“Until now, I have tried to deflect and defend when challenged to call this genocide,” writes @JeremyBenAmi.

“I have, however, been persuaded by legal and scholarly arguments that international courts will one day find Israel has broken the international genocide convention.” 🧵 “Based on the law as I read it, the Prime Minister and others in his government will have to answer for what they have done and will be held accountable.”
​​jeremybenami.substack.com/p/genocide

The dam is breaking.

We’ve seen a growing number of Jewish leaders and institutions speak out against the horror in Gaza and the need to stop mass starvation and seal a war-ending hostage deal. 🧵 On Sunday, the largest Jewish denomination in the US released a powerful statement:
“Blocking food, water, medicine, and power – especially for children – is indefensible... Let us rise to the moral challenge of this moment.”
ccarnet.org/reform-movemen…

🧵 This decision is part of the Administration's broader attack on academic institutions, and may cause these same institutions to overcorrect–stifling free speech for fear of having all of their funding cut.
1/5

https://twitter.com/RepJerryNadler/status/1898117073353503048

If this Administration sincerely cared about antisemitism, it wouldn't be providing a platform to antisemites in its own ranks including officials working at the Pentagon who have a history of spreading blood libels online.
2/5

Firing the leading moderating voice in the cabinet is an alarming move that foreshadows a concerning, unrestrained next chapter. Netanyahu continues to reject the advice of security experts in favor of serving his own political needs and the most extreme voices in his coalition.

https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1853868422188159086

We echo the concerns from Israeli opposition parties across the spectrum, who are calling for public protests and expressing profound concern over where this will lead.

https://x.com/YeshAtidEnglish/status/1853874480906416155

Live now: J Street’s Director of Policy @DrShushan sits down with expert lineup @CelineTouboul, @LiorAmihai and @sfardm to break down the profoundly concerning situation unfolding in the West Bank.

Watch live or follow this thread for key quotes. us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… @DrShushan @CelineTouboul @lioramihai @sfardm Dr. Shushan provides context for today's discussion. “We know that Israeli settler violence and Palestinian extremism in the West Bank are both on the rise.” “Our discussion will focus on the situation in the West Bank, the ICC ruling and the US administration’s policy options.”

Today, a J Street delegation of US policy and political professionals bore witness to demolished family homes and infrastructure in the occupied Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair in the West Bank and heard from residents who saw their homes get ripped apart by wrecking crews.

https://twitter.com/CJNVtweets/status/1805866599108210950

The settlement movement’s goal of claiming more and more land for Israel – through annexation tactics such as harassment, demolitions and settlement expansion – undermines Israel’s security and unjustly pains families looking to build a future for their kids.

Aid agencies report that Israeli authorities continue to deny or delay the entry of urgently needed aid. Reports note that families in Gaza have resorted to eating ground animal feed, with children going without food for days. The US must act now 🧵
bbc.com/news/world-mid… For several weeks, far-right activists – many of them West Bank settlers – have aimed to obstruct the delivery of vital aid to Palestinians in Gaza by blocking their passage at the Kerem Shalom border.
timesofisrael.com/for-second-day…

🧵 It is time for a negotiated stop to the fighting to bring freedom to the hostages and relief to the people of Gaza.
jstreet.org/press-releases…


In the words of Israeli War Cabinet member and retired Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Gen. Gadi Eisenkot: “It needs to be said, bravely, that … it’s not possible to return the hostages, alive, in the near term, without a deal.” We agree.
timesofisrael.com/in-challenge-t…

The Netanyahu government has made clear it wants to lock in permanent, undemocratic control over the West Bank – a permanent occupation privileging Israeli settlers (who are citizens) over millions of Palestinian men, women & children (who are not).

Here's what that looks like⬇️ ⚠️ A warning that footage and images in this thread – verified and distributed by Israeli and Palestinian anti-occupation human rights advocates – are confronting and distressing. ⚠️

What just happened in Israel?

Put simply: The most extreme right-wing government in Israel’s history has just demolished a major check on their powers.

🧵Thread from J Street VP of Policy and Strategy @dylanotes 👇 Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government just passed the first plank of their judicial overhaul package. Hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy protesters – who see this as part of a “judicial coup” – are rallying in streets across the country.

THREAD:
From our @jstreetisrael Director @rntamir: Netanyahu’s failures as a leader have shown that endless occupation will not bring security or peace. "As an Israeli who yearns to see my country living alongside our Palestinian neighbors in peace, freedom and equality, I’ve watched the unfolding chaos in the West Bank with sadness and frustration.

It is disappointing and strange that just *days* after a far-right extremist insurrection against our gov’t, with clear antisemitic overtones and imagery, @Conf_of_Pres' first letter to President-elect Biden focuses on...criticism of Israel on college campuses. 🧵👇 The letter calls for federal departments to adopt the “IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism w/ examples.”

J Street & the Progressive Israel Network made clear that this overly broad definition has too much potential to be misused to silence free speech and legitimate debate.

The first step is admitting you have a problem, and Trump's GOP has a white supremacist problem.

It’s not a few bad apples, it’s a nationwide pattern. #Thread

https://twitter.com/jstreetdotorg/status/1300826879067389955

In Georgia, Congressional Nominee Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed there was an "Islamic invasion" in gov't offices, touted her belief in "QAnon" and pushed antisemitic conspiracy theories about George Soros.

nbcnews.com/politics/2020-…

THREAD: We are #100Days out from the most important election of our lifetime.

You know how crucial it is to prevent another 4 years of Donald Trump. But if you need some extra motivation, here's a look back at the colossal disaster of his first term (thus far). While this is a staggering list on its own, it's only a fraction of the disqualifying actions he's taken while in office. For an *exhaustive* rundown, McSweeney’s has collected this impressive list: mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-c…

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s outrageous statement confirms what was already clear: The Israeli right is determined to annex the West Bank and permanently prevent the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. haaretz.com/israel-news/el… If carried out, even a partial annexation would be a disastrous blow to Israel’s security & democracy - and a violation of international law. Israel cannot rule permanently over millions of Palestinians while denying them equal civil and political rights.