US-Israel relations
Bernie Sander Hires Outspoken Critic of Occupation as Jewish Outreach Director, The Forward
“Simone Zimmerman, the Bernie Sanders campaign’s newly hired national Jewish outreach coordinator , is quite familiar with the American Jewish establishment,” writes Uriel Heilman. “She is used to fighting against it.”
Distancing Herself From Obama, Clinton Embraces Israeli Views, NY Jewish Week
Signaling to Jewish voters that she would be more openly supportive of Israel and tougher on Iran than President Obama, Hillary Clinton told The Jewish Week in an exclusive interview that “it is unfair to put the onus on Israel” for the lack of progress on the Mideast peace front.
Occupation/Human rights
Palestinians say push for U.N. rebuke of Israel settlements aimed at peace, Reuters
A renewed Palestinian drive to persuade the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements is aimed at removing the biggest obstacle to peace and boosting French efforts to broker an agreement, the Palestinian U.N. envoy said on Tuesday.
Violence Threatens Relations Between Israeli-Palestinian Security Forces, NPR
Israeli and Palestinian security forces have cooperated for years and helped keep a lid on the violence. But in recent months there have been tense incidents straining the relationship.
Meet the West Bank Cobbler Who Took Video of Israeli Soldier Shooting Palestinian in Head, The Forward
Abu Shamsiyeh said that the camera is a “weapon” and can defuse a tense situation. He believes that when soldiers see him filming, they act less harshly with Palestinians, for fear that their actions will be broadcast across the world.
Palestinian politics
Opinion: The indecisive and confusing state of the Palestinian leadership, The Jerusalem Post
Palestinian Authority politicians appear to working at cross-purposes to one another, Alan Baker writes.
Palestinian leaders warn Temple Mount ‘provocations’ could stoke violence, The Times of Israel
Jews visiting Jerusalem’s Temple Mount compound during the upcoming Passover festival will inflame tensions at the volatile holy site, senior Palestinian leaders warned on Wednesday.
Palestinian Authority, PLO appeal US terror support, Ynet News
The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization on Tuesday urged a US appeals court to toss a more than $655 million award won by a group of American families who accused them of supporting terrorist attacks in Israel.
Mahmoud Abbas slashes funds to PFLP, The New Arab
Funds from the Palestine National Fund to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have been cut, a member of the leftist group told The New Arab, after the leftist faction called on President Mahmoud Abbas to resign from government.
Refugees
Life in the Shadows: Palestinians in Lebanon, Al Jazeera
More than a quarter-of-a-million Palestinians still live in the 12 UN-registered camps and 42 other so-called gatherings across Lebanon. Lebanon is their home but any chance of becoming a genuine part of the communities they live in is constantly undermined by strict laws “protecting” Lebanese citizens’ rights, general safety and wellbeing.