“There exists today a veritable cottage industry of organizations dedicated to promoting the IHRA definition as a legally-mandated litmus test, designed to delegitimize if not criminalize criticism and activism on Israel, and especially boycotts. Most prominent among them is Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs, which in September 2019 published a report documenting how ‘leading BDS activists or organizations disseminated content that meet [sic] the internationally accepted definition of antisemitism’ under the IHRA definition. Another major player in this effort is the right-wing powerhouse NGO Monitor, which has urged governments and the United Nations to adopt the IHRA definition as a step toward cutting off funding for and cooperation with all or most Palestinian and pro-Palestinian groups. Within the US, promoters of the IHRA definition include the Anti-Defamation League, which has dismissed concerns that the definition could be used to target free speech critical of Israel. Another player is the Lawfare Project, which in November 2019 argued that upholding the Court of Justice of the European Union’s decision to require labeling of settlement products would ‘fly in the face’ of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Perhaps most prominently today, there is the Zachor Legal Institute, which has argued for years for using US anti-boycott provisions, antitrust laws, racketeering laws, and anti-terrorism statutes against BDS.”

“’In the face of widespread assault, the right to advocate for Palestinian freedom, including via the time-honored tradition of boycotts for social change, has again been vindicated.  This victory demonstrates that although the fight can be long, it’s necessary in order to achieve justice,’ said Center for Constitutional Rights Deputy Legal Director Maria LaHood. Discovery in the case revealed emails between the plaintiffs celebrating the news from StandWithUs that the lawsuit had successfully discouraged other co-ops from boycotting Israeli goods.  StandWithUs, one of many groups trying to suppress the growing U.S. movement for Palestinian freedom, took credit for filing the case, stating that it was a byproduct of the partnership between StandWithUs and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced plans on Thursday to build thousands of new housing units in contested East Jerusalem, which critics say could doom any prospect of a deal with the Palestinians. It is likely to be years before any of the 6,200 units would be built, but the announcement, 11 days before a national election, was widely seen as an effort by Mr. Netanyahu to solidify support among his right-wing base.”

“A group of settler mayors met with US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman on Thursday and thanked the envoy for his administration’s peace plan, breaking with a majority of their colleagues who have come out in opposition to the proposal that envisions the establishment of a Palestinian state. ‘All of the mayors have expressed a strong desire to see the vision implemented and this meeting was an opportunity to provide constructive feedback toward that goal,’ said Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi in a statement after hosting the meeting in his West Bank settlement southeast of Jerusalem…Thursday’s sit-down was the first time that a US ambassador held a working meeting with Israeli mayors in the West Bank, Revivi’s office added. In another apparent swipe at his more hawkish colleagues, Revivi added, ‘We believe that when you listen, it provides an opportunity to be heard. We look forward to further engaging with more regional leaders toward implementing the Vision for Peace.’”

“Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on European countries Thursday to recognize the State of Palestine to push back against the possibility of Israel annexing parts of the West Bank, the official PA news site Wafa reported. Shtayyeh made the comment in a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide at his office in Ramallah, the report said.”

“The Palestinian Authority’s Energy Authority has condemned an Israeli master plan for the development of an electricity grid in the West Bank, saying that it is designed ‘to establish Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank and to support the brutal presence of the settlements on our land.’ The plan, which was not coordinated with the PA and is in the process of being approved by Israel’s National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry, seeks for the first time to provide a blueprint for the electricity market in the West Bank through 2040 and to develop infrastructure for Israeli settlements as well as for the Palestinians residing there.”

“Palestinian consumers in the West Bank and Gaza face multiple logistical hurdles when buying products from international vendors. Several e-commerce platforms and marketplaces do not ship directly to the West Bank and Gaza. Instead, buyers often use P.O. Box address of contacts in Israel to ensure their products are delivered. For websites that do offer shipping to Palestine, deliveries are frequently delayed given Israel’s control over incoming mail to the West Bank and Gaza. This creates delays in business operations and increases risk, putting Palestinians at a disadvantage. The research recommends that governments, the banking sector, and e-commerce companies work to ensure the financial inclusion of Palestinians in the digital economy by increasing digital access, financial access, integrating logistics and making necessary policy changes. It recommends that Israel must allow the Palestinian ICT sector and infrasturcture to be independent and that third-party states hold Israel accountable for violations of Palestinian rights. It also recommends that the PA must work to increase access to the internet and develop policies that will protect Palestinians online that include data and privacy protections and respect for Palestinian’s under Article 12 of the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights. Palestinian banks must also work to enable freelancers to easily open bank accounts and introduce a ‘freelancer’/ ‘entrepreneur’ credit card, to allow holders to register and receive  payments on the leading freelancing platforms.”

