Coming off their national convention, AIPAC -- the main pro-Israel lobbying group in the United States -- has made a remarkable concession: The organization is agreeing to legislative changes that would allow the U.S. to fund and conduct diplomacy with a Palestinian Unity government that includes Hamas. JTA has the report. AIPAC's decision could clear the way for Congress to pass President Obama's $900 million Palestinian aid request, and is a significant step toward opening up negotiations over Palestinian statehood. The news is being spun as a victory by J Street, the new PAC that frames itself as a progressive, pro-peace alternative to AIPAC. --Dana Goldstein
