Dear Reader,
Below you will find a selection of articles from Israel and Palestine. Please note that this is a random collection of news articles intended to give a 'heads-up' about current affairs in Israel-Palestine. It is not meant to reflect the views of OneVoice. Readers are encouraged to investigate headline stories further in other news sources for a variety of perspectives.
12.2.15
Politics
Al Arabiya: Israel deploys heavy security ahead of planned home demolition
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and police deployed in an occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood on Wednesday ahead of the planned demolition of a home of a Palestinian who carried out an attack last year.
Al Monitor, Akiva Eldar: Netanyahu plans to 'punish' the Europeans over settlement labeling
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that Israel will distance the European Union from the diplomatic process makes no sense, in view of the ongoing diplomatic stalemate.
Al Monitor, Aziza Nofal: Will Israel's ban on the Islamic Movement lead to further restrictions?
Some observers fear that the recent ban of the Islamic Movement's northern branch might serve as a precedent for Israel to tighten the noose on its Arab citizens
Ma’an: Israel confiscates ICRC tents from Palestinians in Jordan Valley
Israeli authorities on Monday confiscated 10 tents donated to Palestinians in the Jordan Valley by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Israeli rights group B'Tselem said.
Violence
Haaretz, Judy Maltz: Exclusive: U.S. Teen Slain in Terror Attack Was on Way to Volunteer at Illegal West Bank Outpost
While more and more study abroad programs restrict travel to West Bank, Haaretz learns that yeshiva of murdered Ezra Schwartz sent students to do community service at illegal outpost.
Ma’an: 13 Palestinians shot in clashes after house demolition in Shufat camp
Israeli forces shot and injured 13 Palestinians in the Shufat refugee camp on Wednesday during clashes which broke out after the demolition of the home of camp resident Ibrahim al-Akkari, who carried out a deadly attack in Jerusalem last year.
West Bank/Gaza
+972 Magazine, Natasha Roth: This is how many Israeli cops it takes to demolish a Palestinian home
Around 1,200 members of the Israeli security forces entered Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem on Wednesday morning to oversee the demolition of the home of Ibrahim al-Akri, who killed two Israelis in Jerusalem last year.
Times of Israel: Arab Israeli lawyer arrested for incitement on social media
Tareq Barghout, on defense team of alleged teen Palestinian terrorist, is accused of making Facebook posts supporting attacks.
Opinion
Haaretz, Haroon Moghul: U.S. Jews and Muslims Must Fight Together Trump’s Racism
Given Trump’s position atop the polls, America’s Jews and Muslims have every reason to cooperate. But many of us are more concerned with excluding and demonizing each other.
JPost: Could solving open Jewish terror cases bring end to terror wave?
The link between Jewish terror and the current security situation in Israel is not disconnected from reality. In recent months, many security officials tied the solving of open Jewish terror cases to security on the ground.
12.1.15
Politics
+972 Magazine, Natasha Roth: Israel's military gov't stopped publishing info in Arabic
The Israeli army unit that administers the occupation has not updated its website for over five months. Instead, it religiously updates its Facebook page with impressive stats and jazzy graphics — in English only. What’s going on?
Al Monitor, Mazal Mualem: Are Israelis ready to move to the center?
Public support for the establishment of a “new Kadima” suggests that a significant segment of the Israeli electorate would back a party with a clear diplomatic agenda for a two-state solution.
NY Times, Diaa Hadid: Israel’s Ban of an Islamic Group Carries Risk
Israel has banned the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, a move that denies crucial social services to Arabs living in northern Israel.
Violence
Al Arabiya: Israeli police shoot two alleged Palestinian attackers, one dead
Israeli police have shot two Palestinian alleged attackers in two separate incidents near Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, leaving one dead and the other wounded, Israeli authorities have said.
BBC: Mohammad Abu Khdair murder: Two Israelis found guilty
Two 17-year-old Israelis have been convicted of the murder of Palestinian youth Mohammad Abu Khdair, abducted and burned to death in Jerusalem in 2014.
West Bank/Gaza
Al Monitor, Adnan Abu Amer: Israel makes it official: Another wall on the way
Palestinians are interested to see what kind of wall Israel will build along the Gaza border to discourage Hamas attacks.
Al Monitor, Daoud Kuttab: Hebron radio stations closed for 'exercising incitement'
The Israeli army has closed three Palestinian radio stations in Hebron so far, a step that concerned parties say will only escalate the violence witnessed in the Palestinian territories.
JPost, Tovah Lazaroff: Peace Now to High Court: New land allocations to West Bank settlements must be made public
The secrecy that surrounds such allocations makes it impossible for the Palestinians to oppose them or ask that the land be assigned to them instead, NGO says.
NY Times, Diaa Hadid: Young Palestinian Women Adopt Unfamiliar Role in Seeking to Become Killers
Where previous outbursts of violence mostly involved men, 15 women have tried, or are accused of trying, to stab Israeli soldiers or civilians since an uprising began in October.
Opinion
+972 Magazine, Michael Omer-Man: Nobody is coming to end the occupation
The Americans are disengaging from the conflict, the EU won’t go beyond half-measures, and the Palestinian Authority is on the verge of implosion. So what happens next?
Haaretz, Amira Hass: The Illusion of Palestinian Sovereignty
The West Bank’s division into 'territorial capsules' makes it hard for Palestinians to mass against Israeli aggression; instead, there are 'lone-wolf stabbers.'
11.18.15
Politics
+972 Magazine, Noam Sheizaf: The real danger of outlawing Palestinian political movements
Banning and persecuting political groups like the Islamic Movement and Balad has the effect of disengaging Palestinian citizens of Israel from the state and its political system. That is very, very dangerous.
