More than 15 years into Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, and after rounds of devastating Israeli bombing campaigns, life in Gaza continues to become more difficult and traumatic for the two million Palestinians who live there. What is it like to live under such conditions, with no end or reprieve in sight? Join FMEP for a conversation among experts about the current state of mental health in the Gaza Strip, and what it means for the future of Gaza’s residents. We also look at the findings from a recent study conducted over two years by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) and the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP). Featuring featuring Dr. Yasser Abu-Jamei (Gaza Community Mental Health Programme), Ghada Majadli (Physicians for Human Rights Israel), and Razzan Quran (George Washington University) in conversation with Dr. Yara Asi (FMEP Non-resident Fellow).

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks to Amal Thabateh, who is the Michael Ratner Justice Fellow at Palestine Legal, about the stunning attacks that have taken place targeting Fatima Mohamed for her May 12th commencement speech at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law’s graduation ceremony and the broader context of the fight to defend free speech and activism in support of Palestinian rights.

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks to journalist, filmmaker, and author Antony Loewenstein, about his new book, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, published by Verso books in May 2023.

“Israel’s parliament on Sunday passed a law that has been condemned for allowing Jewish Israelis to have a lesser punishment for rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment than Palestinian citizens. The “sexual terrorism” law, which was passed by 39 MPs to seven, directly targets Palestinian citizens of Israel who have sexually assaulted or harassed Jewish women if authorities deem the motive as “nationalistic”. Penalties can now be doubled for convicted Palestinians…Orly Noy, writer and chair of B’Tselem, Israel’s largest human rights group, said that the law’s racial profiling has troubling connotations that even resemble the Nuremberg Laws of Germany in the 1930s, a comparison that is a highly charged accusation in Israel…Instead of seriously fighting gender crime, they exploit the woman’s body in favour of a nationalist and racist agenda, and turn it into another tool in the establishment of Jewish supremacy.”” See also Editorial | In Netanyahu’s Israel, Even Rapists Have Privileges if They Are Jewish (Haaretz)

“Israel’s High Court of Justice dismissed the appeal filed against the Homesh outpost in the West Bank, which demanded to evacuate it and allow the Palestinian landowners access to their adjacent land…The Yesh Din organization, representing the Palestinian petitioners, said in response to the court’s decision: “The shameful decision by the High Court justices is further evidence of the apartheid regime that’s becoming permanent in the territories and is becoming customary, with the approval of the High Court.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a minister with the Defense Ministry, said after the ruling that it was an important day for the settler movement. “The Israeli government nullified the Disengagement Law in northern Samaria and is formalizing the yeshiva and the Jewish possession of Homesh.” He added that he wanted “to thank Defense Minister [Yoav] Gallant and the Settlements Authority for working together for the sake of Homesh and for the sake of settlement.”” See also ‘This place is ours’: Israeli minister calls for annexation of West Bank (New Arab); Israeli forces kill 15-year-old Palestinian boy (Middle East Eye); Palestinian opens fire in Israeli settlement near Jerusalem, wounding 4 before being killed (New Arab); West Bank: Israeli settlers burn lands, two Palestinians wounded in march (New Arab)

“Israeli soldiers were filmed on Wednesday forcibly removing local Palestinians from a Palestinian-owned water well in the West Bank while allowing a group of Jewish settlers to remain there. The footage shows an IDF officer ordering Palestinians and activists to evacuate while the settlers remain undisturbed. The settlers blocked Palestinians and Israeli left-wing activists from entering the area where they set up a tent.” For more news on settlers & soldiers harassing the inhabitants of Tuba in Masafer Yatta in the last few weeks, see this AJ+ video and Israeli Settlers Break Into Palestinian Homes Accompanied by Soldiers (Haaretz)

“Over the past 25 years, however, the Israeli passion for biblical archaeology has been refashioned by the settler right into an archaeology anchored in biblical literalism, and used as a central justification for the settlement enterprise in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. In the drive to prove Jewish precedence from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, heritage sites have now become weaponized. In the process, antiquities are selectively preserved and displayed to create a Judeo-centric story of belonging while the Palestinians are completely erased from the historical narrative. Accordingly, Jews are portrayed as the indigenous people of the region while Palestinians are rendered an itinerant mass intent on destroying evidence of a Jewish past and stealing the land from its rightful owners. This is the narrative used to efface Palestinian ties to heritage sites, delegitimize their claims to the land, and displace them from their homes and agricultural territories.”

