When the problem isn’t a Palestinian state, but Palestinians themselves

What We’re Reading

Occupation/Human rights

Opinion: Israel's problem isn't Palestinian nationalism — it's Palestinians themselves,

“Most of the circumstances that made the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ripe for resolution — or at least made the peace process attractive to both parties — have all but disappeared over the past decade,” writes Noam Sheizaf.

In Israeli Rural Community, Locals Act to Stop Arabs From Moving In,

Over a third of the people in Nofit have petitioned to halt an expansion that would include a land swap and bring their Bedouin neighbors closer.

Settlers illegally expand West Bank race track in IDF firing zone,

Since +972 Magazine visited the site earlier this year, the track has been paved — despite an Israeli army order to stop construction. The Israeli military often uses firing zones to displace Palestinians.

Israel demolishes temporary kindergarten in Bedouin village,

The room, built of wood and metal paneling in the Bedouin village of Jabal al-Baba adjacent to al-Azariya, in the West Bank and just east of Jerusalem, was slated to open next month as a schoolroom for 25 four- to six-year-olds.

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

Palestinian leader reportedly says he can't figure out Trump's Mideast peace plan,

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told a visiting delegation from Israel’s left-wing Meretz party on Sunday that he had met with Trump’s envoys about 20 times and on each occasion had been assured of the administration’s support for a two-state solution, in which Israel and a Palestinian nation live side-by-side.

Sheldon Adelson privately supports anti-McMaster campaign,

Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson has privately told one of his allies that he supports a campaign that depicts H.R. McMaster as anti-Israel and seeks to remove him from his post as national security adviser.

Gaza

In Gaza, we get four hours of electricity a day — if we're lucky,

“The crisis we face is not the result of a natural disaster or some other act of God. It’s entirely man-made,” writes Abier Almasri.

Palestinian Authority threatens to sever Gaza electricity — report,

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly threatened Sunday to cut off all financial support to the Gaza Strip, unless Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave, works together with Abbas’s Fatah party.

Abbas sends medical aid to Venezuela, sparking Gaza criticism,

Mahmoud Abbas ordered the Palestinian Authority to send three lorry loads of medical aid to Venezuela on Sunday, sparking criticism of the PA’s hand in crippling power cuts and a shortage of medicine in the Gaza Strip.

After record five-month closure, Egypt opens Gaza crossing for five days,

The five-month closure of the Rafah crossing was the longest since the blockade began in 2007, according to rights groups. The Israeli army recently added new restrictions for Palestinians hoping to leave Gaza.

Israeli politics

Benjamin Netanyahu and the Politics of Grievance,

“With the graft investigation against him gaining momentum, he’s poised to continue playing to the right-wing base that has kept him in power,” writes Natan Sachs.

New Labor leader seeks sweeping powers,

New Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay announced on Sunday that he intends to seek increased power for his post ahead of the next general election, including the right to choose four of the party’s candidates for the next Knesset.

Palestinian politics

PA-Jordan coordination takes shape in wake of Al-Aqsa crisis,

One of the outcomes of a major meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah was an agreement to form a crisis committee to coordinate the positions of both countries regarding incidents at Jerusalem’s holy sites.

Israel, Hamas, Egypt indirectly cooperating against IS,

While Egypt and Hamas coordinate efforts against the Islamic State in the Sinai Peninsula, Israel is providing intelligence to Egypt to boost these efforts.