Netanyahu takes aim at Palestinian unity efforts; Sanders meets Palestinian activist

What We’re Reading

Occupation/Human rights

Netanyahu decries Palestinian unity bid, promises thousands of settlement homes,

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a West Bank settlement that the Palestinians are reconciling “at the expense of our existence.”

Opinion: Sanders stands with Palestinian activist. More politicians must do the same,

“On trial in an Israeli military court for nonviolently opposing the occupation, the odds are stacked against Palestinian human rights defender Issa Amro. With the support of U.S. progressives like Bernie Sanders, he might just stand a chance,” writes Maya Garner.

Goods from Israel settlements granted preferential EU trade deals,

The EU has admitted that it has become “impossible” to monitor the source of goods imported to Europe from Israel despite a legal obligation to implement a policy of differentiating between Israel and settlement activities within its multibillion dollar bilateral trade relations.

'Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa mosque, beat 100 worshipers,' complaint says,

After Israeli authorities removed controversial metal detectors from Al-Aqsa, Israeli police entered its main mosque, beat worshipers and medics, frogmarched over 100 detainees through the Old City and stuffed them into a city bus, according to a complaint filed by 10 of those arrested.

Israel to impose 11-day closure on West Bank, Gaza for Jewish holiday,

Israeli authorities will completely seal off the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip for 11 consecutive days over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, when only humanitarian, medical, and exceptional cases will be allowed to exit or enter the territories, according to Israeli media reports.

Opinion: Apartheid in Hebron,

“In the Hebron Protocol of 1997, the Palestinian Authority was forced to cede control of 20% of the city to the Israeli military—an area that included a few hundred Israeli settlers and over 30,000 Palestinians. The recent decision to create a separate municipality for the settler population within this 20% now formalizes this division,” writes Jim Zogby.

Palestinian politics

Palestinian cabinet meets in Gaza for first time in 3 years,

The Palestinian National Consensus Government convened for the first time in three years in Gaza City on Tuesday, a day after Palestinian Authority (PA) officials arrived to begin Egyptian-mediated reconciliation efforts with Hamas, the besieged coastal enclave’s de facto ruling party.

Abbas vows not to let Hamas keep armed forces in Gaza,

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that he would not be prepared to accept Hamas keeping its armed forces in Gaza like Hezbollah does in Lebanon and demanded  “full control” of the Strip, including over the border, security and all the ministries.

Israeli politics

Is Netanyahu's party ready to divide Jerusalem?,

Likud Knesset member Anat Berko arrived at the Prime Minister’s Office on Sept. 24 with a group of experts with whom she about a year ago developed a plan to change the face of Jerusalem.

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

PA’s Zomlot calls for US forces in the West Bank,

In a lengthy briefing with reporters on Monday, Husam Zomlot, a top Palestinian diplomat, called for American soldiers to provide security in the West Bank during the implementation of a final status peace deal.