“On August 7th, amid broad efforts to get Facebook to clamp down on extremist activity and hate speech, more than 120 organizations sent a letter to the social media giant, urging it to “fully adopt” the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as the “cornerstone of Facebook’s hate speech policy regarding antisemitism.” This definition, which was adopted by the IHRA in 2016 and has been promoted to governments worldwide, includes several examples of what it describes as ‘contemporary’ antisemitism—including ‘denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor’ and ‘applying double standards’ to Israel—that can be interpreted to define much criticism of Israel, Israeli policies, or Zionism as antisemitism. This letter represents the latest front in the battle to use the IHRA definition to officially exclude criticism of Israel from the bounds of acceptable discourse.”

“Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz called on the security institution to work on renewing security and civil coordination with the Palestinian Authority. This comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley was postponed, according to Channel 12. The channel added: ‘Gantz directed the concerned parties to renew security and civil relations with the Palestinian Authority,’ explaining that the PA is engaged in opposing the normalisation agreement between Israel and the UAE, according to Russia Today. According to Channel 12, the Israeli security services estimate that it will be possible to reach a gradual renewal of coordination, which strengthens the economic interests of the Palestinian Authority, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and also helps Israel in maintaining security stability.”

“For five months Israel has been imposing this lockdown on Gaza, in addition to the usual, permanent closure. Ostensibly it’s a cautionary step that governments are adopting everywhere around the world, when all of humanity is threatened by a pandemic that has affected millions, killed hundreds of thousands, and for which there is not yet a cure or vaccine. In effect, this is a sweeping, disproportionate and cynical decision because it’s exploiting a plethora of circumstances to exacerbate a long-term policy that has branded Gaza a tainted territory, a penal colony, an isolated enclave.”

“Israeli soldiers have demolished a Palestinian residential building that was under construction, located in Jabal Al-Mukabber in the as-Sal’a neighbourhood, because it allegedly lacked the necessary construction permit, reports Wafa news agency…According to local eyewitnesses, Israeli army jeeps and vehicles, accompanied by three bulldozers, raided the neighbourhood this morning and destroyed the six-story building. They added that the building is owned by a local Palestinian, identified as Aziz Jamil Ja’abis, who was prevented from accessing the building and forced to leave. The raid sparked confrontations from Palestinian residents with Israeli forces firing live and rubber-coated metal bullets at local youths who attempted to block their path, resulting in a Palestinian being shot and critically injured.”

“On Sunday, there were leaked reports that the IDF soldier who shot and killed an innocent Palestinian on March 20, 2019 at a junction near Efrat will get a lenient plea bargain carrying only three months of community service.The bizarre result and incomplete explanation that the IDF Spokesman’s office gave on the record raised a range of questions. But The Jerusalem Post has learned a significant number of new details which place the plea bargain in a new light…”

“The besieged Gaza Strip’s only power plant shut down on Tuesday due to a shortage of fuel, less than a week after Israel suspended shipments and closed the Kerem Shalom crossing. The move comes amid rising tensions and Israeli air strikes against the enclave for the seventh day in a row. Last Wednesday, Israel imposed restrictions on the Palestinian enclave, in what it said was a response to the launching of incendiary balloons that caused bush fires in southern Israel. Gaza relies on Israel for most of its energy needs, receiving six hours of electricity a day followed by a 10-hour power cut. Following Israel’s ban on fuel imports, the power supply in Gaza has been operating for three or four hours, followed by 15 hours of blackouts. Gaza homes and businesses rely on generators to make up for the lengthy power cuts, increasing the financial pressure on its largely impoverished population.” See also: Haaretz – Gaza’s Only Power Plant Shuts Down After Israel Cuts Fuel Imports; Al Jazeera – Gaza’s power station shuts down as Israel cuts off diesel imports, Reuters – Gaza’s lone power plant shuts down amid tension with Israel, ABC News – Gaza’s power plant shuts down amid Israel-Hamas standoff

