Friend,
It’s been an extremely dark and difficult week.
Horror here at home echoed the horror in the region with the tragic shooting of Israeli Embassy staff Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. Our hearts break for their families, friends and colleagues as they grapple with this senseless act of terror.
The news continues to be bleak and political leadership lacking – which makes the work we do to find a pathway out of perpetual violence, terror and bloodshed that much more important.
Rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace is the only way to give meaning to the new wave of horror and loss we feel this week, and have been grappling with for far too many years now.
Our weekly recap is below. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street
J Street Condemns Horrific Anti-Israel, Antisemitic Attack in Washington DC, Mourns Two Young Victims: Thursday morning brought devastating news that a gunman had shot and killed two young Israeli Embassy staff at the Capital Jewish Museum. The perpetrator shouted “free Palestine” as he was taken into custody.
- This is a horrific and painful personal tragedy, and we recognize that it is also an act of political terror and antisemitic violence that strikes fear into a deeply shaken community.
- “There can be legitimate opposition to the government of Israel and deep anguish over the suffering of innocents in Gaza – indeed most in our community share these views – but nothing can justify the targeting of Jews, Israelis or Jewish institutions in the United States, nor can such acts possibly hope to further the pro-Palestinian cause,” we wrote.
- “Fears of anti-Israel political violence on the left are real, and last night that threat became deadly. We urge all those in the pro-Palestine movement to take stock of this moment and recognize the danger of extreme rhetoric as it hits the ears of unhinged individuals.” Read and share our full response here >>
Gaza War Crosses Dark Threshold as Netanyahu Escalates Further: This week brought fresh horrors as Netanyahu moved forward with his plan to fully re-occupy Gaza while his government continues to obstruct adequate aid from reaching desperate civilians.
- The footage coming out of Gaza is agonizing. Children killed by airstrikes, families running in panic, whole communities forced to flee once again. The Trump Administration must use its leverage to end this madness, not just gripe in the press.
- In a message to supporters, we shared the words of Arbel Yehoud, a freed 29-year-old hostage, pleading with political leaders to immediately seek a hostage deal for the sake of her partner, his brother and all hostages still in captivity: “Your hands will be covered in their blood and the blood of the soldiers if you do not stop this war.”
Retired Israeli Major General Yair Golan Delivers Hard Truths in Israel: "What began as a just campaign to achieve security and free the hostages, has now been turned by this failed government into a war without a security or national purpose," leader of the Israeli political party, the Democrats, Yair Golan, said in a widely covered speech in Israel.
- "It is not a maneuver to release hostages, because it was possible long ago to release the hostages in a comprehensive deal. [...] It’s also not a campaign to topple Hamas, because that was possible long ago by starting to build a political alternative to Hamas.”
- Golan’s remarks followed controversy over earlier comments in which he warned that Israel risked becoming a “pariah state” and that “a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations.” Watch and share his full speech here >>
UK Extends Sanctions on Violent Settlers: One of Trump’s first acts in office was to revoke J Street-backed, Biden-era sanctions on violent settlers – but the Western allies that followed suit under Biden have kept their sanctions in place.
- This week, the UK extended its sanctions to the 'godmother' of Israel's settler movement Daniella Weiss and several other individuals, outposts and groups.
- J Street continues to rally support for Congressman Jerry Nadler’s House bill to restore and codify the framework to deliver a measure of accountability and deterrence to those who trample our values and threaten a peaceful, democratic future.
J Street Mourns Gerry Connolly, A Champion of Justice: This week, we mourned the passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly, a fierce champion for fairness, equality and justice.
- “He was one of J Street’s closest supporters since our founding, offering advice and encouragement that meant the world to a young, new and ambitious advocacy team. We are profoundly grateful for his years of friendship, guidance and support,” Jeremy said in a tribute to Congressman Connolly. Read and share the full tribute here.
📖 This Week’s Must-Reads:
- We are Jewish students from universities Trump is targeting. He’s not protecting us: “Each of us is a Jewish student at one of the universities the administration named in its announcement, including Ivy League schools like Harvard University and Columbia University, and flagship public institutions like University of California, Berkeley and the University of Minnesota. While it is true that each school has been rocked by antisemitic incidents, Trump’s plans offer us no comfort.”
- As Israel starves and destroys Gaza, it’s turning into a global pariah: “After more than 19 months of brutal war, the patience of some of Israel’s Western allies appears to be running out amid a renewed Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip,” writes the Washington Post’s Ishaan Tharoor.
- The Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crush the Pro-Palestinian Movement [🎁 Gift Link]: “Since the inauguration, the White House and other Republicans have called for actions that appear to mirror more than half of Project Esther’s proposals, a New York Times analysis shows, including threats to withhold billions in federal funding at universities and attempts to deport legal residents,” Katie Baker reports.
- Iran Nuclear Talks Are Running Into Red Lines: "Although US President Donald Trump suggested last week that a nuclear deal with Iran was 'close,' that doesn’t actually seem to be the case as both sides are digging in on their respective red lines and appearing to rule out the early possibility of a negotiated solution to the future of Iran’s nuclear program,” writes Keith Johnson.
🗳️ Our Pro-Democracy To-Do List:
💡 More Resources:
- Watch our Webinars and Listen to our Podcast:
- Read More on Our Website:
