Following Israel’s 11-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip this past month, the besieged coastal enclave is once again staring down a long road to reconstruction. It does so even as the territory remains under Israeli blockade, the people living there are facing urgent humanitarian needs, and there continues to be no existing or emerging political/diplomatic path to change the underlying status quo – a status quo that contains in it the seeds for the next round of violence and destruction. Join FMEP and our panel of experts to discuss what Gaza truly needs, and how the political agendas of international donors and Israeli restrictions have, in the past, sabotaged efforts not only to restore, but also to meaningfully improve, life in the Gaza Strip.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, Lara Friedman asks Omar Baddar what it is like to be Palestinian American in U.S. politics, government, and media. They also discuss to what extent the issue of Palestine is undergoing a transformation across these fields, and how the Biden Administration is choosing to navigate these changes.

“Israel’s parliament on Sunday narrowly approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarizing leader into the opposition. Naftali Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu turned rival, became prime minister after the 60-59 vote. Promising to try to heal a divided nation, Bennett will preside over a diverse and fragile coalition comprised of eight parties with deep ideological differences. But the 71-year-old Netanyahu made clear he has no intention of exiting the political stage. “If it is destined for us to be in the opposition, we will do it with our backs straight until we topple this dangerous government and return to lead the country,” he said.”

“This coalition is extremely fragile. The glue keeping it together is determination to oust Netanyahu. Now that he is out, it will be very difficult for the Change coalition to do much else. Its main goal is to prove that the country can move on from Netanyahu, but Netanyahu is likely to continue doing everything in his power to undermine the new coalition, assuming that he remains head of the opposition…There is a broadly held view among domestic commentators, and even some coalition members, that this government won’t be able to focus on anything other than domestic issues, and will have to steer clear of the controversial Palestinian question. This notion cannot survive the test of reality. In its own way, the occupation is also a domestic issue. Things will happen: demolition and dispossession orders will come up to be carried out (including in Sheikh Jarrah and elsewhere in East Jerusalem), as will new settlement construction and infrastructure projects. There will be new restrictions on Palestinian movements, as well as more arrests and military raids. The major escalation in violence in April-May, which traversed the different domains of Israeli control over Palestinians, is still at the front of many minds. Netanyahu has also intentionally placed some landmines waiting to explode, such as toughening conditions under which relief aid and reconstruction funds will be allowed to enter Gaza. Pressure to protect the right flank will likely drive policy.”

“Newly sworn-in Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Monday that Israel must change the way it deals with U.S. Democrats, who he said had been abandoned by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The Republicans are important to us, but not just them. We find ourselves, as you well know, facing a Democratic White House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic Congress,” Lapid told Israeli diplomats. “And these Democrats are angry.” Lapid said that he spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday night. “Both of us believe that we need to build our relationship with the [U.S.] government based on mutual respect and on better dialogue,” he said. He added that this is also the case with Diaspora Jewry; “particularly with American Jews, the time has come for change.””

“Mr. Lapid’s move does not only stem from altruism or patriotism, some allies say. If the coalition collapses, Mr. Bennett may be punished at the next election by his right-wing base, whose members are angry that he has drifted away from a fellow right-winger in Mr. Netanyahu. But Mr. Lapid is likely to emerge with his reputation burnished and his electability enhanced — two factors that may have encouraged him to be so conciliatory. “He’s a very ambitious chess player,” said Ms. German, the former Yesh Atid lawmaker. “He’s playing for the long run — so I do believe he has this ambition of being prime minister.””

“But with due respect to the change in government in Israel, real history was made last night at the Knesset chamber with the entrance of an Arab party — Ra’am — into the coalition for the first time, and its participation in shaping the face of the government in Israel. After a long journey of delegitimization of the Arab voice and exclusion of the Arab public, Knesset member Mansour Abbas, with his colleagues of the Ra’am list, changed the rules of the game.”

