Did Israel Win or Lose Following the US Midterm Elections?

018 midterm elections are a mixed bag when it comes to the Palestine/Israel issue: 6 Jewish people are expected to chair important congressional committees; 122 J-Street endorsees were elected (J-Street is pro-2 state solution); some of the many pro-Israel congress people lost their seats, while 3 new pro-Palestine women were elected; it is becoming more commonplace for even Israel supporters to speak critically of Israel.

Bottom line: the US midterm elections have ushered a new dawn in American politics that is defying the unflinching influence held for many years by pro-Israel lobbies and interest groups. 

Is Israel turning a blind eye as Israeli scammers swindle victims in France, US, elsewhere?

Investigations reveal a pattern of Israeli officials stone-walling efforts to stop the perpetrators of massive financial swindles in various countries, from Europe to the US to the Philippines. While some Israeli reporters work to expose the scams, a new one is already underway…

Israeli Government Target Educational Institutions, Escalate Settlements Activities

Israeli settler violence – with IDF complicity – is becoming more and more commonplace, even targeting elementary schools. The government has also approved extensive Israeli settlement expansions and Jewish-only roads to be built on Palestinian land, which will result in isolation of Palestinian communities and loss of olive trees.

In addition, Jerusalem has seen an increase in extremist Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Palestinian groups agree to Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel

Last weekend saw an escalation of violence that started when Israeli military infiltrated Gaza, initiated a firefight, and retreated under cover of shelling. One Israeli and 7 Palestinians were killed, and Hamas responded with rockets. Today, factions in the besieged Gaza Strip say they have agreed to an Egypt-brokered ceasefire. “The resistance will respect this declaration as long as the Zionist enemy respects it.”

Playground or battleground? 2 stories in 1 weekend

On Saturday, Israeli soldiers tried to seize playground equipment from a Palestinian park, but were chased off.

On Sunday, 45 Americans along with 20 Israelis and Palestinians were detained and had their passports photographed after helping repair a playground near Bethlehem; Israel claims the group were rioting and engaging in illegal construction.

7 Palestinians, 1 Israeli killed in weekend incursion into Gaza

After Israel has demonstrated for months that borders are sacred, its military has once again crossed into Gaza. In what it characterizes as an intelligence gathering operation that “encountered a very complex reality,” 1 Israeli soldier and 7 Palestinians were killed. 

3 Israelis and at least 210 Palestinians have been killed in the latest asymmetrical confrontations.

Palestinians denounce Hollywood stars’ $60m for Israeli army ‘terror’

At the November 1st “Friends of the IDF” Hollywood gala, $60 million was raised in one night for Israel’s army. This is on top of $10 million a day in US military aid to Israel. Palestinians are outraged that American artists are supporting a regime that kills innocents and colonizes land.

Israel is Afraid of Khalida Jarrar

Khalida Jarrar is a lawyer, politician, human rights activist – and administrative detainee. The harassment began when she led an effort to take Israel to the ICC. She has been relocated, imprisoned, released, and imprisoned again, where she remains. Her transgression? Being a strong, relentless, and articulate messenger of the injustices that Israel imposes on the Palestinian people. Khalida Jarrar exposes the truth.

Intensifying injustice: capital punishment in Israel

As Israel considers adopting the death sentence for Palestinians, it is worth recalling that under occupation, Palestinians already face harsh injustice and that such a law would be illegal according to international law. The examples of Elor Azaria’s 9-month prison term for killing an unarmed, injured Palestinian at point-blank range, and Ahed Tamimi’s 8-month sentence for slapping an IDF soldier, indicate that the Israeli “justice” system is already severely lopsided.

Israeli forces detain 8-year-old Palestinian child near Hebron

According to Defense for Children International, Israel is the only country that automatically prosecutes children in military courts that lack basic fair trial guarantees; 3 out of 4 experience physical violence. The majority of Palestinian child prisoners are charged with throwing stones, an offense that can lead to a sentence of 10 to 20 years…