Israel removes metal detectors at Haram al-Sharif; Jordan releases Israeli embassy staff

What We’re Reading

Jerusalem

Israel removes metal detectors from al-Aqsa compound,

Palestinians continue to protest as mosque official says move does not fulfill Muslims’ demands to remove CCTV cameras.

Al-Aqsa leaders maintain boycott until all Israeli security removed,

Religious leaders at Al-Aqsa mosque on Tuesday rejected an Israeli decision to remove some security measures controlling access to Islam’s third holiest site, telling worshippers to boycott the site until the return of the status quo.

Friedman credits American involvement for solving crisis with Jordan,

US President Donald Trump’s administration was instrumental in resolving Israel’s crisis with Jordan, American ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in his first official meeting with Knesset members Tuesday.

Playing with fire: Israel’s sweeping disregard for the wellbeing and security of East Jerusalem residents,

The harsh measures instituted by the authorities led to harsh consequences: four Palestinians were killed and over one hundred demonstrators were injured by police.

Jordan ‘kept Palestinians in the dark’ over Temple Mt. pact — official,

Jordan did not consult with the Palestinian Authority about talks with Israel that led to the removal of metal detectors and cameras from the entrances to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a senior Palestinian official said Tuesday.

Three arrested for saying Kaddish for slain family on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif,

Three Israeli Jews were detained on Temple Mount in Jerusalem Tuesday after they recited the Kaddish (the Jewish prayer for the dead) in honor of the Salomon family who were brutally murdered by a Palestinian assailant on Friday.

Settlement boycotts & BDS

Ruling on West Bank settlement wines stirs debate,

Last week, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reversed a decision – made less than 24 hours earlier – that wines made in two West Bank settlements and sold in Canada could no longer be labeled “Product of Israel” because the grapes were grown, fermented and processed outside of the country’s internationally recognised borders.

BDS activists prevented from boarding flight to Israel,

Five members of an interfaith delegation to Israel were prevented from boarding their flight from Washington, D.C., reportedly due to their activism on behalf of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

N.Y. Senator Gillibrand: Netanyahu Does ‘Not Have A Plan For Peace’,

“I am concerned that Prime Minister Netanyahu does not have a plan for peace, and doesn’t have a vision for peace,” Gillibrand said Saturday at a town hall meeting in the Bronx in New York City.

Israeli politics

Israeli Defense Minister Blames Incitement by Arab Lawmakers for Temple Mount, Halamish Attacks,

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday accused Arab lawmakers of incitement, after two deadly attacks in the space of a week left five Israelis dead.

Gaza

Dahlan reveals controversial Hamas deal on Gaza,

Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief, said in a phone interview with the AP news agency published on Sunday that he expected the quietly negotiated agreement to lead to opening the blockaded Palestinian territory’s border with Egypt in late August and an easing of crippling power outages.

Occupation/Human rights

Israeli forces detain 28 Palestinians, including mother of Halamish attacker,

Amid growing tension in the occupied Palestinian territory surrounding the events at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, with ten Palestinians and five Israelis killed in the past 11 days, Israeli forces have continued massive detention campaigns across the West Bank between Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

Opinion: If You Can't Say Israeli Settlers Are Civilians Too, You're Propping Up Apologists for Terror,

“Believing that all human beings – even those with controversial ideologies – deserve equal protection doesn’t mean one subscribes to ultra-nationalist politics,” writes Sarah Hirschhorn.