Palestinian rights groups and local governments have challenged an Israeli law that seeks to the annex of parts of the West Bank. The Israeli government responded to the petition, stating that “the Knesset [is permitted] to legislate laws everywhere in the world” and that it is authorized “to violate the sovereignty of foreign countries via legislation that would be applied to events occurring in their territories.”
Time for media to tell Americans about the bills in Congress to give Israel $38 billion
Congress is currently considering legislation to give Israel a total of $38 billion over 10 years, the largest such aid package in U.S. history. Yet, U.S. media are not telling Americans about the legislation, which is before Congress right now…
Lebanon, 2006: IDF Commander said Israel Fired More Than a Million Cluster Bombs
Looking back: In Israel’s 2006 war against Lebanon, Israel used cluster bombs that have a high level of failure to detonate, as well as white phosphorus which is in most cases illegal, and employed launch systems notorious for their inaccuracy. Israel claims everything was done within the bounds of international law – as Israel interprets it – and only in self-defense.
Palestinian Teen Artist Denied Visas to France, UK to Attend Exhibits of Her Own Work
Palestinian artist Malak Mattar has had exhibitions around the world, but has never attended one of them outside Gaza. She has been denied visas recently to the UK and France.
Israeli editor says pro-Israel activism in UK has moved “out of the shadows”
Israeli editor David Horovitz says the UK’s Jeremy Corbyn is a “racist and an antisemite” because of his support for Palestinian rights. Horovitz writes that the Jewish community, which had previously kept a low profile, is now publicly mobilizing against Corbyn: “It has moved out of the shadows and into the glare.”
Ahed Tamimi’s brother handed 14-month prison sentence
Israel has sentenced Ahed Tamimi’s older brother Waed to 14 months in prison for allegedly throwing stones – just the latest Tamimi family member to be imprisoned, maimed, or killed by Israel.
Trita Parsi: On Iran, Is It Trump Versus His Own Neocons?
Israel – prime mover in Trump’s Iran policy – was shocked that Trump might abandon the pressure strategy and instead seek to mend ties with Tehran. The pro-Israel Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), nervously took to twitter to warn Trump against this… A goal of the new Iran Action Group may be to escalate matters with Iran to the point in which any pivot to diplomacy by Trump may be rendered impossible…
Israeli Minister: Israel is investing in Diaspora Jewish education so Jews worldwide will ’embrace Zionism’
Israeli minister says Israel is the nation state for all Jews around the world… it has invested “unprecedented resources into creating an infrastructure” to keep Jews in other countries connected to Israel and openly embracing Zionism…
Uri Avnery, the Israeli optimist who played chess with Yasser Arafat, has died
Uri Avnery, a Jewish immigrant from Germany to Israel, worked alone most of his life – not by choice, but because of his insistence on reconciliation with a people that no one else cared to reconcile with.
Just another ordinary week in the Palestinian territories: August 12-18
It’s not just about the Great March of Return on Fridays. Every day is full of surprises – it is as though Israel’s leaders lie awake at night, coming up with new ways to make Palestinians’ lives difficult. Read summaries here, click for full articles.