The Palestinian Authority ‘could collapse’ if two-state solution dies

What We’re Reading

Occupation/Human rights

Abbas adviser: Without hope for a Palestinian state, 'PA would collapse',

Dr. Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s adviser for Strategic Affairs, told The Jerusalem Post on Friday that the peace process and its accomplishments, including mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO and the establishment of the PA, would become obsolete, if hope to realize a two-state solution was destroyed by unilateral measures such as settlement expansion and the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Opinion: Palestinians? What Palestinians?,

“While the Palestinian security services prevent terror attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and inside the Green Line almost every week, it’s clear to all that their ability to stop the approaching deluge is limited in light of the rising motivation,” writes Avi Issacharoff.

Israel Expands Remapping Effort in Bid to Claim More West Bank Land,

Israel has enlarged the territories it is remapping in the West Bank with the aim of declaring them state lands, according to a survey conducted by a nonprofit that monitors Israel’s land policies in the region.

Palestinians demand apology after new UN chief says Temple Mount was home to Jewish temple,

After the new United Nations chief told Israel Radio that the Temple destroyed by the Romans was a Jewish temple, Palestinian officials demanded an apology.

Opinion: Palestinians need own strategy to end occupation,

“The disappointing Paris peace conference should convince Palestinians of the need to develop a strategy of their own and not to rely on the international community to end the Israeli occupation,” writes Daoud Kuttab.

Palestinian shot dead by Israeli soldier in Jenin,

Security officials say incursion into Jenin camp by Israeli forces sparked clashes with young Palestinians.

How Israel polices Palestinian voices online,

Is social media another battleground in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians?

Residents of Bedouin village protest government's forced relocation plan,

An Israeli government plan to forcibly transfer thousands of Bedouin residents out of the Negev village of Al-Zarnug is being met with fierce criticism.

US-Israel relations

Opinion: Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem is a bad idea for everyone — except Israeli hard-liners and their American friends,

“Moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is supposed to show American resolve. It will only sow chaos,” writes Steven Cook.

Israeli politics

Israeli parliament to vote on bill legalizing settlement outposts,

Israel’s parliament is widely expected to vote into law on Monday a bill retroactively legalizing about 4,000 settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land, a measure the attorney-general has said is unconstitutional.

 

Netanyahu reaffirms support for US Embassy move after claim he sought delay,

The primer minister’s remarks came after the co-chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel indicated that Netanyahu had urged Trump to delay the process of moving the US embassy.

Gaza

Gaza’s infrastructure on the verge of collapse, report warns,

Gaza’s energy, water and sewage systems are on the verge of collapse, a new report by Israeli group Gisha said, placing the lion’s share of the blame on Israel.

Israel destroying Gaza’s fishing sector,

In 2000, Gaza had about 10,000 fishermen. Today, the Gaza Fishermen’s Association has only some 4,000 fishermen registered, who are the breadwinners for approximately 50,000 persons. This figure, however, is misleading as half the registered fishermen are actually out of work, since their boats are out of commission and cannot be repaired due to the shortage in necessary raw materials.

Hamas on the two-state solution and a new charter,

Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan on a new charter coming “very soon”, and if they’ll accept a two-state solution.