Liam Fox, former British Defence Secretary, gave the keynote address to this year’s prestigious Herzliya conference, the principle forum for discussing Israel’s military and security interests. His views on Iran and Palestine were contentious though in line with Conservative party policy. Whether he stayed within the Ministry of Defence’s remit is less clear

The announcement on Tuesday that Netanyahu had done a deal with Hamas in which Gilad Shalit, held for 5 years by Hamas, would be exchanged for 1000 of the Palestinians held by Israel led to rejoicing in Israel and mixed feelings in Palestine. Doing the calculations are Maan News (1 ,2) Dimi Reider (3) Larry Derfner (4) Ebaa Rezeq (5) and BICOM (6)

Since his capture in 2006, Gilad Shalit has been an emblem of the impotence of Israel and intransigence of Hamas. Now the prisoner swap will bring rewards for many of the players (including Egypt) – but not Abbas or high-profile Palestinians whom Israel wants to hang on to. Reports from Al Arabiya and Haaretz

The Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike continues. Please consider signing the petition of support, disseminating information about the strike and sending messages to the the Israeli embassy, the International Committee of the Red Cross and to other human-rights organisations asking them to act swiftly to demand that all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees are freed from punitive isolation

Not content with changing the law under which citizens could get warrants for the arrest of suspected war criminals the British government also awarded Tzipi Livni instant above-the-law Special Mission status. Lawyers who presented the case to the DPP charge both the DPP and FCO for unaccountable blocking of due process. (1 and 2) BICOM was happy to report that Foreign Secretary WIlliam Hague then reaffirmed the strength of UK-Israel relations (3).

The mainstream American-Jewish idea that Israel must be supported at all costs and anti-semitism is everywhere is no longer holding younger Jews in the customs of their forebears. Mitchell Plitnick’s blog on one such clash in Jewish heroes’ poll and Richard Silverstein on how success has done away with customs born of persecution

A visitor from Abahlali, the Durban shack-dwellers’ movement,, witnesses a house demolition in Palestine, and makes connections with what oppresion means, from Palestine to South Africa and on….

The Levant Basic Province is one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the world. While Israel hopes to be the main beneficiary of this bonanza, maritime borders are disputed by Lebanon, and Turkish-controlled North Cyprus

‘Price-tag’ thugs – whose violent assaults on Palestinians is the price the settlers exact for any infringment of settlers’ ‘right’ to occupy what land they want – have increased their reach- more Palestinian homes, mosques, people and now an IDF base. Netanyahu wonders how to control the monster he has nurtured

Writer and war veteran Yoram Kaniuk, Jewish but not religious, has finally won a court ruling that his Jewish desigation in the Interior Ministry registration can be deleted. Many others wish to follow him. What does this mean for the insistence on Jewish marriage and a ‘Jewish state’?

There is no intrinsic connection between Jews and the occupywallstreet movement But the large Jewish presence sparked Occupy Yom Kippur, drawing 1000 in which atonement for failing to act on the occupation of Palestine played a large part.. 2 pieces on this, and Ezra Klein/David Graeber and Naomi Klein on the character and aims of this protest

The two assaults by Anatot settlers on protesters last Friday (see ‘Phone record’ this page) have had wide repercussions because these settlers had been seen as peaceful, non-ideological types. 4 reports of the attack, from eye-witnesses and journalists, and an account of how those just wanting a home end up at Atantot – with an aggressive attitude. Link to the revealing video in item 5.

Asa Winstanley attends Salah’s appeal against his banning order, hearing that the evidence for Theresa May’s actions relied on the Community Security Trust, the CST standing for ‘the Jewish Community’ and Israel’s critics for anti-semites. 2, A letter of support for Salah to the Home Office from JfJfP gives the lie to both those assumptions. 3, Tony Greenstein, quoted at the hearing, on why he finds the CST disreputable, 4, the CST rebuts the charge that it either doctored, or passed on doctored, quotations

It has been a long-running scandal that young Palestinians over age 15 are tried in military courts. After extensive lobbying, formal complaints and reports – such as that from Defence for Children International, from which there is an extract 2nd- Israel has agreed to bring its law into line with other developed countries This move is welcomed by Caabu, 1st post, and by JfJfP.

Israel/ Palestine featured in the speeches of Ed Miliband (1 and 2) Douglas Alexander (3) Richard Burnside MP(4) John McCarthy (5) at Labour conference or fringe debates and but only at MAP/NS fringe meetings for the Conservatives (6) and Lib Dems (7).

Britain’s Foreign Office has stepped in at the last moment, to declare Kadima leader Tzipi Livni is on a ‘special mission’ to London and immune from prosecution (1). Ms Livni, a former member of Mossad, has been accused of war crimes for her hard-line role in Operation Cast Lead. Palestine Solidarity Campaign leads protest at her visit and another act supporting Netanyahu’s government by the UK coalition (2 and 3). 4) Richard Irvine on the change in UK law on war criminals. (see also http://jfjfp.com/?p=25557)

Palestinians are preparing for their hardship to increase if the US Congress follows through its threat to cut aid if Palestinians win statehood recognition. Hamas in particular has been active in pairing poor Gazan families with rich Gulf ones. A detailed report from Irin news of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

One hundred bloggers meet in Tunis for the Third Arab Bloggers meeting. The bloggers, instrumental in creating new life in Arab societies, come from 15 countries – but not Palestine. Eleven of the twelve who planned to attend have been denied entry visas by the new government. No reason has been given

Yet another lively political event at an American synagogue when a large audience came to discuss – and oppose – BDS (see post below). For the Israelis on the panel, the idea and practice of BDS made Palestinians both their leaders and their brothers in the struggle for Palestinian liberation

At a conference in Tehran, Hamas leaders restate their view that Palestinian statehood can only follow Palestinian liberation, 1. Showing great consistency over the years, Khalid Mishaal, in a long interview in Palestine Studies in 2008, describes his tutelage in radical politics and Islam and his beliefs now. His views on violence were not mentioned