AJC Global Briefing: July 8, 2024

Here are developments in the United States, Israel, and around the globe of interest to the Jewish community:

  1. Day 276 Hostages Update: Hamas Drops Key Demand in Negotiations; Netanyahu Releases Non-Negotiable Demands; Mothers of Hostages Mark Nine Months Since 10/7
    This week, Cairo will host new hostage and ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. On Saturday, Hamas reportedly initially approved a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased ceasefire, dropping their demand for an up-front commitment from Israel for a complete end to the war. Officials said that the phased deal would start with a “full and complete” six-week ceasefire involving the release of several hostages—including women, the elderly, and the wounded—in exchange for the release of hundreds of terrorists in Israeli prisons. Hamas still wants “written guarantees” from mediators that Israel will continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal once the first phase begins, the officials said. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has released four non-negotiable demands for the hostage and ceasefire talks: Israel must be able to resume fighting until its war aims are met; weapons smuggling to Hamas from the Gaza-Egypt border must be stopped; the return of armed terrorists to northern Gaza must be prevented; and Israel must maximize the number of living hostages returned from Hamas captivity. Also, this past weekend, mothers of hostages held by Hamas marched in Tel Aviv to commemorate nine months since October 7. Shira Albag, the mother of 19-year-old hostage Liri Albag, said at the rally: “I carried Liri for nine months… for nine months now my Liri is there, dealing with darkness in the tunnels, lack of air, and homesickness.” Last week, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider’s (D-IL) Capitol Hill office was vandalized when unknown perpetrators ripped down flyers of hostages. In a post on X, Rep. Schneider called it a “vile act of hate.”

  2. Campus Update: Columbia Administrators Removed From Posts After Furor Over Antisemitic Texts
    Today, Columbia University announced it has removed three deans from their roles after they sent antisemitic text messages at a panel discussion about antisemitism during an alumni event in late May. This comes after Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman, Virginia Foxx, demanded accountability from Columbia administrators after revealing new, antisemitic text messages received as part of the Committee’s ongoing antisemitism investigation. According to a Committee press release, this round of text messages were previously unreported and “show senior Columbia College administrators mocking and disparaging the university’s Jewish community, and trafficking in antisemitic tropes regarding Jews and money. The texts accused Jewish students of coming from a “place of privilege,” dismissed their concerns, disparaged officials responsible for Jewish student life, and insinuated that efforts to address the explosion of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus were merely a fundraising ploy.”

    • How Universities Should Counter Antisemitism: AJC recently released an expanded Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America. Our Call to Action provides a whole-of-society approach with targeted policy recommendations and guidance for leaders in education and all sectors to combat antisemitism, including in its anti-Zionist forms. Read and share.
  3. Europe Elections Update: Labour Dominates UK Elections; Extremist Parties Emerge Emboldened in France
    Election results from Europe have sent shockwaves around the world. In the UK, the main party on the left, Labour, notched a sweeping victory over the ruling conservative party. Labour’s Keir Starmer is the UK’s new Prime Minister. In France, the far-left bloc headed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon exceeded expectations by winning more parliamentary seats than the far-right’s National Rally led by Marine Le Pen. Yet neither bloc won enough to form a majority government on its own.

    • Sign Up For: AJC Advocacy Anywhere Expert Analysis: European Elections and Implications: Join this live recording of AJC’s People of the Pod on Tuesday, July 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET (tomorrow) with host Manya Brachear Pashman and AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen for expert analysis on what these election developments mean for the future of Europe, European Jewry, Israel and the region, and more. Register now.
    • AJC Op-Ed in The Jerusalem Post: The Fate of French Jews in the Aftermath of the Snap Elections In an op-ed written in The Jerusalem Post before France’s election, Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache, Director of AJC Paris, writes that “France’s position regarding Israel is unknown, as we are unsure if the future government will stand for the values of the French Republic. If France forsakes its ideals and message to the world in these elections, it will also abandon its Jews and fail Israel.” Read Sebban-Bécache’s op-ed.
  4. Iranian Regime Expands Missile Production Facilities; At Hudson Institute, AJC CEO Ted Deutch To Address Iran Threat to U.S.-NATO Security
    According to multiple sources, new satellite imagery shows significant expansions at two major Iranian ballistic missile facilities. This follows an October 2022 deal with Russia to supply missiles for the war in Ukraine, while Tehran also continues to provide missiles to terror groups like Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Hamas in Gaza.

  5. War Update: U.S. Citizen Wounded by Hezbollah Rocket Fire; IDF Kills Hezbollah’s Top Air Defense Terrorist
    Today, the IDF continued operations in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood to dismantle Hamas terror battalions in the area. The military urged Palestinians in Tel al-Hawa and the surrounding areas to evacuate to a humanitarian zone via an IDF-created corridor. The IDF is also operating at United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) headquarters, where the military previously found tunnel infrastructure and killed and captured numerous terrorists. On Sunday, Hezbollah launched several barrages of rockets and missiles from Lebanon at the Lower Galilee in northern Israel, wounding an U.S. citizen and three others. Over the past few days, the IDF killed key terrorists in Gaza and Lebanon, including Meitham Mustafa Altaar, an operative in Hezbollah’s Aerial Defense Unit. The IDF also announced the death of Maj. Jalaa Ibrahem, 25, who was killed during combat in Rafah. May his memory be a blessing.

    • AJC Advocacy Anywhere: Understanding the War Zone in Northern Israel — A Conversation with Sarit Zehavi
      As Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror proxy, continues to launch attacks against northern Israel, the threat of a larger war looms. On Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET, hear from Lt. Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi, Founder and President of Alma, a leading think tank and research center dedicated to researching the security challenges on Israel’s northern borders, as she joins in conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich to explore the current situation and the path forward for Israel’s defense and security. Register now.

Stat of the Day: 5,000

Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee