The occupation ‘has changed Israel as a society’

What We’re Reading

Israeli politics

Israel sunk in 'incremental tyranny', say former Shin Bet chiefs,

Ami Ayalon and Carmi Gillon were speaking ahead of a public meeting at a Jerusalem gallery which is threatened with closure for hosting a meeting organised by the military whistleblowing group Breaking the Silence, one of the main targets of the rightwing government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s Bill to Bar the Boycotters: A Strategic Overview,

“From a strategic perspective, the bill contributes toward dividing Israel’s supportive base, by classifying part of it as illegitimate, and toward uniting Israel’s critics by clumping together those who criticize particular government policies with those who delegitimize Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people,” write Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky and Inbar Zadok.

Occupation/Human rights

Killing Sheep on the Sabbath,

When Israeli civilians kill a Palestinian’s sheep on the Sabbath, the government refused to act.

Watergrabbing in Palestine,

B’Tselem’s Amit Gilutz discusses the impact of the Israeli occupation in Area C related to water, while visiting one of the affected Bedouin villages.

Israeli Army Gunfire Paralyzed This Young Palestinian, and His Entire Family,

A Palestinian boy was shot in the stomach and spine on his way home from school, his family says. After eight years in and out of hospitals, his leg has been amputated.

Opinion: Zionists for BDS? Why not?,

“While counter-intuitive, liberal Zionists may be best able to achieve their goal of a just peace by joining forces with the BDS movement,” writes Ahmed Rizk.

Opinion: IfNotNow Is The Jewish Black Lives Matter,

“Black Lives Matter was a response to [Obama’s] failure to curb police violence,” writes Peter Beinart. “IfNotNow is a response to his failure to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.”

IfNotNow Response to Peter Beinart’s Op-Ed “IfNotNow is the Jewish Black Lives Matter”,

IfNotNow: “This comparison fails to acknowledge the difference in privilege and power dynamics within our movements — IfNotNow is a mostly white-led movement and unlike Black Lives Matter, is not a movement of those most directly impacted by the problem it seeks to address.”

Peace Process

Russia Says It Would Recognize West Jerusalem as Israeli Capital in Deal With Palestinians,

In a modest shift, Moscow goes beyond expressing support for East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state to affirm Israeli claims to the western part of the city.

Palestinian politics

Opinion: Could Hamas' new charter end stalemate in Gaza?,

“Hamas’ new charter might be more moderate, and make explicit reference to the two-state solution. Could this be key to their political integration?” Daoud Kuttab asks.