Tuesday Briefing: Growing outrage in Israel

September 3, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering work stoppages and protests in Israel and President Biden on the campaign trail with Kamala Harris.

Plus, how Paralympians and their guides collaborate.

Protesters wearing t-shirts that read “Seal the Deal” and holding signs that read “Stop the War.”

Protesters in Tel Aviv yesterday. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

Netanyahu refused to budge despite outrage in Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, yesterday brushed aside pleas from allies and chants from Israeli protesters who demanded an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

After thousands of Israeli workers walked off the job, angry over the recent deaths of six Israeli hostages in Gaza, Netanyahu said at a news conference that the war would end only when Israel had eliminated Hamas.

In Washington, President Biden said Netanyahu wasn’t doing enough to bring the hostages home. Britain announced that it would suspend some arms sales to Israel, a significant hardening of its position.

Netanyahu defended his plans for a continued Israeli presence on a strip of land in Gaza along the border with Egypt that he said was essential to Israel’s security.

Strikes: Disruptions were widespread yesterday, with many schools and banks and some municipal offices closed or cutting services.

A video: Hamas released what it said was a video of one of the hostages, Eden Yerushalmi, taken before she was killed.

Emotional eulogies: Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a dual Israeli American citizen and one of six hostages found dead this weekend.

🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024

The presidential election is less than 70 days away. This is what we’re watching.

Supporters of Kamala Harris holding signs that read “Union Strong” and “Labor for Harris-Walz.”

Kamala Harris is seeking to cement support from labor unions. Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Biden and Harris celebrate labor unions

On the Labor Day holiday, President Biden was set to join Vice President Kamala Harris for a campaign event in Pittsburgh yesterday attended by leaders of major unions, a crucial mobilizing force for Democrats. It would be their first joint campaign event since Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee in July.

Harris’s team plans to involve the president carefully on the campaign trail as Harris seeks to differentiate herself from the 81-year-old president and establish her own political identity. Biden will travel mostly to the important swing states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where he still appeals to white, working-class voters and union members.

Here’s what else to know:

Harris is expected to announce that she opposes the proposed sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese company.
Donald Trump suggested that he had “every right” to try to overturn the 2020 election in an interview with a right-wing radio host.

Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us and we’ll find the answers.

Stay up-to-date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The Run-Up podcast | On Politics newsletter

Pope Francis in a car as he arrived at the airport in Rome.

Pope Francis left Rome yesterday. Remo Casilli/Reuters

Pope Francis embarks on a challenging tour of Asia

Pope Francis will arrive in Indonesia today for the start of an 11-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, among the longest of his tenure. Francis, 87, who has been using a wheelchair and battling health problems, will be accompanied by his medical team during his travels.

The trip signals that he has no intention of slowing his outreach to faraway Catholics. From Indonesia, he will visit Papua New Guinea, then East Timor and Singapore.

MORE TOP NEWS

A firefighter spraying water from a hose while standing on piles of debris.

A fire in Kyiv, Ukraine, occurred yesterday as debris fell after a downed Russian missile. Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times

Ukraine: Russia carried out its third large-scale bombardment in a week, with missile attacks in Kyiv and other cities on the first day of the school year.
Vladimir Putin: The Russian president began a state visit to Mongolia after the International Criminal Court said the authorities there should arrest him.
Climate change: Record rainfall in China has devastated crops, causing some vegetable prices to skyrocket. Chinese officials are trying to show that they’re doing something about it.
Germany: The successes of the far right and far left in two states will force parties to make difficult compromises. Here are takeaways from the election.
Tech: A panel of Supreme Court justices in Brazil upheld a decision to block the social network X across the country.
France: A man accused of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her went on trial in Avignon.
Iran: A report by investigators found that bad weather caused the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi in May.
Venezuela: The U.S. government seized an airplane belonging to the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, because it was bought in violation of U.S. sanctions.
China: Gao Zhen, a Chinese artist known for works critiquing the Cultural Revolution, was detained while visiting China.
Business: Volkswagen warned that it would consider closing factories in Germany as it faces increasing pressure from Asian competitors.
George Clooney: In Venice, the A-list actor praised President Biden for doing “the most selfless thing” by stepping aside.

Sports

Jannik Sinner playing tennis with crowds in the stands in the background.

Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open last week. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

U.S. Open: The World No. 1 Jannik Sinner goes up against Tommy Paul. Karolina Muchova beat Jasmine Paolini to reach the quarters. Follow our live coverage.
Record-breaking crowds: With attendance averaging about 75,000 fans per day, the U.S. Open is busier than ever.
Soccer: Arsenal have turned down an informal proposal from Al-Ittihad for Leandro Trossard.

MORNING READ

Brazilian sprinter Jerusa Geber dos Santos wearing a blindfold and holding the arm of her guide.

The Brazilian sprinter Jerusa Geber dos Santos, guided by Gabriel Garcia at the Paris Paralympics. James Hill for The New York Times

At the Paris Paralympics, athletes in 22 sports have been competing alongside guides or assistants, who offer support mainly to those with severe vision loss or mobile impairment. Since 2012, guides in most assisted Paralympic sports have received medals along with the winning athletes.

But the relationship between athlete and assistant can extend beyond a technical connection into something more personal, Elena Bergeron reports from Paris.

Lives lived: Antônio Meneses, one of his generation’s premier cellists and an important figure in the musical life of his native Brazil, died at age 66.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Artist Lee Bul shown working on a sculpture.

Lee Bul’s sculptures will be unveiled on Sept. 12 in New York. Jun Michael Park for The New York Times

Guardians of The Met: The South Korean artist Lee Bul created four enigmatic sculptures for the facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If they induce a feeling of nausea, that’s what she was going for.
Sugar crash: At Starbucks and local cafes, a battle is raging in the U.S. to concoct the latest craziest, calorie-laden, not-really-coffee drink.
An apple a day: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but here are the best clues on eating to have a long and healthy life.
Who can pull off a jean jacket? Our fashion critic weighs in.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

A crowd of people in holiday clothing is gathered around a crumbling stone wall before sunset. A man in shorts and sunglasses holds a selfie stick while taking a photo of himself and a young woman in a colorful sundress. In the distance are whitewashed buildings.

On the Greek island of Santorini in July. Aris Oikonomou/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Have European hot spots reached a breaking point?

Tourists in popular destinations like Barcelona, Athens and Santorini have become the targets of a backlash. Residents have sprayed them with water and staged protests against tourism developments. Some places are imposing visitor caps.

A tourism boom has put tremendous pressure on these places during the summer months. Heat waves and fires have only added to the strain. Our travel reporter took a closer look at some of the cities that have reached a breaking point.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Cook: This might be the best tuna melt you’ve ever had.

Read: Rachel Kushner’s “Creation Lake” is a smart, spy thriller brimming with heat.

Watch: Here are six new movies our critics are talking about.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya

P.S. Nina Agrawal is joining Well as a reporter covering chronic illnesses, including cancer and diabetes, worldwide.

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