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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 8 december 2022
US Jews fear collision with expected Israeli government

Continued from Front with Barack Obama over lines of much of the fighting
peacemaking and the with Palestinians in east Je-
More centrist organizations, Iranian nuclear issue and rusalem and the occupied
such as the Anti-Defama- his close ties with Donald West Bank. Ben-Gvir has
tion League, which fights Trump put him at odds with labeled Arab lawmakers
antisemitism and other many in the American Jew- “terrorists” and called for
forms of hatred, and the ish community. deporting them. He wants
Jewish Federations of North Opinion polls show that to impose the death penal-
America, an umbrella roughly three-quarters of ty on Palestinian attackers
group that supports hun- American Jews lean to- and grant soldiers immunity
dreds of Jewish communi- ward the Democratic Par- from prosecution.
ties, have also spoken out. ty. They tend to be more Netanyahu also has
Though these groups, like critical of the Israeli gov- agreed to appoint the law-
J Street and the Reform ernment and more sym- maker Avi Maoz as a dep-
movement, support a pathetic to the Palestin- uty minister overseeing a
two-state solution with the ians than their Republican new authority in charge of Israeli far-right lawmaker and the head of "Jewish Power" party,
Palestinians, their recent counterparts, with these di- “Jewish identity” and giv- Itamar Ben-Gvir, gestures after first exit poll results for the Israeli
statements have focused visions even wider among ing him responsibilities over Parliamentary election at his party's headquarters in Jerusalem,
on Israel’s democratic ide- younger Jews in their 20s. Israel’s educational system. Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022.
als. The Anti-Defamation These trends appear set Maoz is known for his out- Associated Press
League said that including to go into hyper-drive as spoken anti-LGBTQ posi- which have less rigid views decide policy,” he said.
the three far-right lawmak- Netanyahu prepares to re- tions and disparaging re- on Jewish identity. Halie Soifer, chief executive
ers in a government “runs turn to power after a year marks about the Reform Bezalel Smotrich, a set- of the Jewish Democratic
counter to Israel’s founding and a half as opposition movement and other non- tler leader with a history of Council of America, said
principles.” The Federations leader, this time flanked by Orthodox Jews. anti-gay and anti-Palestin- it is premature to judge a
called for “inclusive and some of the country’s most He wants a ban on Pride ian comments, has been government that hasn’t yet
pluralistic” policies. extremist politicians. parades, has compared granted widespread au- taken office. But she ac-
For decades, American After winning elections last gays to pedophiles and thority over settlement con- knowledged the concerns
Jews have played a key month, Netanyahu and his wants to allow some forms struction and Palestinian about issues like LGBTQ
role in promoting close ties allies are still forming their of conversion therapy, a civilian life in the occupied rights, Palestinian rights and
between the U.S. and Isra- coalition. But he already discredited practice that West Bank. respect for democracy –
el. They have raised millions has reached a number of tries to change the sexual Netanyahu has been gen- particularly with memories
of dollars for Israeli causes, deals that are setting off orientation or gender iden- erous toward his allies be- of the Trump administration
spoken out in Israel’s de- alarm bells overseas. tity of LGBTQ children. cause they support major still fresh.
fense and strengthened Itamar Ben-Gvir, a lawmak- Maoz hopes to change legal reforms that could “Many of those concerns
strong bipartisan support er known for his anti-Arab Israel’s “Law of Return,” freeze or dismiss his corrup- are based on our own ex-
for Israel in Washington. vitriol and provocative which allows anyone with tion trial. Critics say such perience with an adminis-
But this longstanding rela- stunts, has been offered a single Jewish grandpar- moves will imperil Israel’s tration that didn’t share our
tionship has come under the job of national secu- ent to immigrate to Israel, democratic foundations. values,” said Soifer.
strain in recent years — es- rity minister, a powerful and replace it with a much Speaking on NBC’s “Meet Whether U.S. policy will be
pecially during Netanya- position that will put him in stricter definition of who is a the Press,” Netanyahu affected is unclear. The Bi-
hu’s 2009-2021 rule. charge of Israel’s national Jew. He also opposes non- tried to play down such den administration has said
Netanyahu’s hard-line police force. This includes Orthodox conversions to concerns as he vowed to it will wait to see policies,
policies toward the Pal- the paramilitary border Judaism. This is an affront safeguard democracy and not personalities, of the
estinians, his public spats police, a unit on the front to liberal Jewish groups, LGBTQ rights. “I ultimately new government.q

Report: Classified items found at Trump

storage unit in Fla.

ing anonymous sources, re- That's on top of 37 docu- ments remained there,
ported that the items were ments bearing classifica- even though Trump rep-
discovered by an outside tion markings that Trump resentatives had certified
team brought in by Trump's lawyers retrieved from the that all classified docu-
representatives to search home during a June visit, ments requested in a Jus-
his other properties for any as well as 15 boxes con- tice Department subpoena
additional classified ma- taining about 184 classified had been located and re-
terials. The nature of the documents recovered in turned.
classified materials was not January by the National Ar- After a federal judge pres-
immediately clear, but the chives and Records Admin- sured the Trump team to
storage unit in which they istration. demonstrate its full com-
Former President Donald Trump announces a third run for were found had been used The possibility that the Jus- pliance with the subpoe-
president as he speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. to hold items from an office tice Department had not na, the newspaper said,
15, 2022.
Associated Press in northern Virginia used by yet recovered all classified it hired an outside firm to
Trump staffers after he left materials has existed for search properties including
WASHINGTON (AP) — Law- West Palm Beach, Florida, office, the newspaper said. months. Trump's golf club in Bedmin-
yers for former President and have provided them The FBI recovered roughly The FBI's August search ster, New Jersey, as well as
Donald Trump found at to the FBI, according to a 100 documents marked as of the home came after Trump Tower in New York.
least two items marked as published report Wednes- classified during an Aug. investigators developed A Justice Department
classified during a recent day. 8 search of Trump's Palm evidence indicating that spokesman declined to
search of a storage unit in The Washington Post, cit- Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago. additional sensitive docu- comment. q