The Senate wants to increase U.S. aid to Israel

What We’re Reading

US-Israel relations

Large majority of US Senate pushes Obama to boost Israel aid,

More than four-fifths of the U.S. Senate have signed a letter urging President Barack Obama to quickly reach an agreement on a new defense aid package for Israel worth more than the current $3 billion per year.

Jerusalem churches: Don't veto Palestine resolution,

Jerusalem’s Christian leaders are jointly asking President Barack Obama not to veto a possible Palestine resolution at the United Nations following a historic summit with their American counterparts.

Occupation/Human rights

Israel/Palestine: Hamas Bus Bombing Targets Civilians,

The bombing of a bus in West Jerusalem on April 18, 2016, apparently by a member of the militant Palestinian group Hamas, is a grave breach of the laws of armed conflict that prohibit targeting civilians.

Jerusalem at the center of Palestine-Israel naming dispute,

Within the scope of its Judaization policy, Israel has changed the names of several cities and places, including the Arabic name it uses to refer to Jerusalem.

Abbas says Israel is 'destroying' the climate in Palestine,

“The Israeli occupation is destroying the climate in Palestine and the Israeli settlements are destroying nature in Palestine,” Abbas told the gathering of 175 countries signing a landmark climate deal.

'I never thought this would happen': Family of Jerusalem bus bomber speaks out,

Many of Srour’s family said they had no idea of his political affiliations and were shocked to find out that he could have done something like this. Srour’s father, a furniture salesman, said he had no idea that his son was politically involved enough to be the operative in the bus bombing.

Tensions on Temple Mount as Jews visit for Passover,

Right-wing Temple Mount acivist Yehuda Glick, who survived an assassination attempt in October 2014, was among the Jews who visited the Temple Mount on Sunday. “The security forces are making an effort to ensure everything goes well,” Glick said

Palestinian politics

Most young Palestinians support attacks on Israelis — poll,

The Jerusalem Media and Communication Center poll, carried out across the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in April, indicated that 58 percent of Palestinians between the ages of 15 and 29 supported stabbings to one degree or another, but Gazans backed it significantly more than did their West Bank counterparts.