“The Israeli human rights group HaMoked reported on Wednesday that 1,201 people, mostly Palestinians, are detained in Israel without charges or trial dates under an Israeli legal procedure known as administrative detention. It’s the highest number of people held in administrative detention in Israel in 34 years. Hamoked Executive Director Jessica Montell tweeted on Wednesday, “The figure is outrageous. This is a patently illegal practice. These people should be given a fair trial or released.””

“Israel’s destructive two-day invasion of Jenin refugee camp in early July offered further proof that the state is aiming to eliminate the social and urban structure of such Palestinian camps across the occupied West Bank. This forms part of a far-reaching strategic plan to put an end to the “problem” of Palestinian refugees — both those living inside their homeland, and those living in the diaspora in Arab countries and around the world…In the eyes of the occupation, refugee camps in the West Bank — including those in Jenin, Nablus, Jericho, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron — are where the momentum of Palestinian resistance to military rule and resulting settlements grows. Indeed, for as long as they have existed, the camps have provided shelter and a supportive environment for resistance organizations to plan and organize.”

“Is Israel headed towards a constitutional crisis? On Monday, July 31st, the first day of the Knesset recess, the Supreme Court announced that it would, for the first time ever, convene a 15-judge panel—the full roster of justices—to hear eight petitions that civil society organizations and opposition figures had filed against the amendment…Israel’s top court has never declared a Basic Law unconstitutional; if it were to do so, it would be an unprecedented act…However, even if the court were to strike down the law after the September 12th hearing, it is unclear if the government would comply.” See also Will Israel’s Supreme Court Fight Back? (Neri Zilber//Foreign Policy); To counterbalance Netanyahu’s words: An open letter to Congress (from former Israeli ambassadors and senior career diplomats: “We..are writing to you with heavy hearts to share our views on the judicial overhaul that our government is attempting to pass…Israeli democracy took a blow last week when the Knesset voted on the Reasonableness Doctrine…”)

Israel’s Supreme Court is hearing petitions filed against an amendment to the Basic Law on the Government that is meant to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from being declared incapacitated…Ahead of the start of the hearing, several far-right coalition lawmakers said they may not respect the court’s ruling in case it decides to annul the law…The bill, submitted by coalition chairman Ofir Katz, states that only the cabinet can declare a prime minister unfit or incapacitated by a two-thirds majority, and that in some cases such a declaration would require approval by a majority of 90 lawmakers. Moreover, a declaration of incapacitation would apply to incompetence for health reasons only. Last Tuesday, [Attorney General Gali] Baharav-Miara told the High Court that she believed the amendment to the Basic Law should be revoked, stating that “there was an improper use of the Knesset’s authority to improve the PM’s personal situation and allow him to operate in defiance of the court’s decision.”” See also Challenge to Israeli law protecting PM from removal goes to Supreme Court (Al Jazeera)

“In Israel, the law’s main champion has been [Justice Minister Yariv] Levin, whose solemn demeanor conceals a rigid belief in sweeping judicial change…Mr. Levin is a hard-line nationalist who opposes Palestinian statehood, and he has condemned the court for making it easier for Arab families to move to Jewish neighborhoods within Israel; for evicting Israelis from some Jewish settlements in the occupied territories; and for allowing Palestinians to use a major highway in the West Bank that was previously only open to Israeli citizens.” See also Israel judicial crisis: The unprecedented cracks emerging in the army (Middle East Eye); Israel’s army readiness, Air Force cohesion at risk over judicial overhaul rift (Al Monitor)

