Friends,
Since the horrific Hamas attack of October 7 and the Netanyahu government’s devastating response, the world’s eyes have been mostly fixed on Gaza.
But away from the spotlight, the settlement movement has seized the chance to take transformative steps to fundamentally reshape Israel’s presence in the West Bank – an effort to lock in permanent, undemocratic control over land that millions of Palestinians hope will one day form the heart of their own sovereign state.
It’s a project that’s advanced inch by inch, permit by permit, demolition by demolition and championed every step of the way by Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. After almost two years, the progress is both devastating and significant.
40,000 civilians displaced. Devastating settler violence. Ongoing terror attacks. Record-high settlement approvals.
The crisis was thrown back into the headlines this weekend, as violent settlers stormed the Palestinian town of Kafr Malik and later clashed with Israeli soldiers during protests against the military’s response to settler violence.
This is a crisis for Israel’s democratic future, its place among nations and its relationship with diaspora Jews around the world.
To be sure, there remain significant challenges on the other side. Corruption, authoritarianism and lack of good governance are pervasive in the Palestinian Authority and its institutions. There have been some positive steps towards reform in recent months, but much more needs to be done.
At J Street, it’s our mission to prepare our leaders and lay the groundwork for a pragmatic, muscular, effective and genuinely pro-Israel policy approach – one that’s rooted in our deepest values: Democracy, peace and the equal rights of all.
Our latest policy memo outlines clear steps for US policymakers to adopt and internalize. The United States should work with partners in Europe and the Middle East to:
- Press Israel to reverse the systematic de facto and de jure annexation changes led by Minister Smotrich, putting a halt to the surge in settlements, home demolitions, and outpost legalization.
- Pressure the Israeli government to put a halt to settler violence, and reimpose sanctions on violent extremist settlers.
- Support the transfer of parts of Area C to Palestinian control with a focus on areas most likely to ease housing and movement restrictions and produce major economic benefits for Palestinians.
- Press the PA on key governance reforms including ensuring full follow through on changes to the prisoner payment system. Support efforts to develop Palestinian Authority Security Forces and Palestinian economic development.
You can find our full J Street Policy Framework for the West Bank and Future Palestinian State here.
In the more immediate term, we’re also rallying support in Congress for the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, H.R. 3045 introduced by Reps. Nadler (D-NY-12), Smith (D-WA-09), and Himes (D-CT-04) to codify the Biden Administration’s West Bank sanctions framework into law. This has been one of the central pillars of our advocacy that continues to gain steam, with pro-Israel allies including the UK, Canada and Australia continuing to levy sanctions upon terror groups and extremist settler groups and prominent leaders – including Ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich.
The stakes could not be higher, and after so much pain and devastation, we cannot return to the status. Together, we must fight for the future we believe in – an Israel that serves as a truly just, truly democratic homeland for not only for the Jewish people, but for our Jewish values as well.
There is a way forward, and it is directly tied to what is happening in Gaza and across the Middle East. It starts with ending the war in Gaza, bringing the hostages home, surging humanitarian assistance, and leveraging the moment to begin working with the Arab states on a real security and political ‘day after’ plan that reintegrates Gaza and the West Bank and sets the table for the 23-State Solution.
Such a vision may feel out of reach under the current leadership of Netanyahu, Trump, and Abbas – but moments of change are inevitable. While new leaders emerge in Israel, Palestine and the United States, we must be ready to seize the opportunity.
Thank you, sincerely, for standing with us.
Ilan Goldenberg
Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, J Street
