[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
Two Palestinians Killed in Israeli Raid on Blockaded Gaza Strip Two Palestinians, later identified as Ibrahim al-Najjar and Mohammed Khidr, were killed in an Israeli air attack near the fence between Gaza and Israel in the southern Gaza Strip, the health ministry said.
Palestinian Succumbs to Wounds After Brutal Assault by Israeli Forces A twenty-four-year-old Palestinian, identified as Muhammad Zaghlul Rimawi (al-Khatib) succumbed to his injuries, on Tuesday morning, after he was brutally assaulted by Israeli forces as they detained him from his home in the Beit Rima village in the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah in predawn raids.
IOF killed Three Palestinians Two at Beit Hanoun Crossing on Gaza Border & One in Jerusalem Two Palestinian civilians, Mohammad Ahmed Abu Naji, thirty-four, and Ahmed Mohammed Omar, twenty, were killed by Israeli occupation forces Tuesday evening during gatherings at the Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern border of Gaza Strip. More than sixty Palestinian civilians were injured after occupation forces attacked civilians who were protesting against the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Three Palestinians Shot Dead by Israeli Forces in Gaza Three Palestinians, including an eleven-year-old boy identified as Shadi Abdel-Al, were shot dead and more than 248 injured by Israeli forces in Gaza on Friday, Palestinian medical sources in the besieged enclave have said. Ashraf al-Qedra, Gaza's health ministry's spokesman, said the boy had been shot in the head and killed east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday.
Domestic Policy
Aziz Abu Sarah Wants to Be Mayor of Jerusalem and is Suing Israel Aziz Abu Sarah, thirty-eight, announced his intention to run for mayor last week, as part of the Palestinian-run al-Quds Lana ("Jerusalem is ours") list, which is contending for seats at Jerusalem's city hall in October. Israeli law forbids Palestinians in East Jerusalem from running for the post of mayor because they are not considered Israeli citizens, so Abu Sarah has decided to sue the Israeli government in Israel's high court over the law.
Justifying Land grab, Israel Says it is ‘allowed to ignore international law’ Anywhere It Wants The Israeli government has recently claimed that it can “legislate anywhere in the world,” that it is “entitled to violate the sovereignty of foreign countries,” and that “is allowed to ignore the directives of international law in any field it desires.” This was written in an official response letter to the Supreme Court last month.
Hamas: Fatah’s Conditions Make Reconciliation Impossible Fatah’s conditions “make reaching reconciliation very impossible,” the head of Hamas’ Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh said yesterday. Speaking at a conference to mark thirty years since the movement was launched, Haniyeh said Hamas “insists” the eleven-year Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip must come to an end “without any political costs and not as part of the deal of the century or in return for disarming the Palestinian resistance.”
Foreign Policy
Israel Bars EU Parliament Delegation From Entering Gaza Israel on Tuesday denied a European Parliament (EP) delegation access to the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to an official EP statement. “The Israeli authorities have once again refused the EP’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine permission to enter the Gaza Strip,” the statement read. “Denying the EP entry to Gaza has become systematic. It is arbitrary and unacceptable,” the statement quoted delegation chairman Neoklis Sylikiotis as saying.
Israel Firm to Invest $50m in Manufacturing Weapons in Philippines The Philippine News Agency reported that the Israeli firm Silver Shadow Advanced Security Systems Ltd (SSASS) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines Rayo Illuminar Corporation (RIC) to open the factory that will be operational by next year. The Jerusalem Post said that “Israel and the Philippines maintain close security ties, with Israel selling a large amount of weaponry to the Philippine army over the years.”
US Revokes visas of PLO Ambassador's Family Ambassador Husam Zomlot said his family, including his two young children, had left the United States after they were informed that their visas, which were due to expire in 2020 were no longer valid. The move follows the US announcement last week to close diplomatic offices belonging to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which will take effect next month.
EU Appoints New Special Representative to Middle East Peace Process The European Council appointed Susanna Terstal as European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process on Tuesday. The European Council said in a statement that "the tasks of the Special Representative are to contribute to actions and initiatives leading to a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution."
EU: Israel’s Planned Demolition of Khan al-Ahmar Would be a War Crime The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday saying Israel’s planned demolition of Khan al-Ahmar would amount to a war crime, and demanded compensation for the demolition of EU-funded structures in the village. The resolution, which is being hailed by activists as the harshest condemnation to come from the European Union regarding Khan al-Ahmar, comes just days after Israel’s High Court gave the government the final green light to demolish the village.
Saudi Arabia Bars 600,000 Palestinians from Hajj and Umrah With Passport Ban
Saudi Arabia has banned Palestinians holding temporary Jordanian passports from entering the country, effectively barring hundreds of thousands of people from undertaking the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, heads of tourist companies in Palestine and Jordan have confirmed to Middle East Eye. Several travel agents spoken to by MEE said they had been told at the start of this month that they should not apply for visas for anyone seeking to travel on a temporary Jordanian passport, although no official announcement has been made.
