Last week, the Trump campaign launched digital and TV ads in must-win states, claiming that “President Trump achieved PEACE in the MIDDLE EAST!” and touting his Nobel Prize nomination.

While I’m tempted to laugh off these absurd claims, considering how many voters get their news from Facebook, we have to take this seriously:

As of writing, these ads have been seen millions of times. Data shows Trump is targeting older voters in must-win states. The online ads will be backed by a massive eight-figure TV ad buy. Make a PAC contribution now to ensure the Biden-Harris campaign - and all our Senate and House endorsees - have the resources they need to overcome Trump’s gigantic, misleading ad buys.

It is immensely frustrating to see President Trump once again politicizing our nation’s international relationships while grossly misleading voters on what he’s actually accomplished. While these agreements are a positive step for Israel, they’re a very far cry from “peace in the Middle East.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a destructive reality for both peoples - and during Trump’s administration, it’s only gotten worse.

The normalization agreements negotiated between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain are too important to be rushed and exploited for partisan political gain. Nor should the media enable Trump in his victory lap over a Nobel ‘nomination’ from an attention-seeking, far-right, anti-immigrant Norwegian lawmaker.

Since Trump’s White House signing event for the UAE and Bahrain agreements, reporting has exposed that the parties were rushed to the photo-op by administration officials before a final draft could be agreed upon. Key issues, including agreements to protect Israel’s qualitative military edge, appear to have been left out entirely.

Now, we see the true purpose of the rush, with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s official speech edited into a multi-million-dollar campaign ad -- another blatant demonstration of Trump and Netanyahu putting their personal political interests above everything else.

The Biden-Harris ticket - and all J Street endorsees - know that “PEACE in the MIDDLE EAST” won’t be achieved through rushed campaign photo-ops, but by painstaking, dedicated diplomacy to end the occupation, and bring both sides to the table to end ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Together, we can defeat the Trump-Netanyahu agenda and help usher forth a new era of principled, values-based global leadership.

Ilya Braverman National Political Director - J-Street

See the reality behind Trump's "peace" in the following report from Ta'ayush - an Israeli grassroots activist group whose members go out into the "hot spots" of the West Bank, day after day and week after week.

This week – September 27 – October 4, 2020 – in the Occupied Territories

The Israeli military and police are busy demolishing homes and agricultural structures throughout the West Bank at the height of the Corona-virus pandemic spread, Israel's would-be statewide lockdown and economic avalanche – the settles are taking advantage of this state of affairs to invade more and more privately owned Palestinian lands and chasing away flocks and their herds from their grazing grounds; in the South Hebron Hills, settlers from the Mitzpe Yair outpost built a holiday arbor ("sukkah") on what is left of the land of a Palestinian shepherd in the village of Qawawis; casualties from rubber-coated bullets and teargas used by the Israeli army against the weekly protest demonstration at Qaddoum;

The Palestinian Jordan Valley and West Bank Hill Range

At Deir Jarir in the West Bank Hill Range, Israeli activists this week documented repeated incursions of settlers and their flocks into privately-owned, tended Palestinian fields, and intentional, provocative destruction of crops. Activists accompanied shepherds on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and nearly in every case settlers with their flocks intentionally entered tended fields, did not heed the activists' explanations that these are privately-owned Palestinian lands, and that with these incursions they are both trespassing and stealing crops that others have sown. On Tuesday, September 29, the invading settlers also summoned police, who fined the activists for transgressing the area limitations set by Corona-virus regulation, even though the policeman who came was presented with documents allowing their presence at the site. Their request that the policeman look into the identity of the invading settlers was not met.

At Auja, in the southern Palestinian Jordan Valley, it was the Israeli military who on Thursday chased away shepherds and the activists who accompanied them from lands that are approved for Palestinian grazing, on no authorized grounds. Women-soldiers who arrived at the spot first claimed that this was privately owned ground. When finding out that this was not the case, they claimed it was a military zone, and when this claim too was refuted, the woman-commander announced she would declare this a closed military zone, a declaration that is normally within the authority of a brigade-commander or higher ranking officer. At this point the frightened shepherds preferred to leave. The next day, activists again accompanied shepherds there, and the grazing session went unhampered. On Saturday the shepherds went there unaccompanied by Israeli activists, and then too they were not disturbed.

Accompaniment of Palestinian shepherds to grazing grounds in both areas, West Bank Hill range and the Auja area, involves a great number of activists, and many more are needed during the next few weeks.

To join, please contact Arik: 050-5607034

This week the occupation forces demolished 4 structures in Fasail, in the central Palestinian Jordan Valley, in the northern part of the Valley 2 homes were demolished at Khirbet Yarza, and another home in Jiftlik.

South Hebron Hills

On Wednesday, Septemebr 30, the occupation forces held a vast demolition campaign in this area. At Umm Darit, close to Sha'ab a-Botom, they demolished 4 structures, including 2 homes and an outdoors oven, at Rakiz 6 structures were destroyed, of these 4 homes built with funds provided by international aid organizations for families whose homes had been demolished in the past, and at Birin a truck was sequestered.

On Thursday, settlers from the outpost Mitzpe Yair invaded privately-owned Palestinian lands at Qawawis, built a Sukkah there and planted trees. On Sunday, October 4, settlers riding motorcycles actually invaded the village itself and ran amok among the tents and shacks.

To join Ta'ayush in The South Hebron Hills this Saturday call 055-2770168

Please make an effort to register no later than Thursday evening, so we can organize the transportation and the activity properly. Unfortunately, we will not be able to guarantee registration afterwards.

Please bring an ID/passport, a hat, water and food for the day.

It is advised to take cultural differences into consideration in the choice of your clothing.

Throughout the West Bank and in Jerusalem

At Mughayar, Ramallah district, this week the occupation forces demolished an agricultural structure, as well as another building at Beita, in the Nablus district.

On Tuesday, it was reported that the Israeli military was preventing farmers from Husan village (Bethlehem district) from reaching their lands that lie next to the settlement of Beitar Ilit.

From the weekly demonstration at Qaddoum village (Qalqiliya district) it was reported that several persons had been wounded by the army's rubber-coated bullets and teargas canisters. Among them was a journalist, as well. In Hares too (Salfit district), it was reported that during last Friday's protest the Israeli soldiers were more violent than usual.

For joining the Hares protest, please contact Aviv – avivsky@gmail.com

According to a report by Yesh Din on Friday night, around 3:30 a.m. (Saturday), several Israeli military jeeps entered Sebastiya (close to Nablus), reached the center of the town, stopped their vehicles and threw numerous stun grenades around them.

In Jerusalem, the occupation forces on Tuesday demolished a building at A-Ram, and on Thursday two farm structures in the Issawiya neighborhood. The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah continues to take place every Friday, adhering to emergency procedures. The residents of Sheikh are protesting their violent evictions from their homes, the taking over of the neighborhood by the settlers, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem. They call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them

We will inform you if under the current restrictions the protest will take place this week. If so, we meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at at 4 p.m.