“Israeli anti-government protesters have sought to portray the Supreme Court as a gatekeeper of democracy, liberalism, and civil rights, while proponents of Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul claim the court is “elitist,” “leftist,” and biased against Israeli settlers. When it comes to Palestinians, however, the Supreme Court has been fully complicit in legitimising, sustaining, and advancing a grim reality that the world’s largest human rights groups describe as “apartheid” as well as “crushing Palestinian rights,” as B’Tselem’s director noted.” See also Will Israel escape civil war? Even if it does, it will surely lose its soul (Dahlia Scheidlin, Guardian), In Israel, High Stakes for High Court: Democracy’s Fate (NYT); Ben Gvir: Probes into alleged police brutality are attempt to ‘threaten’ cops (times of Israel); Ben Gvir helps ex-spy Pollard get gun license in face of police objection (Times of Israel)

“According to the decision, reported by several Hebrew media outlets, the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF) was in violation of new ministry rules handed down by Education Minister Yoav Kisch, which prohibits programs from disgracing the Israel Defense Forces and its soldiers…PCFF brings together families who have lost loved ones in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to support one another…“In a dictatorship, the education minister decides what is forbidden [for students] to know,” PCFF said in a statement responding to the decision. “The decision by Yoav Kisch to ban PCFF activities at schools is another act in the coup — suppression of democracy and zero acceptance of other voices,” it added, in reference to the government’s judicial overhaul legislation.” See also Dozens of School Principals Protest Ban of Israeli–Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum (Haaretz)

“The deception and falsehoods in Isaac Herzog’s story are easily detectable these days. Everyone can see that it is absurd to speak of Israel as a thriving democracy even as hundreds of thousands of Israelis flood the streets to defend their rights and freedoms, fearful of a government that is pushing a racist, conservative, authoritarian, and violent worldview. But Herzog’s story is a lie not because Israel is suddenly in danger of no longer being a democracy, or because of the moves being carried out by extremist ministers in the current government, but because Israel has maintained a racist and discriminatory regime for as long as it has existed. To deflect criticism that might expose this lie, Israel raises the false flag of antisemitism to attack Senator Sanders, Congresswomen Jayapal, Tlaib, Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, and anyone else who insists on describing Israeli reality as it truly is: a reality of oppression and ongoing human rights abuses. A reality of apartheid.” See also Herzog’s Lullaby (Matt Duss//Jewish Currents)

“The camp, the largest in Lebanon, is home to around 55,000 refugees according to the UN. The small Mediterranean country houses more than 489,292 Palestinian refugees, 45% of whom live in 12 camps established in the country following the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, according to UNRWA. The UN and rights organizations have repeatedly deplored the poor conditions inside these camps. Under the Cairo Agreement signed between the PLO and a Lebanese delegation in 1969, Lebanon’s army has no jurisdiction inside Palestinian camps. Security inside the camp is handled by a joint committee representing all Palestinian factions…The escalating intra-Palestinian violence at the camp came as Palestinian political leaders were meeting in Egypt over the weekend to form a committee on intra-Palestinian reconciliation, in another attempt to end their 17-year rift between Fatah and Hamas.” See also Fighting in Lebanon’s Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp kills eight (New Arab)

“Once a teenage activist jailed by Israel, the Rolex-sporting, globe-trotting official now works behind the scenes to prevent the collapse of the PA, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli power brokers admire Sheikh as a pragmatic partner with an uncanny ability to find common ground. “He’s our man in Ramallah,” said one retired senior Israeli security official…Palestinians…increasingly say the PA—which administers Palestinian cities and arrests militants who plan attacks on Israelis—exists to do the dirty work of Israel’s occupation. For many, Sheikh is the man doing that dirty work. He is the face of the PA’s elite, who experience what one former Palestinian official living in the West Bank labeled a “VIP occupation.”…The battle to succeed the 87-year-old Abbas has many contenders, none of whom are a shoo-in. But Sheikh stands a chance of becoming the next leader of the PA, despite his unpopularity, thanks to his close ties to Israel and the United States. Over nine months, Foreign Policy interviewed 75 Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, and Europeans, including officials, diplomats, businesspeople, and rights advocates, who painted a picture of Sheikh’s rise to the highest echelons of Palestinian decision-making.” 

“Rival Palestinian political leaders meeting in Egypt have decided to form a committee on intra-Palestinian reconciliation. President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met for rare face-to-face talks on Sunday in the coastal city of El Alamein along with representatives of most Palestinian political factions.”

