FMEP in the news
That Palestinian Girl’s Viral Video? The Real Scandal Is That Israeli Troops Were There At All, The Forward
“The reason IDF soldiers are regularly in Nabi Saleh, and regularly haunt the Tamimi family has nothing to do with the security of Israel. It is because the inhabitants of this village… refuse to submit quietly to the Occupation.” writes FMEP’s Lara Friedman.
UN vote on Jerusalem
Defying Trump, over 120 countries at U.N. condemn Jerusalem decision, Reuters
More than 120 countries defied President Donald Trump on Thursday and voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for the United States to drop its recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
State Dept: ‘No Decisions’ On Aid Cuts After UN Vote Against Jerusalem Move, Talking Points Memo/AP
The Trump administration says “no decisions have been made” about cutting off foreign aid to countries that voted against the United States on a U.N. vote about Jerusalem.
Putin, Erdogan reaffirm support for Palestinian state in call, Times of Israel/AFP
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said they both supported creating a Palestinian state, the Kremlin said, the day after the UN rejected the decision by Washington to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
In France, Abbas rails against ‘dishonest mediator’ US, Times of Israel/AFP
Macron repeated his earlier condemnations of the US decision on Jerusalem, but he also ruled out recognizing Palestine as a state unilaterally which France has mooted previously.
Palestinians in Jerusalem: UN vote 'pointless exercise', Al Jazeera
For many on the ground, the resolution approved by the UN General Assembly was nothing more than a symbolic act. “It’s a pointless exercise,” Amany Khalifa, a political activist in Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera. “The Palestinian Authority (PA) has to evaluate the whole diplomatic process of going to the UN. The experience we’ve had is that for decades now these resolutions have not changed anything.”
Opinion: The UN Vote Is Mild Rebuke for Israel but a Stinging Slap in the Face for Trump, Ha'aretz
“The president’s threat to cut off aid to countries that vote against the U.S. ensured his defeat would be personal,” writes Chemi Shalev.
Occupation/Human rights
At 16, Israel promised me freedom. Why does it deny it to Ahed Tamimi?, +972 Magazine
“Looking at the images of Ahed in court, I know we can never truly be free as long as we deny another people their freedom. And I wonder what freedom actually means if it takes locking up people like Ahed to secure it,” writes Simone Zimmerman.
Occupation and Sovereignty: Renewing EU Policy in Israel- Palestine, European Council on Foreign Relations
Developments in 2017 have brought into focus the one-state reality taking hold in Israel-Palestine. This will have unavoidable repercussions for the EU and its member states, underlining the urgent need for bolder and more decisive EU action.
Israeli army court orders Ahed Tamimi imprisoned for five more days, +972 Magazine/ActiveStills
The Palestinian teenager from Nabi Saleh was arrested after being filmed confronting Israeli soldiers outside her home. Israeli forces have since arrested her mother and an another relative; her father Bassem received a summons while in court.
There is no such thing as a 'good soldier' at a checkpoint, Local Call
“Those who believe it is possible to maintain an occupation without violence are wrong. The case of Ahed Tamimi illustrates why,” writes Orly Noy.
The Clip That Could Convince Centrist Israelis: Occupation Duty Is Hell, The American Prospect
“A video of soldiers refusing to respond to a Palestinian girl’s taunts may succeed where harsher images have failed,” writes Gershom Gorenberg.
Palestinians are winning the online battle for Jerusalem, The New Arab
“Social media platforms are proving a powerful tool in the hands of Palestinian citizen journalists hoping to reshape their narrative,” writes Yousef Alhelou.
Gaza
Two Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli fire in border clashes, says ministry, Middle East Eye
Two Palestinians were killed as youths clashed with Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border on Friday in a new protest against US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Palestinian health ministry said.