[ ]J Street[ ]
Friends,

Phase I of the ceasefire is set to expire this Saturday, but getting to
Phase II is far from certain.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is attempting to extend Phase I while insisting
on keeping Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, violating the
ceasefire and jeopardizing future hostage releases. Meanwhile, Trump’s
plan for the forcible displacement of Gazan civilians is emboldening
far-right annexationists in Israel.

At the same time, Israeli society is mobilizing to protect the hostage and
ceasefire deal, and public pressure may be the only thing keeping the deal
alive.

For everything we’re working on this week, check out our recap below.

Nate Wolfson
Director of Communications Operations

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🎗️ May Their Memories be a Blessing: This week, Israeli society came
together to lay Oded Lifshitz and Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas to rest. On
Wednesday evening, the requirements of Phase I of the ceasefire deal were
completed when Hamas returned the bodies of another four Israeli hostages,
Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan, Itzik Elgarat and Shlomo Mantzur, this time,
thankfully, without an exploitative and disturbing public ceremony.

* Our Response: “No family should have to endure the anguish of a loved
one being held hostage, and the priority should remain the urgent
return of all Israelis still held hostage in Gaza. That means doing
what is necessary to urgently move toward Phase II of the ceasefire
framework by extending the current break in major hostilities,
facilitating massive humanitarian relief for the people of Gaza,
securing continued hostage releases, and coming to an agreement on who
governs Gaza after the war,” Jeremy Ben-Ami wrote. [ [link removed] ]Read our full
statement here >>

⚖️ Gaza Ceasefire Hanging in the Balance: With Phase I of the Gaza
ceasefire agreement set to end on Saturday, decisions made in the next few
days could determine whether the ceasefire and hostage deal continues onto
Phase II or collapses back into a devastating war.

* Key Issues to Watch: In a new Policy Center analysis piece, J Street
Policy Center Fellow and former US Special Envoy Frank Lowenstein
writes “Even if Phase II negotiations proceed, it will be very
difficult to reconcile Netanyahu’s call for ‘total victory’ over Hamas
and release of all remaining hostages with Hamas’ refusal to disarm
and demands for credible assurances of a permanent end to the war. The
effort to provide a credible Arab plan for post-war Gaza, which the
Saudis and Egyptians are leading, will be key to any hopes of avoiding
the resumption of a war that would be devastating for Palestinian
civilians.” [ [link removed] ]Read here >>

🧭 Nine Crossroads for Israel and the Region: Jeremy just got back from a J
Street Congressional Delegation to Israel and the West Bank. In his latest
installment of his Word on the Street Substack series, he identifies nine
historic decisions that lie ahead.

* Annexation or Peace: “Israel must make the strategic choice between
continuing down the messianic path toward one state without rights for
all, isolation and perpetual conflict, or the path of regional
normalization that I call the 23-state solution, bringing integrated
security and global acceptance of Israel’s borders,” Jeremy said.
[ [link removed] ]Read, share and subscribe here >>

⚠️ Settler Terror and Mass Displacement in the West Bank: Violent settlers
are attacking Palestinian communities in the West Bank, forcing them to
fear for their property and their lives. At the same time, Israeli Defense
Minister Katz boasted that military operations have forced at least 40,000
Palestinians from their homes in the last month – the largest displacement
of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

* Our Message for Trump: “If the White House wants to prevent another
potentially catastrophic, entirely unnecessary conflict from igniting,
it must back away from annexationist rhetoric, restrain right-wing
extremists, preserve space for credible, targeted operations and
restore aid to Palestinian security services even as it presses them
to implement agreed reforms, Vice President and J Street Chief of
Staff Adina Vogel Ayalon said. [ [link removed] ]Read more >>

🔄 MAGA’s Global-Authoritarian Feedback Loop: Over the past few weeks,
Trump, Musk and Vance have been using America’s vast international
influence to prop up far-right leaders and undermine democratic allies in
Europe. It’s a green light from the US to trample democracy, override
judicial checks and balances and target vulnerable groups

* Democracy Under Attack: “It’s a total disintegration of the liberal
democratic safeguards – imperfect though they have been – that have
made the United States a country of choice for the Jewish diaspora,
and which have kept our communities and so many others safe, free and
prosperous for generations,” J Street’s Director of Government Affairs
Hannah Morris writes on our Word on the Street Substack. [ [link removed] ]Read the
full piece here >>

🕯️Refugee Shabbat Starts Tonight!: Join thousands of people around the
world in reflecting and raising awareness for displaced populations.

* Refugee Shabbat 2025, which will take place on February 28 – March 1,
is a moment for congregations, organizations and individuals in the US
and around the world to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees,
asylum seekers and forcibly displaced people. [ [link removed] ]Learn how you can
participate here >>

✡️ Pledge to Vote Hatikvah Slate! Voting for the World Zionist Congress
opens in 9 days, an organization that allocates more than $1 billion of
the Jewish people’s money annually. That money could be used to fund
settlers, annexationists and extremists like Smotrich and Ben Gvir, or it
could be used to advance pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy policies.

* We’re voting for the Hatikvah Slate because we support this hostage
and ceasefire deal, oppose annexation and are committed to fighting
for Israeli democracy. [ [link removed] ]Pledge your support >>


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J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy
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Jewish people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we
advocate policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish
and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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