On Wednesday, the Senate adopted an amendment to the Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA) designed to defend Israel against the global “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement” (BDS). A similar amendment was adopted in the House of Representatives. Whatever one thinks of the bill’s intentions, the actual content of it is troubling enough that it must be opposed, whether or not one opposes the global BDS movement.

FMEP Program Director Mitchell Plitnick shows that former Bush administration official Elliott Abrams’ supposed reversal of his position on the danger that settlements pose to a two-state solution is not such a change of course after all.

Four years ago, the residents of the village received demolition orders, but they were never carried out. On Monday, bulldozers razed an uninhabited house. Now the villagers, who have been protesting every week since 2009, fear that the army will carry out the rest of the demolition orders to collectively punish them.

Freshman Jewish Home MK Yinon Magal accuses a former Israeli Foreign Ministry director of committing a capital offense: advocating for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Behind closed doors and away from the media’s watchful eye, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday finally secured his future coalition’s first partners, the Kulanu party and ultra-Orthodox faction United Torah Judaism, leaving the Hebrew press to analyze the deals and attempt to predict the implications for the character of the next government. The addition of the parties brings Netanyahu’s emerging coalition up to 46 seats, meaning he requires only 15 more to form a government by the May 7 deadline.

The head of Hamas’s armed wing survived an assassination attempt during last summer’s war, official Israeli radio reported on Wednesday. Mohammed Deif, head of the Qassam Brigades, was targeted by an Israeli strike on his home in the Gaza Strip last August.

According to Israeli sources, the head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal, prevented a mega tunnel attack of infiltration and hostage abduction during last summer’s Gaza war, planned by the military branch, fearing an unprecedented Israeli military reaction.

Carter had planned to make the visit on Thursday in an attempt to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in the war-battered territory. The trip included planned meetings with Hamas, the Islamic terror group that controls Gaza. But late Wednesday, the Elders, the group sponsoring the visit, expressed regret that it would not take place. It gave no explanation.