“According to a war game exercise conducted by the Institute for National Security Studies, an ‘increased loss of control’ over events on the ground will spur Israel and the Palestinians to accede to a plan by the Quartet, with US President Donald Trump’s plan one of the terms of reference.”

“Eleven European foreign ministers have demanded that the European Union quickly formulate a list of possible responses to an Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. In a letter sent to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday, they wrote that doing so is essential, because ‘the window to deter annexation is fast closing.’ The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Haaretz, was signed by the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Holland, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Portugal and Malta.”

“The Land of Israel Caucus of the Knesset proposed a bill on Monday to apply sovereignty to all Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, not just the 30 percent laid out in U.S. President Donald Trump’s ‘Peace to Prosperity’ plan.”

“In what could develop into the next coalition crisis, the Knesset Land of Israel lobby presented a bill to apply Israel sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, creating an awkward situation for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose plans to announce the application of Israeli law to the Jordan Valley and settlements in Judea and Samaria on July 1 did not pan out as planned. The bill was presented Monday by lobby leaders MK Haim Katz (Likud) and Bezalel Smotrich (Yamina) and calls for Israel to announce sovereignty in areas of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, in accordance with wording that has been approved by the Likud Central Committee.”

“Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plan to apply sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria has been frozen for the time being, a senior Israeli official said Tuesday morning. Yariv Levin (Likud), the Knesset Speaker and chief of the Israeli delegation negotiating with the White House on the implementation of the sovereignty plan, said in closed talks that talks with the US on the plan were not progressing at this time, adding that American officials were open to discussion on the subject at this time, Galei Tzahal‘s Moriah Asraf Wolberg reported Tuesday on ‘Good Morning Israel‘ with Efi Triger.”

“Hamas is sparing no effort to restore its relations with Iran, which announced that it will provide all necessary support to the Palestinians facing the Israeli annexation plan of the West Bank.”

“Journalist behind hidden camera footage of West Bank residents saying they want to become Israeli claims at least 6 of them detained by PA security; Ramallah denies it.”

Before Trump’s election. Friedman wrote (in the pro-Greater Israel outlet Arutz Sheva): “There has never been a ‘two-state solution’–only a ‘two-state narrative.’” He also referred to the two-state solution as “this non-existent ‘solution,’” a “scam,” a “damaging anachronism,”and “an illusory solution in search of a non-existent problem.” He described it as “an illusion that serves the worst intentions of both the United States and the Palestinian Arabs. It has never been a solution, only a narrative. But even the narrative itself now needs to end.”

“The two-state solution is not dead, it has just morphed from an unattainable illusion to a pragmatic and realistic plan to end a century-old conflict. President Trump’s Vision for Peace proposes an achievable means for the Palestinians to self-govern within the bulk of Judea and Samaria without jeopardizing Israel’s security.”

“…’Our foreign affairs committee needs to catch up with where Democrats are in terms of foreign policy,’ he said. ‘Over the years, there have been top many voices excluded; I think too often Palestinian voices have been excluded. If the United States is going to be an arbiter of peace, it has to be willing to hear from the different sides, and in my estimation we’ve not always done that.'”

“CUFI Action Fund chair says that prohibiting the Jewish state from using U.S. defense aid to extend sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria would endanger both Israelis and Palestinians.”

“The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved $8 million in funding for ten new projects between US and Israeli companies, the foundation announced today. The BIRD Foundation promotes collaboration between US and Israeli companies across a number of technological fields including cybersecurity, AI, and biomedical health.  The Foundation provides conditional grants of up to $1 million for approved projects and assists companies to identify potential strategic partners.”

“Once upon a time, America’s political elite, whose politics diverged on many issues, wholeheartedly agreed on one single foreign policy matter: their country’s blind and unconditional love and support for Israel. In those days, the influential pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) ruled the roost, reigning supreme in the US Congress and, almost single-handedly, decided on the fate of Congressmen and women based on their support, or lack thereof, of Israel. While it is too early to proclaim that ‘those days are over,’ judging by the vastly changing political discourse on Palestine and Israel, the many opinion polls, and the electoral successes of anti-Israeli occupation candidates in national and local elections, one is compelled to say that AIPAC’s tight grip on US foreign policy is finally loosening.”