Qatar Ambassador Visits Field Hospitals in Gaza Qatar’s Ambassador to Palestine has visited the field hospitals established in the Gaza Strip by the Jordanian and Moroccan authorities, Alarab.qa reported on Tuesday. Mohammed al-Emadi met with officials and staff of the Jordanian military field hospital in Gaza before touring the facilities. According to Alarab.qa, the visits were part of Qatar’s moves to strengthen relations with Jordan and Morocco.
Settlers and Illegal Settlements
Al-Araqib Refuses to Surrender After 133rd Demolition Israeli military bulldozers demolished the unrecognized Bedouin village of al-Araqib in the Negev desert in southern Israel for the one hundred and thirty-three times, on Thursday. Despite continuous demolitions of the village by the Israeli authorities, residents insist on rebuilding their homes each time they are demolished to the ground.
Israel to Seize Palestinian Lands for Settlement Expansion A Palestinian research center, Land Research Center, released a report on Monday showing that the Israeli Civil Administration has published a detailed plan that would change the classification of the Palestinian-owned land from agricultural into urban, in order to justify expanding the illegal Israeli settlement.
Israel Approves 220 Settlement Units in East Jerusalem Hebrew-language news outlets reported that Aryeh King, a right-wing, ultra-Orthodox Zionist who is heading the "United" faction in Jerusalem, said that the two hundred twenty new settlement units will be constructed at the initiative of Israeli and international capitalists. The units would serve as part of the expansion of the illegal settlement of Nof Tzion, adjacent to Jabal al-Mukabbir.
Report: Israeli Settlement Construction Tripled in Second Quarter of 2018 Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog organization, reported that settlement construction has tripled since the first quarter of 2018. The movement said in a statement published on Monday that during the second quarter of 2018, 784 settlement units were built, compared to two hundred seventy-nine settlement units built in the first quarter of this year.
Despite International Criticism and European Warning, Israel Begins with Practical Steps to Demolish Khan al Ahmar Despite international criticism and European warning, Israel begins with practical steps to demolish Khan al-Ahmar Today Friday by closing all the roads leading to the village, located east of Jerusalem. Local sources told PNN that Israeli occupation authorities have closed roads leading to al-Khan al-Ahmar village, east of Jerusalem since early morning hours.
Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions Movement
Citing BDS US Professor Declines Reference Letter for Student to Study in Israel
Associate Professor of Cultural Studies, John Cheney-Lippold, cited his faculties’ pledge to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction’s movement against Israel in his decision to refuse the letter of recommendation. It’s reported that Cheney had previously offered to write an undergraduate’s reference letter for a semester abroad program in Israel without realizing his department’s position on BDS. The university’s governing body sought to distance itself from the professor’s position, saying in a statement yesterday that it “has consistently opposed any boycott of Israeli institutions of higher education.”
US Democratic Candidates Face Pressure to Endorse anti-boycott Laws Michigan candidate for governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in a statement that is no longer available on her campaign website listed resolutions in favor of Israel that she sponsored when she was a lawmaker. The statement also said, "I strongly support the bipartisan anti-boycott legislation that was signed into law by Governor [Rick] Snyder last year and will do everything in my power to uphold it as Michigan’s next governor.”
Palestinians in Europe Launch Conference to Discuss Threats to Palestine A group of Palestinian societies in Europe are planning to launch a comprehensive conference in Berlin on Sunday, a statement said. The eleven Palestinian bodies who are organizing the event called for all members of Palestinian communities and solidarity organizations across Europe to participate in the conference.
Law
French Professor Detained by Israel Declares Hunger Strike French activist, Frank Romano, declared a hunger strike, on Friday evening, following his detention by the Israeli police at Khan al-Ahmar village, east of Jerusalem in the central West Bank. Romano has been supporting residents of Khan al-Ahmar for the past several days, since the beginning of an open sit-in at the village following the Israeli High Court's approval of demolition.
Israel to deport French-US professor arrested at Khan al-Ahmar protest A Franco-American law professor arrested by Israel while protesting against the demolition of a Palestinian village in the West Bank will be deported, his lawyer said on Sunday. "There is an administrative decision to deport him," lawyer Gaby Lasky told reporters. A spokeswoman for the Israeli interior ministry could not immediately confirm such a decision.
UNRWA Staff in Gaza to Strike UNRWA staff in the besieged Gaza Strip announced a nationwide strike starting Monday 24 September. During a protest by UNRWA staff outside the agency’s headquarters, the head of the labor union, Amir al-Mishal, emphasized the rights of refugees and staff and rejected US cuts to the humanitarian body. “We went out today to say we are against reducing the UNRWA services to refugees and against compromising the security of any of the employees.”
Economy, Environment, and Others
Enhancing Job Opportunities For Skilled Palestinian Women A new report Enhancing Job Opportunities for Skilled Women in the Palestinian territories highlights the constrains to labor market entry in the face of Palestinian women, and provides recommendations going forward. Skilled women make up the bulk of the Palestinian female labor force. If employment barriers are reduced, and women have more access to jobs, the results on welfare and stability in a fragile context will be reflected in better living conditions for the Palestinian households, and for the Palestinian economy.