[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Palestine and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Palestine Page co-editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to Palestine@jadaliyya.com.]
The Occupation Forces
Israel Demolishes Palestinian-Owned Home in Negev The Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian-owned home, on Thursday, in the Bedouin Hura village in the Negev region in southern Israel, with plans evacuate thousands of Bedouins to build new housing for non-Bedouin Israelis.
Gaza Protests: All The Latest Updates For more than five months, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have protested along the fence with Israel demanding their right to return to the land their families were expelled from seventy years ago. Since the protests’ start on 30 March, Israeli forces have killed at least 168 Palestinians and wounded more than eighteen thousand people in the Strip, according to health officials.
Palestinian Boats Attempt to Break Gaza Siege, Israeli Navy Opens Fire Israeli naval forces opened fire at dozens of Palestinian boats protesting at the northern besieged Gaza Strip seaport, on Monday, in an attempt to break the twelve-year-long Israeli blockade. Protesters sailed fifty-five boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that forty-nine Palestinians were injured, ten of whom were hospitalized. Boats were then forced to head back to shore.
Palestinian Students Injured As Israel Soldiers Raid School According to local sources, Israeli forces raided the all-boys school and showered the building with tear-gas canisters and stun grenades causing several students to suffer from suffocation from tear-gas inhalation. The occupation forces also detained the principal, Adnan Daana, for unknown reasons.
Domestic Policy
Islamic Jihad: Reconciliation is Failing Because PA Wants Resistance to Disarm Talks regarding Palestinian reconciliation are failing because “Fatah does not want the Palestinians to resist” the occupation, member of the political bureau of Islamic Jihad Nafeth Azzam stressed yesterday.
Israel Constructs 130 Kilometer-long Border Wall With Lebanon The Israeli army announced that so far it has built an eleven-kilometer-long, nine-meter-tall concrete border wall along its northern border with Lebanon. Lebanon has raised concerns that, similar to the Apartheid Wall that weaves in and out of the West Bank, this wall will infringe upon Lebanese territory. Israel aims to expand the wall to 130 kilometers, which is expected to cost 473 million dollars.
Wadi al-Ahmar Neighborhood of Khan al-Ahmar Established The Popular Resistance Committees and the Wall and Settlement Resistance committee announced the establishment of Wadi al-Ahmar early Tuesday as part of their efforts to protect Kan al-Ahmar, which Israel has announced its intention to demolish. The neighborhood was constructed with the consent of the Palestinian people, without requesting permits or authorization from the occupation. It was constructed in order to undermine the plan to ethnically cleanse Kan al-Ahmar.
Hamas Calls For PA to Release All Political Prisoners Hamas yesterday called for the Palestinian Authority to “immediately” release all political prisoners, especially those on hunger strike. In a statement, the movement went on to call for the Palestinian Authority to use its security forces to protect Palestinians and their property from the daily Israeli raids on the occupied West Bank by occupation forces.
15 Palestinian Supreme Court Justices Resigned The Palestinian Judges Association said on Wednesday that the justices of the Supreme Court of Palestine had submitted collective resignations in protest against proposed legal amendments deemed to be “undermining the independence of the judiciary.” The president of the association revealed that only fourteen out of the twenty-seven justices have resigned.
Activists Open Khan Al-Ahmar Gate Which IOF Had Closed Member of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee, Abdullah Abu Rahma, said that a group of activists late last night have managed to open the gate at the entrance of Khan al-Ahmar village, which was closed by Israeli Occupation Forces.
Foreign Policy
Malaysia Launches Campaign to Support Palestinian Refugees The government of Malaysia announced on Monday the launch of a national fundraising campaign to support Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah called upon all Malaysians to join the effort.
US Ambassador to Israel Says US Should Recognize Israel’s Right to the Golan The United States’ ambassador to Israel David Friedman has said Washington should consider recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel without returning its sovereignty to Syria.
Paraguay Returns Its Embassy From Jerusalem To Tel Aviv Paraguay announced last Wednesday it will return its embassy to Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, reversing the decision taken months ago by the previous government. In response to the decision, the Israeli prime minister’s office said Israel said it will close its embassy in Paraguay and recall its ambassador.