More on Ra’am

• “In speech before swearing-in, Ra’am leader vows to ‘reclaim expropriated lands’” (The Times of Israel)

“The Bennett-Lapid government received prompt welcomes from Biden, Russia’s Putin, India’s Modi, Canada’s Trudeau and the European Council”

More Reaction

• “GOP, Evangelical Allies Thank Netanyahu, but Also Welcome Israel’s New Government” (Haaretz)
• “U.S. Jewish Groups Welcome New Israeli Government Helmed by Bennett and Lapid” (Haaretz)
• “Jewish groups praise new government, hope for reset with Diaspora” (The Times of Israel)

• “Will Bennett outdo his former mentor Netanyahu?” (Al Jazeera // Akiva Eldar)
• “Israel’s new government agrees on only one thing: Booting Netanyahu” (Washington Post // Natan Sachs)
• “The fall of “King Bibi”” (Vox // Zack Beauchamp)
• “A new era in the US-Israel relations” (The Times of Israel // Nadav Tamir)

“Opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the ‘right-wing bloc’ Monday and announced that the bloc’s mission would be to bring down the government which was inaugurated last night. “We have a very strong opposition – 53 MKs, who are cohesive and strong to overthrow this dangerous left-wing government, this fraudulent government. It will fall quickly and I will tell you why: the only thing that connects them is hatred, exclusion and power. It is impossible to have such a government.” Netanyahu began.”

“Netanyahu claimed that the Biden administration had asked him to keep their disagreements on Iran private, but that he refused to do so, valuing his hard line on Iran over smooth relations with the U.S. Netanyahu positioned himself as the only man standing between Iran and an arsenal of nuclear weapons, and claimed Iranians were celebrating his departure. He also compared Biden’s Iran policy to the refusal of the U.S. to bomb the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. He also said he’d rejected U.S. demands to freeze settlement construction and opposed Biden’s plan to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, which handled relations with the Palestinians before being shut down by Donald Trump. Again, he claimed Bennett lacked the stature or credibility to take similar stands.”

“The investigation began two years ago, according to the Jordanian investigative report I reviewed, which states: “In mid-2019, intel indicated Sharif Hassan bin Zaid … met with two officials from a foreign embassy to inquire about their country’s position on supporting Prince Hamzah as an alternative to the King, and Sharif Hassan continued to communicate with the embassy afterwards.” The former Western intelligence official who provided the report says he believes the embassy in question was probably that of the United States.” Also See – “Ousted Israel PM plotted with Saudi’s MBS to undermine Jordan king” (MEMO)

“Netanyahu led Israelis and Palestinians out of the era of intifadas and negotiations into a seemingly permanent reality of Israel as a regional superpower with a regime in which Jews hold almost all assets and privileges. It is not a coincidence that the only Palestinian group that has significantly advanced its cause during his era have been Palestinians citizens of Israel, who while still being heavily discriminated against, have capitalized on their access to the political system and their ability to vote and be elected…However, the lesson of the Netanyahu era is that even the status quo is never really static. Just as the internal arrangements that kept him in power fell apart — despite his desperate attempt to hold on — broader opportunities are now emerging. Netanyahu’s most poisonous legacy is that he made everybody believe that an alternative reality could never exist. His departure should serve as a reminder that one always does.”

“Whether or not his trial will end, and whether or not a plea bargain is reached, the war conducted by Netanyahu against the law enforcement system, which he intends to intensify in the near future, opened deep cracks, and its influence won’t melt away even after he disappears from the public arena. “I’ll reduce confidence in them just as [former U.S. President Donald] Trump managed to undermine confidence in the FBI,” he once promised, and it seems that he kept the promise. After his departure, the law enforcement system will also have to do some soul searching with itself and wonder how a single politician, as strong and influential as he may be, managed to break its spirit and to destroy confidence in it. Apparently it arrived at the battle over Netanyahu’s criminal cases weak and fragile, with hostile feelings among large sectors of the public. Netanyahu only lit the match.”

• “Bibi Raised, and Betrayed, a Generation of Politicians. Last Night They Dethroned Him” (Haaretz // Anshel Pfeffer)
• “As Israel’s longest-serving leader, Netanyahu transformed his country — and left it more divided than ever” (The Times of Israel” (Washington Post)
• “Ousted From Power, Israel’s Netanyahu Plots Comeback” (Wall Street Journal)

“Four days after Palestinian factions arrived in Cairo for conciliation talks, the internal dialogue on Saturday reached an impasse as Hamas presented the Fatah movement with impossible demands perceived by Ramallah as a clear existential threat. Meanwhile, the Fatah delegation, more than a good-faith participant in the talks, has sought a foothold in the process of Gaza’s rehabilitation by seeking control of the money-transfer mechanism to the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave.”