“Tensions on Israel-Gaza border escalate as Hamas makes slew of demands on Jerusalem. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Tuesday night several sites in the Gaza Strip after a projectile was launched toward Israeli territory earlier in the night, Palestinian media reported. The projectile landed in an open field, the IDF confirmed as tensions between the Jewish state and terror factions in the Palestinian enclave continue to escalate.” Also see: Times of Israel – Rocket fired from Gaza at southern Israel, amid high tensions, Jerusalem Post – IDF launches retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, Arutz Sheva – IDF attacks Hamas military compound in Gaza, Times of Israel – After rocket fire, Israeli airstrikes target Hamas special forces base in Gaza

“Israel may resume the targeted assassinations of top Hamas officials, a Palestinian official told Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Wednesday. According to the report, Egyptian officials who visited the Gaza Strip this week in an effort to de-escalate tensions between Hamas, the terrorist group ruling the coastal enclave and Israel, warned Hamas that the IDF could target several individuals who are seen as the instigators of the recent uptick in tensions. Two top targets for Israel could be Hamas military leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and Marwan Issa, commander of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.”

“Qatar is making great efforts to prevent a military escalation between Israel and Hamas, said the Qatari envoy to the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, on Wednesday. Qatar is ‘conducting intensive talks on the highest level with the goal of preventing an escalation and to protect the residents of Gaza from more crises and blows,’ he said.”

“Dismissing Israeli and American claims, Deputy Hamas Leader in Gaza Khalil Al-Hayya said on Tuesday that his movement ‘is not the reason for stability in the region’. ‘Israeli occupation and the American administrations are partners in inflicting suffering on the Palestinians and in the whole Middle East,’ Al-Hayya said. He went on to reject claims that the Palestinian resistance is the reason for the bloodshed and it undermines efforts to reach peace with Israel. ‘We hope that we do not raise arms and fight anyone, but what can we do to regain our rights from a brutal occupier?’ he asked. ‘Gaza has been under a strict Israeli siege for 14 years. The siege has undermined every aspect of life in Gaza, including healthcare system, industry, trade, farming, etc…The Israeli occupation does not believe in peace. It believes only in occupation, grabbing more lands, usurping more rights and destroying more dreams.’” Also see: Haaretz – Gaza Tensions: Hamas Doesn’t Seek Escalation, but Won’t Make Do With Restoring Calm

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with mayors from Israel’s South on Tuesday regarding the incendiary balloons and rockets launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and assured them that Israel will take action against Hamas.”I really appreciate your stance and the fact that you understand that we do not take it lightly,” he told them, adding that the IDF already retaliated by “bombing… Hamas and terrorist infrastructures” for 10 days in a row. ‘We haven’t spared any means’ in striking back against the Gaza-based terrorist organizations, he continued. ‘We will intensify the campaign of retaliation if needed, and we are also preparing for the possibility [of military operations] if necessary.’” Also see: Times of Israel – As Gaza attacks persist, Netanyahu says Israel preparing for wider fight

“Israel is known for its policy of buying time and chooses when to open or close the tap, allowing and banning goods as well as ‘dual usage items’ such as cement, balloons and tyres. In response to the two means of non-violent tactics, Tel Aviv has decided to stop the delivery of industrial diesel needed for Gaza’s only electricity generating company. According to Palestinian officials this led to the power plant shutting down today, with health officials warning of disastrous consequences on the health sector, especially chronically ill patients, in ICU and newborn babies in incubators. Moreover, Tel Aviv decided to close off the fishing zone along Gaza…Gantz, Netanyahu and others know for sure that Gazans have nothing to lose as life is unbearable under the ongoing 14-year siege, while peace on Israeli terms is a mirage.”

“In what was seen as a sign that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants elections, coalition chairman Miki Zohar told the Knesset Finance Committee on Wednesday that he demands four conditions for passing the budget deadline extension bill.The conditions include money for haredi (ultra-Orthodox) yeshivas and religious Zionist causes as well as for the Karev and Hila programs for underprivileged children. He also asked for the government to have ‘flexibility’ on the budget and for the extension to be for 250 days instead of 100.  If the deadline extension bill does not pass into law on Wednesday or Monday, another election will be initiated on Monday night at midnight that would take place in November.”

