The Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday’s events as they happen.
Biden repeats commitment to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza in call with Jordanian king
US President Joe Biden spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II tonight to discuss “the latest developments in Gaza,” after an earlier call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden says he reiterated his “commitment to increasing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” and that the two leaders “agreed we cannot stop working together towards a durable, sustainable peace in the Middle East.”
I spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan today to discuss the latest developments in Gaza, reiterating my commitment to increasing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.⁰⁰We agreed we cannot stop working together towards a durable, sustainable…
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2023
Shots fired at Albany synagogue with on-site preschool; suspect in custody
(New York Jewish Week via JTA) — Shots were fired at Temple Israel in Albany tonight, the first night of Hanukkah, as US Jews grapple with a surge in antisemitism following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza.
There were no injuries in the shooting on the premises of the Conservative synagogue in New York’s capital, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement, adding that she had spoken with the congregation’s rabbi. She said in a press briefing, however, that the synagogue has an on-site early learning center, “with at least two dozen children, preschoolers, who were on the premises.”
She added that the facility went into lockdown but that all children have been released safely to their parents.
A 28-year-old male is in custody, said Hochul’s press secretary, Avi Small.
The suspect shouted “Free Palestine” during the incident, Albany’s Times Union reported, citing police and another source.
Hochul said she had directed the New York State Police and the state’s national guard to be on high alert and step up patrols of at-risk sites for Hanukkah, such as synagogues, yeshivas and community centers throughout the state — including New York City, which is home to the largest Jewish population in the United States.
“Any act of antisemitism is unacceptable, and undermining public safety at a synagogue on the first night of Hanukkah is even more deplorable,” Hochul said. “We reject hate, antisemitism and violence in all forms.”
Hochul visited the synagogue on Oct. 7 in a show of solidarity amid Hamas’s attack.
The governor said that, following Thursday’s incident, she contacted Temple Israel’s Rabbi Wendy Love Anderson, and “assured her that the state of New York will do everything possible to restore the sense of security her congregation needs at this time,” adding that she plans to attend Shabbat services there this Friday evening.
In the briefing, Hochul noted that the synagogue had been one of several targeted with bomb threats in September.
There was no immediate public comment on the incident from the synagogue or the Albany police department.
Law enforcement and Jewish community security groups have reported a surge in antisemitism since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
In New York City, the NYPD reported 62 antisemitic hate crimes last month and 69 attacks in October, a steep increase. Anti-Jewish incidents made up 65% of all hate crimes reported to police last month. There is no comparable data available for antisemitic hate crimes in upstate New York.
Synagogues and other Jewish institutions have been targeted in the wave of hate crimes. On Friday, bomb threats were made against 15 synagogues in New York State, including five in upstate areas.
“The bottom line is this: The safety of Jewish New Yorkers is non-negotiable,” Hochul said in the briefing. “Every act, whether it’s verbal or physical, any act of antisemitism is unacceptable, and undermining the public safety at our synagogue, on the first night of Hanukkah, is even more deplorable.”
“I remind everyone: As New Yorkers, this is not who we are. This must stop, ” she added. “We reject hate, antisemitism, Islamophobia. All hate crimes must stop, and all violence in every form must cease. We have no tolerance for these acts of evil that have now permeated our society.”
White House slams US Muslim leader’s ‘shocking, antisemitic’ remarks on Oct. 7 Hamas attacks
The White House says it condemns “in the strongest terms” the “shocking, antisemitic” remarks that surfaced earlier today by the founder and executive director of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) following Hamas’s shock October 7 attacks on Israel.
Nihad Awad said in a speech during the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) convention in Chicago last month that he was “happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land, and walk free into their land, which they were not allowed to walk in,” in reference to the unprecedented onslaught two months ago when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst through the enclave’s border with Israel and massacred 1,200 people and took another roughly 240 hostage.
“And yes, the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, have the right to defend themselves, and yes, Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates says “the horrific, brutal terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on October 7th were, as President Biden said, ‘abhorrent’ and represent ‘unadulterated evil.’ October 7th was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
“The atrocities of that day shock the conscience, which is why we can never forget the pain Hamas has caused for so many innocent people. There are families who are in agony mourning loves ones, and there are also families in agony as they do everything in their power to free loved ones being held hostage,” Bates says in a statement.
“Every leader has a responsibility to call out antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head,’ he says.
Blinken: ‘Gap’ remains between Israel’s intent to protect Gaza civilians and results on the ground
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says there is “a gap” between what Israel pledged to do to protect Palestinian civilians and the results so far since it began intensive military operations against Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip.
Blinken says it remains “imperative” that Israel do more to ensure civilians are not killed or wounded as it seeks to eradicate Hamas from Gaza. He recalled that Israeli officials had assured him on a visit to Israel last week that they would take extra precautions to protect civilian life. He said he raised the issue again on Thursday.
“As we stand here almost a week into this campaign in the south and after the end of the humanitarian pause, it is imperative, it remains imperative, that Israel put a premium on civilian protection,” Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference in Washington with visiting British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
“And there does remain a gap between exactly what I said when I was there, between the intent to protect civilians and the actual results that we’re seeing on the ground,” he said.
