In a closed-door meeting with heads of Jewish organizations in New York on March 27th, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) gave harsh criticism of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), according to an Israeli foreign ministry cable sent by a diplomat from the Israeli consulate in New York, as well three sources — Israeli and American — who were briefed about the meeting.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came to Israel Sunday in the midst of the worst crisis in relations between Israelis and Palestinians in years, but he did not meet a single Palestinian representative and mentioned them publicly once. “There’s nothing to discuss,” said Xavier Abu Eid, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Negotiations Affairs Department.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has refused to criticise Israel for the killing of dozens of unarmed Palestinian protesters during weeks of rallies on the Israel-Gaza border as he concluded his diplomatic tour in the Middle East.

It was previously reported that Trump had mulled attending the inauguration himself but decided against it.

The Knesset is expected to approve, in the first of three votes, a version of the proposed Nation-State Bill that includes a provision that allows for the establishment of communities for Jews only, even though representatives of the Attorney General’s Office and the Knesset’s legal department say it is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

State attorneys on Sunday defended the army’s use of live ammunition during clashes with Palestinian demonstrators on the border with the Gaza Strip, saying the rules of engagement are within Israeli and international law.

Not a single rocket has been fired into Israel from Gaza in over two months, yet since March 30 Israel has killed more Palestinians in Gaza than it did in the previous 16 months, during which time militants launched over 60 rockets and mortars.

Recently, Israel announced plans to construct the first train line for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, connecting the Ariel settlement – one of Israel’s largest settlements with a population close to 19,000 – to cities and towns inside Israel.

Fifteen olive trees were found chopped down Saturday in Urif, in what was the second apparent hate crime attack against residents of the northern West Bank village in as many days and the third in less than two weeks.

Leaders of Gaza’s Islamist group Hamas on Saturday publicly accused the rival Palestinian Authority (PA) of planning an assassination attempt against the head of its own government. Continued finger-pointing over the roadside bomb attack on Hamdallah’s convoy looks likely to deepen the already bitter political rift.

The legislative body of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) is set to discuss suspending the recognition of Israel, in addition to several other critical issues of Palestinian politics.