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Elliott Abrams, writing at Tablet Magazine, examines the folly and the hypocrisy of calling for a two-state solution today:

In the West, the call for a "two-state solution" is mostly a magical incantation these days. Diplomats and politicians want the Gaza war to stop. They want a way out that seems fair and just to voters and makes for good speeches. But they are not even beginning to grapple with the issues that negotiating a "two-state solution" raises, and they are not seriously asking what kind of state "Palestine" would be. Instead they simply imagine a peaceful, well-ordered place called "Palestine" and assure everyone that it is just around the corner.

…But there’s a much deeper problem: No one is explaining how that state will live in "peace and security" with Israel if its people would prefer war with Israel. What if, to use [Antony] Blinken’s language, "what the Palestinian people want" is mostly to destroy Israel?

And they may: Opinion polls suggest that very many Palestinians and not just those in Hamas consider the State of Israel illegitimate, want it eliminated, and favor "armed struggle." That is, their Palestinian nationalism is not positive—mainly about building a democratic, prosperous, peaceful state of their own—but negative, mainly about destroying the Jewish state. According to a recent poll, if the last parliamentary election were repeated now, Hamas would win an outright majority.

Creating a Palestinian state will not end the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict" because it will not end the Palestinian and now Iranian dream of eliminating the State of Israel. On the contrary, it can be a launching pad for new attacks on Israel and will certainly be viewed that way by the Jewish state’s most dedicated enemies. A peaceful Palestinian state that represents no threat to Israel is a mirage. It is an illusion indulged by people in the West who want to seem progressive and compassionate, and those in the Arab world who fear resisting the powerful anti-Israel currents that circulate there and are now fortified by Iran. The future security of Israel depends in good part on resisting the two-state formula for endless conflict...

Jewish Insider: Tom Suozzi and Mazi Pilip focus on Jewish outreach as special election nears

In a tight race, the Jewish community, at an estimated 11% of the electorate, could “make or break the election,” said Sam Markstein, the national political director for the Republican Jewish Coalition, which is backing [Mazi] Pilip, a county legislator and Israeli Defense Forces veteran born in Ethiopia. "This group is going to be a decisive bloc and we have been spending weeks reaching out to these voters," he told Jewish Insider on Friday.

The RJC, which has raised $43,000 for Pilip while circulating mailers touting her pro-Israel record and opposition to antisemitism, is among several Jewish and pro-Israel groups from both parties now actively engaged in the consequential special election, which will help determine the balance of power in the House.

Daily Caller: Over 70 activists, former lawmakers demand Congress end funding for UN agency over Hamas scandal

Over 70 policy experts, activists and former lawmakers sent a scathing message to Congress Monday, demanding that the United States permanently withdraw its funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) after multiple employees were found to have aided Hamas, according to a letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

RJC CEO Matt Brooks was one of the signers of the letter to House and Senate leadership, which said in part:

Over 70 policy experts, activists and former lawmakers sent a scathing message to Congress Monday, demanding that the United States permanently withdraw its funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) after multiple employees were found to have aided Hamas, according to a letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

JNS: RJC endorses Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales

The Republican Jewish Coalition has named its 22nd pick to support in the 2024 elections.

"The RJC is excited to endorse Rep. Tony Gonzales—a strong, pro-Israel Republican who has served honorably both in the US military and in the US House of Representatives," RJC national chairman Norm Coleman, a former senator of Minnesota, and CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement.

Coleman and Brooks called Gonzales, 43, a co-chair in the Latino Jewish Caucus, "a dedicated advocate for his constituents, for US national security, and for the strategic US-Israel alliance. We are proud to recommend him to our members and our community."

President Biden Sanctions Four Israeli Citizens

Last week, we told you about President Joe Biden's executive order to sanction four Israeli citizens for committing violence against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and the RJC's response. Our response was picked up by many media outlets, including the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Jewish Insider, and The Algemeiner.

Liel Leibovitz, in a piece at Tablet Magazine, The Fraudulent Case Against ‘Violent Settlers’, provides an analytical takedown of the President's executive order and background on the pro-Palestinian groups whose misinformation is filtered up to the White House by the US security coordinator to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Contribute to the RJC Victory Fund and help us get out the vote for Mazi Pilip!

RJC NY has exciting news! With the NY-3 Special Election approaching on February 13, Republican Jewish Coalition members will be out in FULL FORCE in support of RJC-endorsed former IDF soldier MAZI PILIP.

Winning this battleground seat is critical to maintaining the GOP majority in the House of Representatives. As antisemitism continues to spike across the country, electing Jewish candidates like Mazi Pilip is more important than ever - AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

RJC NY will have boots on the ground, connecting with Jewish voters throughout the district, through Election Day. We’ll also do phone banking and other remote outreach. Everyone is welcome! If you or anyone you know may be interested in joining us in our grassroots Jewish outreach efforts, please email RJC Field Representative Robert Boam at [email protected].

Amid Gaza offensive, IDF seizes docs proving Iran-Hamas links

Israeli forces seized cash and financial documents from an underground compound in Khan Yunis showing direct Iranian financial support for Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces disclosed on Tuesday night. "We found official documents from 2020 detailing the funds transferred by Iran to Hamas between the years 2014 and 2020 and to [Hamas leader in Gaza Yahyah] Sinwar. More than $150 million were transferred from Iran to Hamas," said IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

Israel-Hamas war the longest since 1948

Last week, the current war against Hamas in Gaza became Israel’s longest since the fight for independence in 1948… While it is unlikely to beat the 1948-49 War of Independence which lasted for some 20 months, according to data compiled by the Times of Israel, the current conflict has already surpassed other notable engagements. These include the First Lebanon War of 1982, at 116 days; the Second Lebanon War of 2006, at 34 days; the Yom Kippur War of 1973, at 19 days; and the Six Day War of 1967, at six days.

Indigenous embassy in Jerusalem opens in unconventional ceremony

The embassy will serve as a much-needed antidote to the false claims by the Palestinians that there is no evidence of any Jewish life in Israel prior to 1948, when Jews ostensibly arrived as colonialist invaders… While not an embassy in the ordinary sense—it will not represent governments of the indigenous peoples’ host nations or the indigenous peoples themselves—it has been recognized as an embassy by the State of Israel. The audience cheered when they learned from Gil Haskell, Chief of State Protocol for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, that the Indigenous Embassy was the 100th embassy to be opened in the Jewish state.

American Jewry stands with Israel

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, notes that the headlines saying "American Jews are Abandoning Israel" are false. American Jews overwhelmingly stand with Israel. However, he writes: "[T]he antics of several organizations, notably If Not Now (INN) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), garner outsized media attention that incorrectly spotlights these groups as spokespersons for American Jewry. Both groups outrageously accuse Israel of committing genocide and endorse South Africa’s spurious case at the International Court of Justice."

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