No new date for Palestinian elections

What We’re Reading

Palestinian politics

Palestinian local polls postponed, no new date set,

Palestinian municipal polls scheduled for October 8 were postponed on Wednesday after a court delayed a ruling on whether to hold the first vote since 2006 to include both Fatah and Hamas.

How independent are Palestinian courts?,

The decision of the Palestinian High Court of Justice to postpone the local elections raised a debate among Palestinians, with some accusing the judiciary branch of being manipulated by the executive one.

US-Israel relations

Obama to Netanyahu: Desire for 'stable Israel' next to 'Palestinian homeland',

It is the 17th time the two leaders have met since 2009.

East Jerusalem building plans postponed ahead of Obama-Netanyahu meet,

City denies any link, but officials confirm political pressure led to calling off meeting to approve new units in Gilo.

Gaza

Israel’s showdown with the UN over immunity for Gazan engineer,

“Does a UN engineer Israel accuses of working with Hamas have immunity from prosecution? The UN says that if Israel shares evidence of his guilt, it will lift the immunity. So why won’t Israel hand over the evidence?” ask Marian Houk and John Brown.

Why proposed blasphemy law horrifies many in Gaza,

One scholar’s call for an anti-blasphemy law has riled Gazans across the Strip, with some saying the idea is better suited to the Islamic State and will damage Hamas’ image as a moderate Islamic movement.