“The Justice Ministry said Monday that there is no video footage of the police shooting of an unarmed autistic Palestinian man, Eyad Hallaq, in May in Jerusalem, raising concerns that the Israeli authorities’ investigation will end with no clear conclusion in the case that sparked outrage and protests across Israel and the Palestinian territories. In a meeting with Hallaq’s family, members of the unit investigating police misconduct said that the cameras in the garbage room where Hallaq was shot were not working on that day. The investigators did not elaborate on other security cameras in the area, although Haaretz has found that there are no fewer than 10 private and security cameras in the 150 meters between the Old City’s Lions Gate, where the chase began, and the garbage room where Hallaq was shot to death.” Also see: Times of Israel – Family calls for probe after told no footage of shooting of autistic Palestinian

“Palestinians are threatening to resume protests over the continued closure of the Bab al-Rahma (Golden Gate or Gate of Mercy) building at al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Last year, Palestinians reopened the building’s prayer hall to Muslim worshipers for the first time in 16 years, triggering a standoff with the Israeli security forces that ended in its re-closure.”

“Palestinian resistance factions in the West Bank have called for a renewed popular uprising against the illegal Israeli occupation amid continued “colonial settlement and ethnic cleansing activities” reports the Palestinian Information Centre (PIC). In a press release issued on Saturday in Ramallah, national and political parties voiced their rejection of any proposals which legitimise the on-going occupation, including plans for further annexation of Palestinian land.”

“Whether it was a senior commander in Hamas’ naval commandos who defected to Israel, as initially reported on Sunday, or merely a junior officer in the unit – according to subsequent reports – it is still a major Israeli intelligence coup. Unconfirmed reports claimed the Hamas commander escaped aboard an Israeli military boat, carrying his laptop, surveillance equipment, and ‘classified documents’ the circulation of which would be harmful to Hamas. He had reportedly been cooperating with Israel since 2009. Saudi news outlet Al Arabiya on Sunday identified the alleged defector as Mohammed Omar Abu Ajwa, who reportedly escaped Gaza on Saturday accompanied by his brother. Citing Hamas’ Interior Ministry and Palestinian media sources, Al Arabiya also reported that Hamas had arrested 16 of its own members, mostly from within the group’s military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, accused of spying on Israel’s behalf.” Also see: Haaretz – Hamas Commander Who Allegedly Defected Provided Israel With Intel, Saudi Report Says

“Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) on Tuesday ordered the advancement of the project to make Me’arat Hamachpelah (the Cave of the Patriarchs) handicap-accessible. The instruction came at the end of a discussion between Gantz and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the defense system’s legal adviser, the Judea and Samaria legal adviser, the National Security Council, IDF representatives, and Shabak (Israel Security Agency).”

“Sari Kronish an architect with ‘Bimkom‒Planners for Planning Rights,’ an Israeli human-rights organization of professional planners and architects, told JNS in an email statement that ‘the central part of the [American] road was originally built during Jordanian control to connect villages in the outskirts of Jerusalem to each other, but it is now being seized for use by thru traffic, specifically settler traffic.’ In other words, Bimkom, along with several other organizations, has expressed its opinion that the project is going forward specifically to provide easier access to the city for residents of Judea and Samaria, but isn’t being built in a proper way to fully serve Arab populations. Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Arieh King adamantly disagrees. He told JNS that ‘the road will positively impact the Arabs of Jerusalem more than any other population.’”

“An Israeli court ordered the Interior Ministry last week to grant temporary residency to a Palestinian whose son carried out a stabbing attack in October 2015. The Jerusalem District Court ruling reversed a decision made by Minister Arye Dery to effectively expel her from the city, which Judge Oded Shaham said was meant to punish her ‘for actions she did not commit and is not responsible for.’”

“Workers at Jerusalem plant say they slept in inadequate conditions which violate hygiene standards, and believe management is trying to break up their efforts to organize.”

“Despite the coronavirus pandemic, over the past few months the Unit for Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) has focused their efforts on bringing Palestinians, who were travelling abroad during the onset of the pandemic, home to the West Bank, whereas otherwise they would have been stranded with the limited help the Palestinian government can offer.”

“Israel’s demolition of Zakariyya al-Battikh seemingly erased its centuries-long history. Two testimonies from the Mamluk era have helped revive its memory.”

“A Hebrew studies professor from Saudi Arabia has published an article in an Israeli academic publication, the first such occurrence in history…The head of the Shalom Rosenfeld Institute, Prof. Raanan Rein, said the article is ‘important’ for bringing the two nations closer and added, ‘I hope that this academic cooperation is another step towards economic and political cooperation.’” Also see: JNS – Tel Aviv University touts ‘unprecedented’ Hebrew paper by Saudi academic

“A United Israel Appeal statement said that it “raises hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide from donations that are obtained from independent charities that are legally registered in the various countries. ‘Unfortunately, existing tax laws in some countries do not allow for tax credits on donations beyond the Green Line. Naturally, this is not a matter of UIA policy or ideology, but international laws that the organization cannot change, and which our donors must follow.’”

