Category: Other
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Blinken tells Jewish leaders the United States does not want Israel to ‘escalate’ after Iran attack
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Biden administration does not want tensions between Iran and Israel to “escalate” after Iran’s massive attack on Israel over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told American Jewish leaders. Blinken called the meeting at the State Department on Tuesday morning as Israel contemplates how and when to retaliate against…
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A bill to create a national antisemitism coordinator is drawing rare bipartisan support in Congress
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Republicans and Democrats in Congress are uniting to pass a bill that would create a national coordinator of antisemitism — though it faces competition from another Republican-backed bill that seeks to define antisemitism. The bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act, introduced last week, is meant to advance President Joe Biden’s national strategy to fight…
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Iran’s attack draws Israel and US closer together after weeks of growing tension
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Unqualified public expressions of support for Israel from President Joe Biden. The United States and other nations scrambling to protect Israel from rockets. Congress accelerating defense assistance to Israel. When Iran attacked Israel on Saturday, it pulled Israel out of the isolation it was sinking into due to its war with Hamas.…
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Iran attacks Israel: How we got here and what might happen next
(JTA) — On Saturday night, Iran fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Israel. The unprecedented attack — from Iranian soil to Israeli territory — is the most direct confrontation ever between the two longtime adversaries. It threatens to spiral into a broader regional war whose consequences could also likewise be without precedent. In…
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Leading Democratic congressman says he wants ‘assurances’ before approving sale of fighter jets to Israel
(JTA) — Rep. Gregory Meeks, the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said he would not approve a U.S. sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel without “assurances” on what the jets would be used for. “I’m waiting for assurances,” Meeks, who represents a district in New York City, told CNN on…
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Yonkers City Council tables a ceasefire resolution that both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups opposed
(New York Jewish Week) — After months of discussions and weeks of debate, the Yonkers City Council has tabled a Gaza ceasefire resolution that aimed to thread a narrow needle — calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war while also defending Israel’s right to exist. The council announced that it would table the resolution…
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Ritchie Torres’ pro-Israel activism sparks controversy in DC — and within his own family. In Israel, he’s a star.
(New York Jewish Week) — Last week, a video circulated online that won plaudits from Ritchie Torres’ supporters and opponents alike. In the two-minute clip, shared on April 4, the Bronx congressman parries accusations from pro-Palestinian activists that he supports the starvation of children during a genocide in Gaza. In response, he denies that Israel…
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Israeli military fires 2 officers in the wake of World Central Kitchen killings: ‘A serious failure’
(JTA) — The Israeli military chief of staff fired two officers found to be responsible for the mistakes that led to the killing of seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen, which deepened a crisis in U.S.-Israel relations. The sackings Friday, and the Israel Defense Forces’ publication of details that led to the strikes…
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Pro-Palestinian protest vote campaign claims success in NY primary, though exact numbers are unclear
(New York Jewish Week) — Pro-Palestinian activists claimed success in their campaign calling for voters to submit blank ballots to protest President Joe Biden’s support for Israel in New York’s Democratic primary on Tuesday — though the actual number of protest votes is unclear. Ahead of a series of Democratic primaries, activists across the country…
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Biden tells Netanyahu: US policies on Gaza depend on what Israel does next
WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that how the United States deals with Israel’s war with Hamas depends on what Israel does to mitigate dangers for aid workers and for humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip. Biden’s 30-minute call on Thursday with Netanyahu, their first since March 18, came three…