France Urges Israel Not to Demolish Khan al-Ahmar Village France joined several other European countries on Tuesday in calling on Israel not to demolish the Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem. Le Drian said he joins the European Union high representative, Federica Mogherini, in calling on the Israeli authorities not to go ahead with the demolition of this village.
Trump Administration Adopts New Definition of Anti-Semitism in Schools The Trump administration is changing how the Education Department investigates allegations of anti-Semitism. This change has been supported by pro-Israel groups and Kenneth Marcus, Trump’s appointed head of the department’s Office for Civil Rights. The new definition includes examples of demonizing, delegitimizing, or holding Israel to a “double standard” as anti-Semitism.
Settlers and Illegal Settlements
Jewish Extremist Rabbi Among 117 Settlers Storming Al-Aqsa Mosque Controversial ultra-Orthodox Rabbi and Member of the Knesset Yehuda Glick of the Likud Party yesterday led a group of settlers who stormed al-Aqsa Mosque with police protection. The Jewish Temple Mount organizations have recently renewed their calls on supporters and Jewish settlers to participate in the storming of al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli settlers Uproot 15 Olive Trees East of Yatta Israeli settlers uprooted on Monday a number of olive trees in the al-Hamra area, east of the southern occupied West Bank village of Yatta. According to local sources, Israeli settlers from the illegal Israeli settlements of Maon and Havat Maon, which were built on lands belonging to residents of the Yatta village, uprooted more than fifteen Palestinian-owned olive trees.
Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions Movement
Roger Waters and Brian Eno Among Stars Calling For Israel Eurovision Boycott Directors Ken Loach and Mike Leigh and musicians Roger Waters and Brian Eno are among the high profile figures calling for a boycott of a Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Israel. A letter published in The Guardian backed an appeal from Palestinian artists to boycott the competition, which will be held in the country next year.
Departing for Germany, Israel’s Leading Theatrical Actor-Director Endorses BDS Itay Tiran, “widely considered Israel’s leading theatrical actor-director,” has declared his support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, in an interview with Haaretz. He also asserted that Israel is currently a fascist country.
Over 140 Worldwide Artists Boycott Eurovision in Israel About 140 artists, including musicians, writers, actors, directors, novelists, and poets have signed a letter calling for the boycott of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, which is scheduled to be held in Israel. The letter, which was published by The Guardian, was signed by about 140 artists from around the world, including six Israeli artists, demanding the song contest should be boycotted if it is "hosted by Israel while it continues its grave, decades-old violations of Palestinian human rights."
Law
21 Palestinian Journalists Detained in Israel Jails Some twenty-one Palestinian journalists are being held in harsh conditions in Israeli jails contrary to international laws, the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Committee said. According to the statement, the Palestinian journalists “have been arrested in violation of all international laws. Some of them are in administrative detention without charge or trial while some serving an effective prison sentence.”
Palestinian Prisoners Continue Open Hunger Strike Three Palestinian prisoners confirmed on Sunday that they will continue the open hunger strike, despite their deteriorating health, according to a report by the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs Committee.
Palestine Files 'war crimes' Case Over Khan al-Ahmar to ICC Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat filed a case with the International Criminal Court, saying “We call on the International Criminal Court to expedite the opening of the investigation into Israeli crimes in Palestinian lands, including East Jerusalem.” The file is also said to have a focus on war crimes related to Khan al-Ahmar, specifically citing crimes of forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, and destruction of civilian property.
Israel: Palestinian Ahed Tamimi 'banned from traveling abroad' Israel has banned Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi and her family from traveling abroad, her father said, citing Palestinian authorities. They had planned to travel to Europe by way of Jordan to talk about Palestinian resistance movements and the experience of being detained by occupation forces.
Israel Shin Bet Torture to Be Kept Secret During Duma Murder Trial The Central District Court in Lod (Lydda) yesterday ruled that while the proceedings of the Duma murder trial will now be held in open court, future sessions in which Shin Bet officials testify about their methods of interrogation will remain closed to the public.
Environment and Economy
Electricity Crisis in Gaza Ushers in Water, Sewage Crises General Director of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) Munther Shublaq warned yesterday of a near water and sewage crises in Gaza due to the continuous electricity crisis, Safa news agency reported. In a press release, Shublaq said that the situation in Gaza deteriorated as the fuel offered by OCHA, which is needed to run the water and sewage plants, is running out.