“Indeed, Palestinian opinion today is largely against the PA and President Abbas. While the current role of the PA seems to be focused on its functionality as essentially a security subcontractor of the Israeli occupation at the behest of its western donors, it is easy to forget what else the PA does, and what it was created for in the first place.”

“In the case of the Palestinian liberation project, achieving consensus among the forcibly fragmented Palestinian people is both particularly difficult and of critical importance in order to create a united national movement. What, precisely, is the role of consensus-building in the context of a liberation struggle? Al-Shabaka Policy Analyst Jaber Suleiman sheds light on this question, drawing on examples from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the lived experience of Palestinians in Lebanon. Suleiman has worked as a consultant and coordinator for the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Forum at the Common Space Initiative, formerly affiliated with the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Support Project on Consensus Building, Civil Peace, and Constitutional Strengthening in Lebanon. With extensive experience in consensus-building practices, Suleiman offers reflections on what worked, which struggles arose, and how such efforts in Lebanon can inform a wider consensus-building process for Palestinians.”

“The United States has made establishing diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel a top policy goal – a push that experts say would leave Palestinians behind and could come at a high price for Washington in the Middle East. The complexity of Washington’s so-called normalisation drive also has raised questions around why US President Joe Biden’s administration has made it a priority right now. “Biden belongs to a school of thought that views the Arab-Israeli conflict as one in which Palestinians are not necessarily the central force,” said Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute think-tank. “He believes that the underlying root cause of this conflict is the inability of Arab states to accept Israel. And so, if that’s how you view the conflict, it would make sense that you would prioritise normalisation,” Elgindy told Al Jazeera. Last week, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman laid out a complex plan that he said Biden is pursuing to secure an Israeli-Saudi deal. It involves giving Saudi Arabia NATO-like security guarantees and helping the Gulf kingdom kick-start a civilian nuclear programme.” See also Biden’s Moral Calculus in Brokering a Saudie-Israeli Peace Deal (Isaac Chotiner interviews Tom Friedman//New Yorker); See from Al Monitor: Israeli solar firm enters rare venture with Saudi business; Top Israeli official says country won’t block Saudi civil nuclear program

“As a Palestinian-American who has invested considerable efforts in building capacity for an independent and economically vigorous State of Palestine, I cannot comprehend the logic of people who say that they believe in the two-state solution while “sharing values” with those destroying any prospects of a lasting peace. Unless, as some have claimed, repeating the “two-state solution” formula is simply a way of avoiding the reality that millions of Palestinians face and that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have referred to as a system of Apartheid.”

“A Moroccan internet user has been sentenced to five years’ jail for criticising the king on Facebook over the country’s normalisation of ties with Israel, his lawyer has said.”

“Pakistan has no relations with Israel and its passport are ‘valid for all countries except Israel.’ Yet Cellebrite’s tools were sold via Singapore, and are used by the Federal Investigation Agency and national police”

“From social media to public activities, Amnesty Deutschland has largely avoided promoting its parent organization’s campaign for Palestinian rights.”

“Leaders of the revolt, in your thousands, cross the imaginary separation line and help escort Palestinian farmers and shepherds and protect them from the Jewish pogromists who attack them every day at dozens of locations. Before you apply for a Portuguese or Polish passport and pack your bags, prove that this place is dear to you by sustained and focused resistance that will thwart the plans of this government and its Kahanist vanguard: another Nakba; that is, a war that will make it possible to expel most or all of the Palestinians between the river and the sea.”

“For the most visible leadership of the seven-month-old movement, the key issues that have long defined left and right in Israel — the occupation, keeping or giving up land, West Bank settlement — have barely been on the agenda. That choice has allowed Israelis from the center right and right to join and even take leading roles. But for many other protesters, it makes no sense to talk about democracy while ignoring Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. And in principle, they’re right: There is an essential contradiction between liberal democracy and the denial of rights to Palestinians.”

“For the most visible leadership of the seven-month-old movement, the key issues that have long defined left and right in Israel — the occupation, keeping or giving up land, West Bank settlement — have barely been on the agenda. That choice has allowed Israelis from the center right and right to join and even take leading roles. But for many other protesters, it makes no sense to talk about democracy while ignoring Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. And in principle, they’re right: There is an essential contradiction between liberal democracy and the denial of rights to Palestinians.”