A documentary called The Lobby, directed by Clayton Swisher, secretly filmed pro-Israel US activists and Israeli government officials. It was completed last autumn, but still hasn’t been shown. Swisher says several “leaders of Jewish American organisations” met with Qatar’s registered agent Nick Muzin “to see if he could use his ties with the Qataris to stop the airing.” Since October, Swisher says, “We’ve faced a series of unexplained delays on broadcasting our project, the likes of which I’ve never experienced….”
Israel to Increase Defense, Settlement Spending in 2019
Israel’s illegal settlements built on Palestinian land will be able to grow and thrive more than ever in 2019, thanks to budget increases. This will serve to entrench the occupation even further.
Blocking of vehicular access to a Palestinian village disrupts lives of 7,000 people
The village of Hizma is under blockade due to alleged stone-throwing at cars with Israeli license plates. This has impacted services, especially to children, the elderly, and the disabled, and undermined the economy of the village. It may amount to collective punishment, which is illegal according to international law.
Israeli Occupation Forces Detain 1319 Palestinians during the months of January and February
Addameer Prisoner Support reports that over 1,300 Palestinians were arrested in the first two months of 2018; 274 of these were children, bringing the total number of Palestinians in Israeli jails to 6,500; 350 of these were children. Among the most pressing issues in the Israeli prison system are torture and strip searches.
Arab Lawmaker Suspended From Knesset for Week After Calling Israeli Soldiers ‘Murderers’
Knesset Ethics Committee said Haneen Zoabi’s remark was unworthy of protection under freedom of expression. Zoabi responded that it sounds more like a “Censorship Committee.”
Hamas and PA Agree: Israel to Blame for Gaza Assassination Attempt on Palestinian PM
At first, fingers pointed at Hamas. Today Palestinian leaders agree that Israel is behind the deed, and that the head of Gaza’s Interior Ministry will lead the investigation into the assassination attempt.
A Brief History of Stephen Hawking’s Complicated Relationship With Israel
Stephen Hawking was critical of Israel and supported BDS, but also visited Israel a number of times and based his revolutionary theory on the works of an Israeli scientist
Instead of being in jail, Haspel is CIA director
Had President Obama prosecuted Gina Haspel and other CIA torturers, she would have gone to prison. But Obama said he wanted to look forward, not back. Now the past returns. The past has that tendency.
New U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Has a Hawkish History on Iran and Israel
Mike Pompeo, who Trump nominated to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, has a record as a strong Israel supporter and a fierce critic of the Iran nuclear deal
Israeli forces raid East Jerusalem cemetery, destroy tombstones of slain Palestinians
Some tombstone in an East Jerusalem cemetery contained the words “graves of martyrs of the Intifada of Jerusalem.” This was objectionable to Israeli forces, so they raided the cemetery in the middle of the night an broke the tombstones to pieces. That’s how it works under occupation.