Haaretz, Barak Ravid: Kerry to Visit Next Week to Discuss Israeli-Palestinian Confidence-building Measures
In his first visit in over a year, the U.S. secretary of state is hoping to persuade Netanyahu to implement more serious measures than those he presented recently in Washington.
JPost: US ambassador to Israel warns against 'bi-national outcome'
Dan Shapiro speaks at Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference, calls for creative and proactive solutions from Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
NY Times, Isabel Kershner: Israel Outlaws Northern Branch of Islamic Movement
In an effort to quell a recent wave of violence, the Israeli security cabinet said it had outlawed the northern branch of the group, accusing it of collaborating with Hamas.
YNet, Matan Tzuri: Netanyahu: In Europe, they blame Israel for terrorism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday lamented the fact that not only is Israel blamed for the terror perpetrated against its citizens, it is also blamed for terror attacks in Europe.
Violence
Al Arabiya: Israel aircraft hit Gaza in response to rocket fire
Israeli aircraft hit two training camps in the Gaza Strip overnight in response to a rocket fired toward the south of the Jewish state, sources on both sides said Wednesday.
JPost, Moshe Arenstein: IAF commander: Israel will continue to eliminate regional threats
The main instability in the region is caused by Shiites organizations, explains Major General Amir Eshel.
Wafa: Five Students Injured in Jerusalem Clashes
At least five Palestinian students were injured during clashes which erupted on Wednesday between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters, mostly students, in the neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabir in Jerusalem.
West Bank/Gaza
Al Monitor, Hana Salah: Gaza's unemployed youth look online for work
Young professionals in the Gaza Strip use local and international online freelancing platforms to find job opportunities and a steady source of income.
Ma’an: EU delegation meets with PA to discuss Gaza reconstruction
Palestinian Authority officials on Wednesday met with the European Union's delegation to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to discuss Gaza's reconstruction effort, the Minister of Public Works and Housing said.
Times of Israel, Raphael Ahren: Netanyahu hints at possible annexations in West Bank
PM says he prefers ‘negotiated moves’ but will act if necessary, blasts EU’s ‘heinous’ settlement goods labeling scheme.
Opinion
+972 Magazine, Leanne Gale: Hey Hillary Clinton, Palestinian lives matter too
You claim to support peace, but your words imply that Palestinian lives are less valuable to you than Israeli lives. I implore you: please do better.
Al Arabiya, Sharif Nashashibi: British Jews send a wake-up call to Israel
In September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told British-Jewish leaders in London that “settlements are not the issue” with regard to the conflict with the Palestinians. However, according to a poll published last week, British Jews would beg to differ.
11.11.15
Politics
Al Arabiya: Palestinian team ‘identifies Arafat assassin’
The head of the Palestinian team looking into the death of Yasser Arafat on Tuesday has once again accused Israel of assassinating the iconic Palestinian leader in a Paris hospital.
Al Monitor, Adnan Abu Amer: Why was Hamas interested in the Turkish elections?
Hamas leaders were among the first to congratulate the AKP for its victory in the Turkish elections, as Turkey has always supported the Palestinian cause.
BBC: Boris Johnson cancels West Bank events amid Israeli boycott row
Boris Johnson has had to cancel planned public events in the West Bank because of security fears after he criticized backers of a boycott on Israeli goods.
NY Times, Sewell Chan: European Union Moves to Label Products From Israeli Settlements
The European Union pushed ahead on Wednesday with rules for labeling consumer goods from Jewish-owned businesses and farms in the land Israel captured during the 1967 war, creating new strains in relations between Europe and Israel.
Violence
BBC: Palestinian youths stab Israeli guard
Two Palestinians aged 12 and 13 have stabbed and wounded an Israeli security guard in East Jerusalem, police say.
JPost, Ariel Solomon: ISIS in Sinai threatens to attack Israel
The Islamic State released a new video threatening to attack Israel, but did not reveal when it would take place.
Ma’an: 70 injured in West Bank clashes during Arafat commemoration marches
Clashes erupted across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday after marches to mark the 11th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death, with at least 70 Palestinians shot and injured by Israeli forces.
West Bank/Gaza
+972 Magazine, Amir Rotem: What Netanyahu can easily offer Obama on Gaza
Three ‘gestures’ Israel can easily make that will radically improve the lives of at least thousands of Palestinians — all without compromising one inch on its own security concerns.
Al Monitor, Daoud Kuttab: Jerusalem and Hebron: A tale of two cities
East Jerusalem and Hebron are bound by familial ties and shared solidarity from their experiences under Israeli occupation.
Ma’an: Clashes break out in al-Arrub refugee camp for 2nd day in a row
Clashes broke out Wednesday for the second day in a row in al-Arrub refugee camp near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, a committee leader said.
Times of Israel: PA to take video of police shouting at teen terror suspect to ICC
Palestinians allege interrogation of Ahmed Manasra, 13, part of systematic torture of prisoners
Opinion
+972 Magazine, Edo Konrad: Why the 'hijacking' of Israeli democracy is a myth
We often hear that that Israeli democracy is being ‘hijacked’ by a group of right-wing extremists. Too bad the alternatives aren’t any more appealing.
Haaretz, Steven Klein: To Regain Its Credibility, Israel's Left Must Hold Palestinians Accountable for Violence
Can the peace camp reboot its principles, while insisting the Palestinians also hold themselves accountable for their actions?
Israel Hayom, Aviad Hacohen: Two paths, one challenge
Two separate events, one by the Reform movement and one by Chabad, showed the vitality of the Jewish people as well as the challenges facing those who consider the preservation of the Jewish world important.