“Amnesty International claimed that NSO Group, whose technology enables the surveillance of smartphones, helped the Moroccan government spy on a human-rights activist critical of Rabat.” Also see: Al-Monitor – Amnesty loses battle against Israeli spy-technology company; and YNet –Catalan politician suspects phone tapped by state using Israeli spyware

“An Israeli children’s TV host apologised following a clip he recorded in which he humiliates Palestinian Bedouin children, treating them like animals by repeatedly asking his children, ‘Who wants to feed a Bedouin?’. The video spread on music app TikTok sparking outrage within the Palestinian society. It shows Ro’i Oz, popularly known as Roy Boy, stopping his car besides two Palestinian Bedouin children in the Negev desert inside the Green Line. He waves a cookie at two Palestinian Bedouin children while asking his son: ‘Ariel, do you want to feed a Bedouin?’ ‘Let’s feed a Bedouin. Don’t you want to feed a Bedouin?’ he repeatedly says to his children who are sitting on the backseat of the vehicle, then proceeds to throw a biscuit at the two children while continuing to taunt them, his wife also joins and chucks a tiny piece at the Palestinians.”

“Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill Monday that requires companies entering into a contract with the state to certify that they are not, and will not, engage in a boycott of Israel. The law, which applies to companies worth over $100,000 with 10 or more employees, comes after pro-Israel lawmakers and advocates tried repeatedly in recent years to pass anti-boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement legislation in the state, but previous attempts have failed in part because of opposition from lawmakers concerned that it violates people’s rights to free speech.” Also see: JNS –  Missouri enacts anti-BDS law, joining 31 other states

“While the news are full of the plans to annex the West bank and legalize construction in settlements – Israel is busy creating facts on the ground, as usual. Annexation or not, Israel has been demolishing homes in the West Bank and trying to drive Palestinians out of their homes for decades. These attempts to take over the coveted land are carried out in utter indifference to the severe damage to Palestinians’ property, livelihood, water and power supply infrastructure they set up themselves, and their ability to plan their lives.”

“In October 2019, the Project on Middle East Political Science convened a workshop with more than a dozen scholars – Israelis, Palestinians, and others – to discuss the contours of this emergent one state reality.  The essays in this collection represent an initial assessment of this reality, and many more will follow over the years to come.  The authors each bring their own perspective and history, their own commitments and values, their own aspirations for the future, producing areas of agreement and disagreement.  But all agree on the urgent need to recognize the Israeli-Palestinian reality for what it really is and to develop the theoretical language and conceptual tools to rigorously describe and compare that reality. We hope this collection makes a small contribution to the vibrant intellectual debates developing around these issues and joins those ongoing dialogues in a productive way.”

“The Camp David summit—ill-conceived and ill-advised—should probably never have taken place. It did only because Barak, fresh from repeated failures in negotiations with Syria, wanted to use the last six months of Clinton’s term either to reach a deal with Arafat or expose him as an unreliable partner. Clinton initially resisted, but in truth, ever since the assassinated Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin had handed him a piece of history with the signing of the Oslo accords, the then-president was determined to redeem Rabin’s legacy and his own. Arafat, who was in no hurry to reach any kind of agreement, had warned us in June that a premature summit might lead to an explosion. But Clinton promised he would not be blamed if things did go kaput…The mistakes were numerous. We needed a comprehensive package of answers to all the issues to have any chance of making headway. But given our unwillingness to adopt independent bridging proposals, particularly those that departed from Barak’s, we were stuck. Our no-surprise policy with Israel, which in essence meant showing everything first to Israel, and Clinton’s unwillingness, in his words, to ‘jam’ Barak, stripped away any hope of being an effective mediator. By day four—when we gave Barak a paper he forced us to amend—for all practical purposes the summit came to an end.”

“Israel’s announcement of plans to annex 30 percent of the occupied West Bank has caused much concern among its friends in Western governments, Jewish organisations and pundits about the potential negative repercussions befalling not the Palestinian people, but Israel. They are worried about the loss of Israel’s alleged “Jewish and democratic” character, and fear it would have to sacrifice one for the other. As for Israel’s Arab friends, including the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and several Gulf states, they are concerned about the death of the ‘two-state solution’. Jordan’s King Abdullah II told members of the US Congress that he feared annexation ‘would radicalise Palestinians and empower violent extremists. Hamas would benefit from annexation’. He also worried that annexation would negatively impact Israel’s ongoing efforts ‘to build relationships in the region’.”

“Liberal Zionists are belatedly waking up to the only just alternative: a single state, shared by Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. But if Israeli Jews won’t endorse a one state solution, will they have to be dragged unwillingly into it?”