“For the UAE, however, the calculus to build relations with Israel carries a number of strategic advantages beyond countering Iran and suspending West Bank annexation. Through Israel, the UAE can build stronger ties with both Republicans and Democrats in the US — a crucial hedge considering the uncertainty of Trump’s reelection chances against former US Vice President Joe Biden in November’s presidential elections. Another impetus was the perception among Arab Gulf states that US dependability had waned, from the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran, to Trump’s unpredictability in foreign policy. Their views on the matter have been reflected in state-linked newspaper columns and in quiet grumbling at private gatherings.”

“Netanyahu calling the UAE an ‘advanced democracy’ shows the widening chasm between the old international order and the new one, in which liberal values are irrelevant, and Netanyahu knows just how to exploit it.”

“The United Arab Emirates’ spacecraft heading for Mars is called Hope. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made sure to mention this in his announcement of the peace treaty with the UAE. After all, Startup Nation is happy to gaze into space, the heavens, the Persian Gulf or any other conceivable place, just as long as it doesn’t have to look straight at the Palestinians. The Palestinians, unlike that spacecraft, didn’t merit a place of honor in the prime minister’s speech. The Palestinians, unlike that spacecraft, aren’t heading for Mars. The Palestinians, alongside us, live on the ground of reality.”

“Brian Hook, the outgoing State Department special representative for Iran, suggested on Tuesday that the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran opened a path to broker the normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates last week. ‘When you have the wrong Iran strategy, it is impossible to get peace agreements between Gulf nations and Israel because they don’t trust you,’ Hook said during a webinar hosted by United Against Nuclear Iran. ‘And there’s no question that the nations in the Gulf and Israel viewed the Iran nuclear deal as a betrayal.’” Also see: Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies – The Iranian Nuclear Program as a Catalyst for the Israel-UAE Peace Agreement

Quick Hits

Israel-UAE Steps

Al-Monitor: Israel’s spy chief visits UAE for talks

Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu: I will bring UAE investments to the Negev

Arutz Sheva: Blue and White MK’s message to the UAE from the Temple Mount

Middle East Monitor: Revealed: Israel, UAE to enhance military cooperation in the Red Sea

F-35s – Part of the deal or not?

Times of Israel: Reported deal to sell UAE F-35 jets edges in on US promise of Israeli dominance

Jerusalem Post: Top US official: Divide credit later, now unite behind peace deal

CNN: Netanyahu slams reports of ‘secret clause’ to sell UAE F-35s and drones as part of peace deal

Haaretz: Despite Netanyahu’s Claims, Sale of F-35s to UAE Is Still on the U.S. Agenda

Jewish News Syndicate: Netanyahu: Reports UAE peace deal included approval of F-35 sale are ‘fake news’

YNet: UAE source: Netanyahu knew about U.S. deal to sell arms to Emiratis’

Times of Israel: UAE official reportedly rebuffs Netanyahu denial he okayed F-35 sale

Haaretz: Netanyahu: I Opposed F-35 Sale to UAE; Deal Doesn’t Include It

Al Jazeera: Israel: No policy change on US arms sales to United Arab Emirates

Al Monitor: Intel: Israel still opposes any potential US sale of F-35 fighter aircraft to UAE

Jerusalem Post: Ashkenazi: Not aware of any security promises made to UAE

Jerusalem Post: The UAE and F-35s story isn’t over just because Israel doesn’t like it

Israel Hayom: Israeli minister: Policy on US arms sales to UAE unchanged

Palestinians

Middle East Eye: In Jerusalem, Palestinians feel betrayed but not surprised

Times of Israel: After UAE agreement, Abbas warns other countries not to normalize [“In rare show of symbolic reconciliation, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad attend meeting of Palestinian leadership in Ramallah.”]

