Vladimir Putin. Under the Trump Administration, we’re expecting a slew of efforts aimed at scoring political points, including against the Court – and we’re helping stiffen the spines of those in Congress who need to stand up to these efforts.
- “Our Take: “We have a deep, communal interest in establishing global norms and enforcing them, a need more crucial than ever as we witness the re-emergence of fascism around the world once again.” Read and share the full thread here >>
🚫 UNRWA Ban Takes Effect: On Thursday, Israeli legislation banning UNRWA from operating inside of Israel went into effect, jeopardizing aid delivery to Gaza at a time when families desperately need food, supplies and medicine. J Street is keeping a close eye on the situation and in close contact with partners who have critical insight into the ban’s impact on the ground.
- Where We Stand: UNRWA is far from perfect, and J Street has consistently called for urgent reforms to address staff links to Hamas, among other concerns. But it is unacceptable that millions of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank (and many heroic aid workers) are paying the price for individual acts.
- Resource: The J Street Policy Center released an explainer breaking down the real-life implications of this law for UNRWA, Israelis and Palestinians. As the issue brief unpacks, the effects will be consequential: Humanitarian operations will almost certainly be compromised. School resources will likely crumble. And Gaza’s recovery could be severely restrained. Read and share here >>