“The petition is an initiative of Palestinian academics, public figures and intellectuals who planned to sign up some 500 of their colleagues, acquaintances and friends. A person close to the organizers told Haaretz that they decided not to approach academics who are Hamas members, or those known as supporters of Mohammed Dahlan. They didn’t want Abbas’ people to immediately dismiss them and say this was an initiative of the Muslim Brotherhood, or of Abbas’ rivals in Fatah.”

“Hamas now leads the Palestinian people because the primary role of leadership under occupation is to lead Palestinians towards freedom and liberation, Khaled Meshaal, who heads the organisation in the diaspora, told Middle East Eye. In the militant group’s first interview in English since last Friday’s ceasefire with Israel, Meshaal called for a comprehensive uprising in “all locations” of historic Palestinian territory – Jerusalem and the Old City, the West Bank, and inside Israel itself. The senior leader, who headed Hamas’s political bureau until 2017, also said the movement was prepared to talk to the US.”

“The success of Hamas on the military front has given them a huge popularity surge, but has not yet been translated to any tangible power, especially in terms of their coveted desire for international legitimacy. No doubt Hamas will have to make some deep political compromises if they are to be allowed into a recognized national unity government. Certainly, Hamas in 2021 is much more mature politically than Hamas in 2007, and this might make their efforts to legitimacy more possible. Much will depend on the new Israeli government and on Washington. But for the time being it appears that Abbas seems to have pulled one more rabbit out of the bag in order to survive politically and remain as the main Palestinian reference point for the international community.”

“The feud over the reconstruction funds further demonstrates Palestinian leaders’ utter indifference to the well-being of their people. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders care about one thing: filling their own coffers with funds earmarked for suffering Palestinians. The fight also shows that the Biden administration’s renewed talk about a “two-state solution” is an illusion: the Palestinians cannot even agree on holding elections or rebuilding destroyed buildings for their own people.”

“The new Israeli government should understand the current scenario: Netanyahu’s policies of attacking Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line, as well as denying the rights of those in exile, did not bring about a Palestinian surrender. Instead, it made Palestinians all over remind the world that there will be no solution short of the fulfilment of our rights.  Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan became symbols of this struggle not only because they are in Jerusalem, but also because they symbolize a blatant Israeli racism, imposing laws that only discriminate against Palestinians.”

Also See

• “As Bennett Assumes Power, Palestinians Find It Hard to Believe Much Will Change” (Haaretz)
• “Palestinians Hail ‘End of Dark Chapter’ With Netanyahu’s Ouster, but Warn Bennett” (Haaretz)

Summary:

• The Flags Parade is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15 at 4 PM (the day after
  tomorrow).
• The underlying causes that sparked the last round of violence – Sheikh Jarrah, the
  status quo on Haram al Sharif and deep despair – remain, and clashes continue
  almost daily.
• Should the parade proceed, the outbreak of clashes is highly likely, and the
  prospect of bloodier and more widespread violence a distinct possibility.
• Another (intended) victim of this eventuality might be the just formed coalition
  government.
• Every effort should be made to prevent this outcome:
  • A deferral will allow the matter to be considered under more auspicious
    circumstances.
  • Assigning the decision to the Security Cabinet enables all intelligence
    community and security arms to weigh in.
  • Altering the route [see map and details below] might reduce friction and
    prospects of violence.

“Israeli security officials are gearing up for a possible outbreak of violence tied to a contentious march by Jewish right-wing nationalists scheduled to be held through parts of Jerusalem’s Old City Tuesday, amid threats that the parade could send the region spiraling back toward war for the second time in as many months.” Also See – “Hamas calls for ‘Day of Rage’ to confront Jerusalem flag march” (Jerusalem Post)

“The IDF has sent reinforcements to the West Bank as Palestinian groups warn against the controversial Flag March set to take place Tuesday in the Old City of Jerusalem. Border police forces have also been bolstered in Jerusalem’s Old City and the alert level at Iron Dome batteries has been raised through concern over possible violent outbreaks including rocket fire from the Gaza Strip by Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”