YNet: Abbas says Palestinians not worried about ‘nonsense’ Israel-UAE deal

Haaretz: Erekat: If Arab League Doesn’t Condemn UAE, It’s No Longer Relevant

Al Monitor: Palestinian factions unite in protest against UAE-Israel deal

Arutz Sheva: Abbas: Israel-UAE agreement ‘a stab in the back’

Regional Responses

Arab News: Jordan reiterates two-state solution as ‘sole path’ to peace

Al Bawaba: Kuwait: 37 Lawmakers Calls on The Government to Reject The UAE-Israel Deal

Middle East Monitor: Kushner: Kuwait’s support for Palestinians not ‘very constructive’

i24 News: Saudi Arabia: Israel deal only after peace with Palestinians

Jerusalem Post: Saudi FM says no ties with Israel until peace with Palestinians

Haaretz: After Israel-UAE Normalization, Saudi Foreign Minister Says Committed to Arab Peace Initiative

Israel Hayom: ‘Israel’s unilateral approach is hurting chances for peace’

Sudan – ready for a deal…or not?

Israel Hayom: ‘There is no reason for continued hostility’: Will Sudan be next to normalize ties with Israel?

Al-Monitor: Israel, Sudan confirm they are in talks toward peace agreement

Times of Israel: Minister says Sudan deal to include sending back asylum seekers

Haaretz: Netanyahu Welcomes Sudan’s Openness to Peace Deal: ‘The Whole Region Will Benefit’

Jerusalem Post: Sudanese Foreign Ministry backtracks on call for peace with Israel

Times of Israel: Sudanese foreign minister denies knowledge of peace talks with Israel

Arutz Sheva: Sudan ‘astonished’ by spokesman’s remarks about contacts with Israel

Haaretz: Sudan Fires Official Who Touted Peace Deal With Israel

Israel Hayom: Sudan denies rapprochement with Israel

“The Democrats, led by presidential candidate Joe Biden, are determined to change course should they come to power. There are open discussions within the caucus about conditioning the billions in aid given to Israel on the basis of its actions. Biden and virtually every Democrat in Congress were vocal in their opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s now-stalled plans to start annexing parts of the West Bank…”

“Longtime Palestinian activists expressed their disappointment at the language in the Israel plank of the 2020 Democratic National Committee platform during a webinar hosted by the Arab American Institute on Tuesday. James Zogby, AAI’s president, who has been involved in the drafting process of the party’s platform for decades, said this year’s process was markedly more friendly to Palestinian activists and their supporters than in prior election cycles, but still expressed frustration that the 2020 platform did not reference ‘occupation,’ condemn all Israeli settlements or support conditioning U.S. aid to Israel. Zogby accused party leaders of caving to pressure from the pro-Israel community for political reasons. ‘It’s not about policy, ever. It’s really about politics,’ he asserted. ‘And it’s sort of a power pull. It’s a question of who can make who jump through hoops… We were always on the downside of that debate. In this case, they did it again, they wouldn’t let those words in the platform just to show who’s boss.’”

“If the party leadership fails to embrace the very limited demands made in Rep. McCollum’s bill, that will set the tone for a Biden White House. It will mean that for all of the Democratic talk of a return to pre-Trump days, in at least one key way Biden, his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif), and company will be projecting into the future the Trump Doctrine on Israel and Palestine. Given the stakes, supporting McCollum’s bill should be a simple litmus test for the party — a way to hold firm to an uncontroversial bipartisan consensus. And the failure to rally around it would prove that Democrats too seem committed to following the far right in the White House and in Israel down a rabbit hole of regional destabilization, more American military entanglements and ongoing rights violations. This will be a tragic and strategic mistake for the U.S. as well as the Middle East. It will also demonstrate a fundamental lack of nerve, highlighting how Democratic leaders refuse to listen to their own constituents and remain unwilling, on the global stage and at home, to squarely face the challenges of the day.”