Violence, Israeli settlers, and the Wild West Bank

What We’re Reading

Occupation/Human rights

A Window Into the West Bank’s ‘Wildest, Most Violent’ Areas,

“The Settlers” is one of the first close-up views of the motives and personalities in a group that rarely opens up to outsiders. Though mainstream settler leaders denounce violence and try to distance themselves from the radical youth in the hills, [Director Shimon] Dotan sees the hilltop dwellers as a natural outgrowth of the original movement.

Opinion: For Israeli police, every Palestinian is guilty until proven innocent,

“Like many Palestinian citizens before him, Israeli police insist on holding Maysam Abu Alqian responsible for the beating he took in broad daylight,” writes Natasha Roth.

Seeking a breakthrough towards Israeli-Palestinian conflict-resolution,

Learning from other conflicts can assist Israeli-Palestinian conflict-resolution, writes Dahlia Scheindlin.

Are Palestinians concerned over Minister Liberman?,

Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza say they do not fear incoming new Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.

US-Israel relations

Democrats drafting party platform include critics of Israel, friends of Israel – and a BDS backer,

The Democratic National Committee named the committee on Monday, a day after reports emerged that Bernie Sanders, an Independent senator from Vermont running for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, wants the platform to elevate the issue of Palestinian rights.

Gaza

How Gaza's fishermen get caught in Israel's nets,

The Israeli Shin Bet intelligence agency uses threats, coercion and inducements to force hard-hit Gazan fishermen to collaborate and offer information on Hamas.

Facing down Breaking the Silence, Israel tries to play the underdog,

The state prosecutor stages a refined production in which it pretends to be the weaker party facing down a massive organization. The state wants Breaking the Silence to reveal the identity of a soldier it suspects of committing crimes during the Gaza war.