“Since the beginning of January 2021 through the end of May 2021, there have been a total of 61 demolitions in East Jerusalem, 33 of which were housing units and 28 of which were non-residential structures. The highest number of home demolitions was carried out in the Palestinian neighborhood of Al-Issawiya. These figures demonstrate a slight drop from the amount of demolitions executed last year during the same period (total: 69 – Residential: 42, Non-residential: 27). The minor reduction in the number of demolitions could be due to the partial freeze of enforcement of Amendment 116 to the Planning and Building Law announced in November 2020 as a result of ongoing negotiations with Knesset Members of the Joint List. While the partial freeze of enforcement provides reprieve in certain circumstances of building offenses, it does not offer a sweeping suspension of the Amendment. It should be noted that the new government agreements between the Ra’am Party and Yesh Atid include extending the partial freeze of the Kaminitz Law until 2024.”

“Despite layers of fragmentation policies and different oppressive realities in which Palestinians are forced to live, the bubbling anger on a national level left Israel scrambling to restrict Palestinian mobilisation by blocking buses on a highway, to its own detriment.”

“Middle East Eye takes a look at the past and present of the [Silwan] neighbourhood, and how religion and archaeology are being exploited by Israeli settlers and authorities to displace its Palestinian residents.”

“Members of the Sharabti family are among some 970 Palestinians deemed to be at risk of evictions as a result of court action presented by Israeli settler organizations such as Elad through the Israeli legal system, the United Nations has reported. Court rulings have enabled Elad to seize several properties in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan and establish compounds there. The majority of cases have been challenged unsuccessfully in Israeli courts. Silwan has been the hotbed of settlement activity because of its location and assertions of ties to King David who, according to the Hebrew scriptures, ascended to the throne during ancient times.”

“Beyond financial hardships, Palestinians in Gaza face concerns over their health as temperatures rise. Among the most vulnerable are the elderly, who are highly susceptible to heat-related illnesses. In the months ahead, the elderly in Gaza will fight for survival from the dual threats of COVID-19 and the summer’s heat. Added to this is the increased fragility of the healthcare sector in Gaza which is already unable to withstand the rise in COVID-19 infection rates. Indeed, last month, Israel demolished Gaza’s only COVID-19 testing center.”

“Scores of Palestinian fishermen yesterday staged a protest against the continuous Israeli siege on Gaza, as well as the occupation’s aggression on the fishing industry, Anadolu reported. Fishermen Syndicate in Gaza organised the protest, which took place in the port west of Gaza City. The fishermen held posters reading: “It is my right to move freely… Yes to the full lifting of the siege.” They also raised the Palestine flag.”

“The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Development and Investment Company (PADICO), Bashar Masri, and the accompanying delegation checked on the factories that were completely or partially destroyed, and the solar energy project which was launched just three months ago. During the aggression on the Gaza Strip, the industrial city of Gaza incurred great losses, as the city was subjected to direct bombardment, which led to the destruction of a large part of the solar power generation project, in addition to the destruction of ten factories, with a total area of more than 6,000 square metres. Fourteen more factories were partially destroyed.”

“The data, based on preliminary analysis of satellite imagery taken on May 28, and released by the U.N. Institute for Training and Research this week, underscores warnings from human rights groups and nongovernment organizations that Israeli bombings that the military said targeted Hamas militants severely impaired the territory’s infrastructure, and that it could take years to rebuild.”

“The distressed caller was on the line from Gaza when an explosion drowned out his voice and the line suddenly went dead. For counselors at the Sawa 121 (One-to-One) Palestinian helpline in Ramallah, it is a grimly familiar end to calls in times of conflict, most recently during the 11-day hostilities between Israel and Hamas in May. “You don’t know if they’re still alive or not,” Sawa co-founder Ohaila Shomar told Reuters at her call centre office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. “This is the most difficult thing. We keep thinking about them and what happened to them.” Sawa – “Together” in Arabic – fielded around 37,000 calls during the May violence, twice its usual workload, with concerns such as safety, missing children and unexploded bombs added to the helpline’s usual pleas for help with domestic abuse, child protection and mental health problems. Some callers were seeking shelter during Israeli airstrikes or used Sawa’s free line to pass messages to their family because they had no phone credit, counselors said.”

