Rethinking security to restart the peace process

What We’re Reading

Rethinking security to restart the peace process,

” ‘Security’ is the main Israeli concern in negotiations with the Palestinians, and yet the current definition of “security” in the minds of Israelis is narrow and limiting,” write Maya Kornberg and Roee Kibrik.

Will U.S. Mideast Policy Take A New Turn?,

The entire question of the Israel-Palestine conflict seems to be out of sight and out of mind in Washington and the mainstream media. Instead, the focus has been on diplomatic protocols: on what the United States is or is not willing to concede to Iran in talks, on whether Israel can be trusted with sensitive updates on those talks, and on whether issuing renewed sanctions against Iran is a foolish idea.

West Bank rage over frozen wages could boil over into violence,

While the government continues to withhold PA tax revenues, and the banks stop lending the PA cash for salaries, Israel’s security forces are on alert for a possible deterioration in the security situation.

Kerry warns on viability of Palestinian Authority if Israel blocks funds,

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday expressed concern about the viability of the Palestinian Authority if it does not soon receive tax revenue which has been withheld by Israel.

Palestinian stabs Jewish man in central Jerusalem, apprehended by mayor,

Victim, an ultra-Orthodox man, sustains light to moderate wounds; 18-year-old assailant taken into custody. Mayor of Jerusalem says he himself restrained the assailant until police arrived.

Israeli politics

Does Herzog have a chance at unseating Netanyahu?,

While Herzog’s chances appear to be higher than they have been for most of the campaign season, he still faces an uphill battle to unseat Netanyahu in an election almost entirely devoid of debate on the issues.

Netanyahu is not Ben-Gurion, and 2015 is not 1948,

“The Israeli prime minister is not using his Congress speech to gain votes in this election, rather, he is using his election campaign to gain favor for the Congress speech,” writes Mairav Zonszein.

The unlikely man who can bring the left to power,

“If Moshe Kahlon can bring in disillusioned voters from the center-right, he has a good chance of ending the Netanyahu era,” writes Iris Leal.

Occupation/Human Rights

Partial win: No jail for Palestinian activist who blocked bulldozer,

Abdullah Abu Rahmah is levied a fine and a suspended sentence for standing in front of a bulldozer. ‘I will continue my struggle and my protest, because it is our right,’ he says. In his sentencing hearing, the military prosecution described Abu Rahmah’s nonviolent protest as an ideological crime.

Israeli gov't pouring billions into settlements via secret budget, Stav Shaffir tells Haaretz,

Israel has two budgets, according to MK Stav Shaffir (Labor): one that is passed legally, on the Knesset floor, and another “secret budget” that is transferred in the Finance Committee, sometimes without any Knesset members being present and with no supervision of where this money goes.

Palestinian politics

Palestine threatens to cut security ties with Israel,

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to stop security coordination with Israel if the country continues to withhold millions of dollars of Palestinian tax revenue. Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, said on Sunday that Abbas warned European leaders that Palestinian officials would discuss the matter in a council meeting next week. “We have told the international community that we will not be able to continue the security coordination and the Palestinian Authority itself may not be able to continue functioning if Israel continues stealing our money,” Shaath said.