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Dear A.,
President Trump said this morning that, "Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal," after the U.S. recalled its negotiators from Doha following the terror group's continued refusal to accept a hostage-ceasefire deal.
"I told you when you get down to those last 20 hostages… It’s going to be very hard for Hamas to make a deal because they lose their shield, they lose their cover," he added to reporters.
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Meanwhile, in an
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interview with Jewish Insider yesterday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made clear where the blame lies:
"Israel has made concession after concession. They have made offer after offer. The U.S. has intervened time and time and time again and gone to, I don’t know how many different talks, meetings and negotiations, but every time you will hear 'we’re close,' we think we’re about there, and then Hamas changes all the conditions at the last minute, or just outright rejects them."
You can read some additional notable quotes from Huckabee's interview below my signature.
AIPAC is grateful for President Trump and Ambassador Huckabee's continued strong support for Israel.
The United States must lead the international community in speaking with one collective voice to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages.
Below are more key stories and links to share AIPAC social media content. We'll continue to provide the latest updates on
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our social media channels .
Shabbat Shalom,
Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy Communications
Tell Congress: Condemn Hamas for Rejecting the U.S.-backed Ceasefire
Hamas once again rejected a U.S.-brokered agreement, already agreed to by Israel, that would stop the fighting, free hostages, and surge aid into Gaza.
Take 30 seconds: Urge your members of Congress to increase the pressure on Hamas to immediately release the hostages.
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Israeli ambassador: "No end to the amount of humanitarian food and aid that Israel will help provide"
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter released a video statement today reaffirming Israel's commitment to facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"There’s no end to the amount of humanitarian food and aid that Israel will help provide the noncombatants of Gaza through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation."
Watch his important full five-minute statement below:
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Leiter also lays out how Hamas spreads its propaganda through the United Nations and media outlets, as part of a disinformation campaign to undermine Israel's humanitarian efforts.
"We will not resupply the U.N. with the ability to collaborate with Hamas in order to reconstitute themselves as the rulers of Gaza," Leiter says.
There are currently
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hundreds of aid trucks worth of aid inside Gaza awaiting collection and distribution by the U.N. and NGOs.
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Hundreds of pallets of UNICEF aid, including special food for children and babies, sits inside Gaza, awaiting distribution.
Huckabee interviewed by Jewish Insider
Yesterday, Ambassador Huckabee sat down with Jewish Insider for an exclusive interview on the ongoing humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza and hostage negotiations.
You can read the
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full interview here , and below are some notable quotes:
On the humanitarian situation in Gaza: "There are clearly people who need food and medicine. That’s not a doubt. But the biggest reason that people are not getting the food and medicine they need is that Hamas is doing its best to cause the people to suffer."
On the United Nations: "The U.N. claims that they’re trying to help. No, they’re not. They are as much a part of the problem, if not the biggest part of the problem there is... basically, they’re waiting on Hamas to come and steal [the aid] so [Hamas] can turn around and sell it to the people that ought to be getting it for free. It is a scam."
On the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: "I’ve been shocked that very few other nations and even nonprofit organizations have been willing to stand up and help in the distribution of the food through the GHF, because the whole model was based on… No. 1, get food to people who are hungry, and No. 2, do it in a way that it doesn’t get stolen by Hamas. That’s been accomplished; over 85 million meals now have been served and continues to operate at almost 2 million meals a day."
On misinformation out of Gaza: "It is a disgrace and an outrage that the story that is being told is that GHF is killing people, and they’re not. They haven’t fired one round at anybody … It’s simply not true. It is sadly being reported sometimes because Hamas will release a news story and the Associated Press, CNN, The Washington Post, will gobble it up."
On the importance of visiting Israel: "I’m convinced that one of the most important things people can do is to come to Israel and see for themselves. Don’t even take my word for it. You just come. That’s what I’ve been doing for 52 years. When I tell people my views of Israel, I tell them, look, it’s not something I read in a book or watched on a documentary or listened to some people give lectures."
U.S. to skip French-led U.N. Palestinian statehood conference
The U.S.
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will skip a United Nations conference next week, led by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at advancing Palestinian statehood.
The U.S. previously criticized the conference, saying in a leaked memo: "We are urging governments not to participate in the conference, which we view as counterproductive to ongoing, life-saving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages... The United States opposes any steps that would unilaterally recognize a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies."
Yesterday, the French president announced his country will recognize a Palestinian state in September. Hamas praised the announcement. You can read AIPAC's statement
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here .
Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded,
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saying : "The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th."
U.S. mediates Israel-Syria meeting
Israeli and Syrian officials
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reportedly met yesterday in Paris under the auspices of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack.
"I met this evening with the Syrians and Israelis in Paris. Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that. All parties reiterated their commitment to continuing these efforts," Barrack said.
The was the first meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials since the brutal attacks on Syria's Druze community, which prompted Israeli airstrikes to help protect them.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu
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met with the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, at his office in Jerusalem.
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Hamas is extending this war, refusing to free hostages, and blocking a surge of aid into Gaza.
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Israel is a strong, self-reliant nation that advances our strategic interests.
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There are roughly 800 trucks worth of aid currently waiting in Gaza for international organizations to pick up and distribute to Gazan civilians.
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John Spencer: "Let history record who acted. Let it record who stayed silent. And let it record that when the Druze cried out, Israel listened."
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Support our work to keep Israel safe.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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