“As the fragile ceasefire appears to hold, those who survived the conflict are once again trying to rebuild their lives. But the damage inflicted during those 11 days was not only physical and material. The mental health of Palestinians in Gaza was also bombarded during those dark days. Living in fear of the next air attack, the spectre of death looming. Losing loved ones and homes. It is hard to imagine how utterly traumatising their reality has been. Residents of Gaza have been enduring layer upon layer of trauma for decades. The deadly Israeli onslaughts are the most damaging – four in the last 14 years – but they occur against the background of chronic trauma imposed by the occupation.”

“Hamayel was shot and killed by Israeli forces during protests that took place after Friday prayers on Mount Sabih, or “Jabal Sabih” in Arabic, located on the southern outskirts of the occupied West Bank’s Beita. It was the fifth consecutive week of protests that residents of the village were staging against the establishment of a new Israeli settler outpost on the mountain. And just like the past few weeks, Hamayel had gone to join the afternoon prayers and subsequent demonstrations along with his friends, neighbours and family.”

“Ghassan Daghlas, who is responsible for the settlements file in the northern occupied West Bank, said the approval of the new settlement units will allow the settlement to grow to five times its size.”

“Since the beginning of settlement activity at the top of the mountain May 3, the people of Beita have been engaged in daily confrontations that seem to escalate every Friday, with the participation of the residents of the two nearby towns of Yatma and Qablan, to counter the settlers’ takeover of the mountain. The confrontations have resulted in the death of four young men — Muhammad Hamayel; Issa Barham, a doctor from Beita who was killed May 14; Tariq Sanubar, a young man from Yatma killed May 16; and Zakaria Hamayel, a teacher from Beita killed May 28 — while hundreds of others were injured.”

“Although the area was declared a nature reserve by Israel in 2017, the Israeli Land Authority (ILA) announced on 9 May its intention to stage an open auction in July for private companies to bid on tenders for the construction of a new settlement on Lifta lands. The project is being advertised as planning for 250 housing units, hotels and commercial centres, all with beautiful hillside views only 10 kilometres away from Jerusalem. But the slick modern project would entail the demolition of the remaining homes and landmarks of Lifta, effectively seeking to erase all traces of Palestinian identity and history in a site that was listed as endangered heritage in 2018 by the World Monuments Fund.”

“The Biden administration is likely to appoint US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr as the US consul-general to the Palestinians, multiple diplomatic sources said on Monday. Amr would work out of a re-established US Consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced last month. Then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would oppose a consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, which is sovereign Israeli land.”

“This week saw another round of vicious attacks against Rep. Omar (D-MN). Below is a comprehensive run-down of what happened and what members said/did.”

Also See:

• “Hamas Condemns Ilhan Omar for Comparison to Israel” (Haartez)
• “‘Unbearable’: Ilhan Omar hits back at renewed abuse and bipartisan attacks” (Middle East Eye)

“Biden said he remains committed to a two-state solution and the creation of a Palestinian state. This could lead to some friction with Bennett, who has long spurned such concepts. Before his premiership, Bennet—long described as a religious ultra-nationalist—had written off the idea of a Palestinian state as “suicide.” “

““I think Biden’s getting a lot of pushback from the pro-Israel element not to reverse the decision,” Stephen Zunes, a professor at the University of San Francisco specialised in Middle East politics, told Al Jazeera. “At the same time he’s been getting pressure from bipartisan members of Congress who are concerned about the rather dangerous precedent it sets.””

“Pan-Arab satellite network Al Jazeera said it was subjected to continual hacking attempts over recent days, but the cyberattack on Qatar’s flagship broadcaster had been fended off. Al Jazeera’s websites and platforms experienced “continued electronic attacks aimed at accessing, disrupting and controlling some of the news platforms” from last Saturday to Tuesday, the network said in a statement.”

“Divestment from one of Israel’s major banks is gathering pace in Scotland as Israel’s status as an apartheid state becomes harder to dispute. As Yvonne Ridley reported this week, Lothian Pension Fund’s divestment makes it the third such local authority institution to divest from Bank Hapoalim. Falkirk Pension Fund divested in 2018 in response to pressures from activists and trade unions; in early 2019 Tayside Pension Fund followed suit.”

“Pro-Palestine activists occupied a factory in Birmingham on Monday that produces materials used to make fighter jets for the Israeli army and the highly flammable material that led to the Grenfell Tower fire. Palestine Action began its occupation of the Arconic factory in England’s West Midlands region in the early hours of Monday morning. “