Hi There,
The news comes fast and furious these days. I don’t want to overwhelm you, but want to make sure you’ve seen a few key bits of news over the past few days:
One, the Senate is expected to confirm Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas to be US Ambassador to Israel.
- J Street strongly opposed the nomination, noting Huckabee’s open support of West Bank annexation, his embrace of extremist settlers and total indifference to Israel’s democratic future or the civil rights of Palestinians.
- We expect the overwhelming majority of Democratic Senators to stand in opposition to Huckabee's nomination – following all Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holding the line and voting no in committee last week.
- Huckabee’s appointment is further proof that, when push comes to shove, President Trump is more interested in playing to his MAGA, evangelical Christian Zionist base than to those in his administration actively looking to make a long-term regional peace deal.
Two, you may have missed it but Prime Minister Netanyahu jetted in and out of Washington for a brief meeting yesterday with the President at the White House.
- Bibi’s agenda? Primarily to talk his way out of Trump’s toxic tariffs. Apparently that effort went nowhere, but he did find time to humor Trump’s plan to have Palestinians "voluntarily" leave Gaza.
- Let’s be clear: This proposal would amount to the forced displacement of millions of war-weary Gazans – it’s ridiculous, totally unworkable and morally repugnant. The bluster is also predictably dehumanizing. Palestinians aren't pawns for Trump and Netanyahu's annexationist dreams. Gaza isn't "real estate" to be sold off to the highest bidder.
Three, while we’re dealing with the chaos here, we’re also watching in horror as violence continues to escalate in the West Bank.
- We were deeply disturbed by news that Israeli soldiers in the West Bank shot and killed Omar Mohammed Saada Rabea, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American boy, and injured two other boys, including a 15-year-old American citizen.
- We’re particularly shocked that Israeli forces described these children as “terrorists” based on the allegation they were seen throwing rocks. We cannot accept this as justification for using live gunfire, especially on children.
- These actions do nothing to make Israel safer. Instead, they fuel anti-Israel terror recruitment, alienate the next generation in the Jewish diaspora, and push Israel toward becoming an international pariah.
Finally, we’re deeply distressed by reports of Israeli forces firing upon a clearly marked, clearly lit ambulance convoy in Gaza seeking to help their missing colleagues, which is contrary to initial IDF reports that suggested suspicious activity.
- This should not have happened. It cannot keep happening. It puts the remaining hostages at further risk and flies in the face of what the majority of Israelis want – a definitive end to this devastating war.
- There are, of course, real security issues at play in both Gaza and the West Bank, but asking soldiers to treat every person in either place as an expendable threat is devastating for our collective humanity and corrosive to Israel’s soul.
- With Netanyahu’s coalition ignoring pleas to return to the hostage deal and the Trump Administration cheering on brazen violations of international law, it's critical for American legislators, community leaders and other pro-Israel voices to speak with firm moral clarity.
Given everything that’s happening, our collective voices are more important now than ever. I wanted you to know that wherever the challenges appear – here at home or on the ground in the Middle East – J Street will continue speaking out as loudly and clearly as this moment demands.
Thank you, sincerely, for standing with us.
– Jeremy