A senior US State Department official said Blinken spoke earlier Thursday with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to say the US was pleased with new deliveries of fuel to Gaza but still wants to see those and other assistance deliveries increased.
At the same time, Blinken told Dermer that civilian casualties remain too high and that Israel must step up its efforts to reduce them, according to the official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss the private diplomatic discussion.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Biden stresses need for Red Cross visits to hostages during call with PM — White House
US President Joe Biden expressed his deep concern regarding the roughly 135 hostages still in Gaza and reiterated the need for the Red Cross to be permitted to visit them, during his latest phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today, the White House says in its readout of what was the 16th call between the two leaders since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
Biden agreed that last week’s truce fell apart because of “Hamas’s refusal to release young women, civilian hostages,” the White House says. “The leaders agreed to remain deeply engaged to pursue every possible opportunity to free the remaining hostages.”
Biden underscored the importance of a sustained flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, giving a nod to the cabinet’s decision to expand fuel deliveries “but stressed that much more assistance was urgently required across the board,” the White House readout says.
The US president also raised the need for Israel to do more to protect innocent Palestinians and separate civilians from combatants through humanitarian corridors that allow safe movement away from defined areas of hostilities, according to the White House.
“Biden reiterated his concern about extremist violence committed against Palestinians and the need to increase stability in the West Bank,” the readout adds.
Abraham Accords under Trump ‘didn’t contain any step forward for Palestinians’ — Biden offical
US Deputy National Security Council Adviser Jon Finer acknowledges the importance of the Abraham Accords and stresses the Biden administration’s plans to build on those normalization agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
However, Finer knocks the Trump administration’s strategy concerning the Abraham Accords, saying “they did not contain anything that amounted to a step forward for Palestinians.”
“We think that is an important part of Israeli-Saudi normalization. We think the Saudis would support that too, especially in light of the current conflict that has broken out. That will have to be a piece of the puzzle going forward,” Finer says.
Finer: ‘Revitalized’ PA can include Abbas, whose forces working with IDF in tough W. Bank conditions
The Biden administration has stressed that the Palestinian Authority will have to be “revitalized” after the war in order for it to be capable of returning to govern Gaza
US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer is asked whether this means current PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who is serving the 18th year of a four-year term, will have to step down in order for that revitalization to occur.
“Not necessarily,” Finer tells the Aspen Security Forum.
“There is no other game in town right now, in terms of an organized, institutionalized Palestinian political entity,” Finer stresses.
He notes that the PA comes under criticism from many Republicans in Congress and from Israeli officials. However, Finer points out that Ramallah is “cooperating very closely with the IDF” to maintain security in the West Bank, even though it is extremely unpopular internally, as Israel tightens its grip on the West Bank.
He acknowledges that the PA is not perfect and indicates that Palestinian elections are needed. This “is why we use terms like revamped and revitalized,” Finer says, while insisting that the PA is “going to be an essential part of any Palestinian future.”
For his part, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu all but shut the door to a PA return to Gaza on Wednesday. “Those who educate their children in terrorism, finance terrorism and support the families of terrorists will not be allowed to rule Gaza after Hamas is eliminated,” he tweeted, referring to the PA’s welfare payments, which include stipends to Palestinian terror inmates and their families.
But Finer didn’t appear phased by Netanyahu’s comments.
“I would caution… against taking an initial pronouncement… as the definitive, final statement or else we would not be getting any humanitarian assistance into Gaza, any foreign passport holders out of Gaza or any pauses related to the negotiations of the hostages,” he says of successful US efforts to move the parties from initial rejectionist positions.
Moreover, Finer says he understands Netanyahu’s comments on the PA to mean he opposes the PA returning to Gaza “exactly as currently constituted.” The US opposes this as well, which is why it has called for Ramallah to be “revitalized.”
Still, he insists that “the PA is going to have to play an important role, not just in the West Bank, but ultimately in Gaza as well.”
Biden has put more more pressure on Israel regarding settler violence than any predecessor — aide
US President Joe Biden has put more pressure on Israel regarding settler violence than any of his predecessors, US Deputy National Security Adviser tells the Aspen Security Forum.
Finer uses the recently announced visa ban on dozens of settlers and Palestinians behind violent attacks in the West Bank.
Finer says that in addition to freedom of movement restrictions by Israel, settler violence is one of the many “impediment[s] to basic, functioning human life” for Palestinians in the West Bank.
Proportionality under international law isn’t based off numbers alone, says senior US official
US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer acknowledges during an appearance at the Aspen Security Forum that there have been instances in which the IDF directed Gazans to flee to areas where it ultimately conducted strikes.
He indicates that these cases are ones of “targets of opportunity” when an attack is approved with little planning after unexpected intelligence is discovered at the last minute.
“When that’s one thing happens, we raise it directly with the government of Israel,” he says while stressing the importance of Israel establishing clearly communicated deconfliction mechanisms.
Finer is then asked whether the IDF stated two-to-one ratio of civilians to combatants killed in Gaza is sufficient for the US.
“International law on… the concept of proportionality is not spelled out in terms of absolute formula,” he responds.
“It’s not, this or that ratio means you’re either above the line or below the line. We’re less focused on that calculus, which is a bit ineffable, and more focused on when issues arise that we raise our concerns…I think we’ve had some success with that,” Finer adds.