US-Israeli/Palestinian relations
US to open Jerusalem embassy in May 2018, Al Jazeera
The US State Department has said the new US embassy in Jerusalem will open in May 2018, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence.
Abbas' Trump Card, Matzav Review
“Abbas has ensured that without genuine U.S. concessions, senior Trump administration officials are incapable of securing meetings with any Palestinian leaders, making the United States appear weak and isolated,” writes Aaron Magid.
Occupation/Human rights
Christian leaders shut down Holy Sepulchre church to protest Israeli policy, +972 Magazine
A bill to expropriate church property and a plan to charge the church 650 million NIS in back taxes prompt protest from Christian leaders.
Hundreds of Jewish Settlers Buried on Private Palestinian Land, New Research Finds, Ha'aretz
Over 40 percent of the graves in West Bank settlements have been dug on privately owned Palestinian land, according to new research by Israeli NGO [and FMEP grantee] Kerem Navot.
After Pressure From Settlers, Israeli Army Bars Anti-occupation Group From Jewish Part of Hebron, Ha'aretz
The Israeli army has blocked activists from the anti-occupation army veterans’ group Breaking the Silence from entering the Jewish settlement in the West Bank city of Hebron to conduct tours. On Thursday, soldiers prevented a group from visiting the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the city. The army said restrictions on the tours were only temporary.
Israeli bill stripping High Court’s power to adjudicate West Bank land disputes advances, Times of Israel
A key legislative committee on Sunday advanced a bill that aims at stripping the High Court of Justice of its jurisdiction to hear cases regarding West Bank land disputes.
Israeli ministers okay legalizing outpost, paving way for hundreds new homes, Times of Israel
The cabinet approved a proposal on Sunday to begin the process of legalizing the Netiv Ha’avot outpost in the West Bank, where 15 homes are slated for demolition in nine days. The cabinet approval will not cover the houses that the High Court of Justice ruled need be razed by March 6.
New Israeli education law angers Palestinians, Al-Monitor
Months after shattering his skull, IDF arrests teen in pre-dawn raid, +972 Magazine
Mohammed Tamimi, cousin of Ahed Tamimi, was released several hours later. The Israeli army arrested nine others in Nabi Saleh, and video shows soldiers spraying the village with putrid ‘skunk’ water.
Gaza
For Gaza youth, IDF testimonies feel more like confessions, +972 Magazine
Palestinian youth respond to a play based on testimonies by Israeli soldiers, which portrays the brutality of the occupation from the point of view of the occupiers.
Egyptian intel official arrives in Gaza 'to follow up' on reconciliation efforts, Jerusalem Post
A top official from the Egyptian Intelligence Services arrived in the Gaza Strip on Sunday “to follow up” on reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah, the official Palestinian Authority news site Wafa reported.