A group of lawmakers in Washington DC held a press conference Wednesday to announce the launch of the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus (CIVC). Led by founding members Reps. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Bill Johnson (R-OH) and in cooperation with several pro-Israel NGOs, the Caucus has the stated purpose of ending the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians by convincing the Palestinians to accept defeat and negotiate a settlement on that premise.“Israel has been at war with its immediate neighbors over its right to exist as the nation state of the Jewish people for nearly 70 years," said Congressman Johnson. "It is our view that Israel has been victorious in this war, and that this reality must be recognized in order for any peace to be achieved between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors. I am also pleased to see America's voice of strength and principle holding firm against an anti-Israel agenda at the United Nations.""With the repairing of the United States-Israel relationship under the Trump administration, we have a tremendous opportunity to build on our close friendship by furthering military and economic ties," said Congressman DeSantis. "Recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state is a condition precedent to achieving Middle East peace. The United States needs to be very clear that Israel is here to stay and those who seek Israel's destruction will earn the enmity of the United States."However, there appeared to be little hope of that as a majority of Arab-owned businesses and a large number of Arab public-sector employees participated in a general strike Thursday, called by the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails for a variety of mostly security-related offenses who are on their 11th day of a declared hunger strike over the conditions in which they are being incarcerated.In related news, the Palestinian Authority informed Israel on Thursday that it is discontinuing payments for the electrical power that Israel provides to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The move is part of an ongoing feud between the PA and Hamas.