“Gaza is awaiting the arrival early next week of a high-level delegation from the Ramallah-based Ministry of Social Development. The ministry is expected to reinstate its programs in the Gaza Strip that were folded last May. The ministry’s programs were discontinued following disputes between the central government in Ramallah and the Hamas administration in Gaza over the running of the ministry. Hamas had undermined the implementation of the programs and the collection of demographic data. In a statement issued by Ramallah in August 2019, the Ministry of Social Development held Hamas responsible for the cessation of its Gaza programs, which benefit the poor. Among the most significant programs offered by the ministry is the cash transfer scheme, which serves some 71,000 poor families in Gaza. Beneficiaries receive quarterly payments between $230 and $515, depending on financial need. Until recently, the Ministry of Social Development was the only ministry not affected by the Palestinian political division. The Ramallah-based government had supervised the ministry in Gaza and allocated its budget since 2011.”

“Despite the strict security border controls between Israel and the occupied territories, neither Israelis nor Palestinians can stop small transfers of products between West Jerusalem and Ramallah, especially when there are plenty of Palestinians who have Israeli-licensed vehicles making the daily crossing without much observation.While small stores such as Nabil’s can get away with transferring small amounts of agriculture products to satisfy his local customers, this is not a long-term solution to the bigger problem of Palestinian economic dependence on Israel. Still, if Palestinians are serious about delinking from Israel, moves to restrict Israeli imports should eventually kickstart and empower the Palestinian agriculture economy, which is more independent than it has been for the many years of the Israeli occupation.”

“In a statement issued earlier this week, the central West Bank’s Psagot winery thanked Pompeo, saying he had ‘recogniz[ed] the Jewish right to self-determination in our historical homeland’ in his November announcement.”

“Germany, Australia, Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Uganda last week submitted written documents to The Hague, each asking to become an amicus curiae — a ‘friend of the court’ that is not a party to the case but wants to offer its views. They all posited that Palestine cannot transfer criminal jurisdiction over its territory to The Hague. Not a single country filed a request to argue the opposite…Germany — one of the biggest supporters of the court — offered a more detailed preview of its argumentation. Berlin’s amicus request, signed by the Foreign Ministry’s legal adviser, starts by stressing that Germany was ‘a staunch supporter’ of the ICC and noting that it has long been a proponent of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, it argued, ‘The scope of the Court’s territorial jurisdiction pursuant to Article 12 of the Rome Statute does not extend to the occupied Palestinian territories. Article 12 of the Rome Statute presupposes that there is a “State’ that has the ability under international law to delegate territorial jurisdiction to the Court with respect to the relevant cases. ‘Palestine does not possess nor did it ever possess the jurisdiction that it would need to delegate to the Court in order for the Court to exercise jurisdiction.’”

“A balloon apparently carrying the warhead of a rocket-propelled grenade was found near a house in the city of Ashkelon Friday morning. It was apparently flown across the border from the Gaza Strip…A similar balloon carrying an RPG was found in southern Israel on Tuesday. The warhead was found outside the community of Alumim. There have been several cases of RPGs being attached to balloons in recent weeks.”

“A woman attempted to stab passers-by at a popular promenade in Jerusalem on Friday in a suspected terror attack, police and an ambulance service said. The woman, reported to be a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, tried to stab people at the Armon Hanatziv promenade several times with a knife, United Hatzalah said in a statement. One man suffered very mild injuries and did not require medical treatment.”

“It’s not clear if the reports over the affair will move the needle in any way. The months leading up to the campaign have been marked by other bombshells, including the unveiling of President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan and the setting of a date for the beginning of Netanyahu’s corruption trial, which have not dramatically affected opinion polls. But it is an embarrassment for Gantz, a former military chief, who has made ousting Netanyahu his main message and has tried to present a squeaky clean image in the face of the long-serving leader’s graft charges. After retiring from the army, Gantz headed the cybersecurity company that entered talks with Israeli police over the sale of its product. According to the state comptroller, the police may have violated acquisition laws by forgoing a tender in its dealings with the company.”