“A group of Republican legislators has written to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to endorse Israel’s looming annexation of parts of the West Bank, contending that criticism of the Israeli government’s plan is ‘antisemitic’. Referring to the occupied West Bank by its Hebrew biblical name, Judea and Samaria, the letter portrays annexation as the fault of Palestinians, who the Republicans claim have rejected multiple peace offers by Israel. It was signed by 12 House members, including Andy Biggs, chair of the influential House Freedom Caucus, a group of ultra-conservative and libertarian lawmakers.”

“Nabil Shaath, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’ close aide, announced on Wednesday that 23 European Union (EU) countries stand with Palestine against the Israeli plan to annex large swathes of occupied West Bank, Al Watan Voice reported. The only two European states which have not yet announced their stance are Austria and Czech Republic.”

“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for dialogue to resolve tensions over the proposed annexation by Israel of parts of the occupied Palestinian territories. Johnson spoke with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, over concerns about Israel’s plan, a week after discussing it with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Johnson ‘urged President Abbas to engage in negotiations and offered the UK’s support to foster dialogue,’ a Downing Street spokesman said. ‘The leaders agreed to continue to work together on this issue and others.’”

“…Abbas praised Britain’s support for achieving peace on the basis of international legitimacy and opposition to the annexation plans which violate international legitimacy. Abbas also explained that if Tel Aviv abandoned its annexation plans, the Palestinians are willing to resume negotiations under the auspices of the Quartet and with the participation of other countries.”

“Attorney Asher Ohayon, who represents the suspect who was convicted of murdering an Arab family in the town of Duma, presented new evidence to the district court suggesting that the murders were carried out in a manner completely different from what was described in the verdict. The evidence includes testimony from members of the Dawabsheh family, including Ahmed who witnessed the attack and described it as unfolding in a different way. In light of this new evidence, Ohayon asked that the conviction of his client, Amiram Ben-Uliel, be thrown out. Due to the submission of the new evidence, an unusual proceeding was initiated in which Ahmed Dawabsheh and his grandfather were summoned to testify in court. After Ahmed refused to appear in court, and in light of the sensitivity of the case, the parties reached an agreement by which the defense could submit the new evidence without the boy having to appear in court.”

“A member of the Israeli parliament for the Joint Arab List has slammed claims by police officers that there is a ‘lack of evidence’ in the killing of a disabled Palestinian man in Jerusalem last month, Al-Quds Al-Araby has reported. Aida Touma-Suleiman MK cast doubts on the narrative coming out of the Ministry of Justice that there is no video footage of the killing of Eyad Hallaq, who was autistic. The Police Investigation Unit, Mahash, which looked into the killing claimed that it could not find any video footage because the cameras were not working at the time of the incident. Investigators told Al-Hallaq’s family that they had nearly completed their investigation, but also claimed that there had been no video footage of the killing. Touma-Suleiman told the Knesset that no one can trust this narrative. ‘It aims to hide the crime of executing the Jerusalemite Eyad Hallaq,’ she insisted.’…’” Also see: Middle East Monitor – Inconclusive investigations and psychological trauma cultivate Israel’s impunity

“The EU will begin a €5.8 million ($6.63 million) construction agreement with the Palestinian Authority in ‘Area C’ of the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from the Office of the EU Representative in the West Bank and Gaza. This package is the fifth of its kind and will fund 16 social and public infrastructure projects, which will benefit over 24,000 Palestinian living in Area C. These projects include schools, multipurpose buildings, water distribution networks, water reservoirs and rehabilitation of electricity networks.” Also see: Arutz Sheva – EU, Denmark, PA announce intention to continue violating international law and treaties

“The sharp rise in the spread of the coronavirus in the Hebron district is blamed largely on weddings and public events, and the tribes have been asked to help stem the spread.” Also see: Middle East Eye – Coronavirus-hit Hebron struggles with social stigma and Israeli occupation

“The IDF arrested on Wednesday four Palestinians armed with firebombs and an explosive device, which the military said it believes they planned to use to carry out a terror attack. The military said the suspects were arrested outside of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Two Molotov cocktails and the bomb are found in their possession, a military spokesman said. The four suspects were handed over to the Shin Bet security service for further investigation.”

“At least 237 violations against Palestinian media freedoms were recorded by specialist Palestinian NGO in the first half of 2020, most of them committed by Israeli occupation forces. In a report issued yesterday, the Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), found that the first half of 2020 witnessed a decline of violations against media freedoms compared to the same period last year when 330 violations were recorded.”

“On the afternoon of 16 July, four children belonging to Bakr family ventured onto the beachfront at Gaza City’s small harbour, playing near the boats that their fathers used as fishermen to earn a living…Israeli forces shelled the area and the fishing boats. One of the boys was killed immediately. The other three children started running from the beach when a second shell killed them too. Three other members of the Bakr family were severely injured in the attack… A photographer for the New York Times, Tyler Hicks, witnessed the second strike after he heard ‘a loud, close blast.’ He then heard the second blast while grabbing his equipment, later recalling that ‘I saw that boy running, and by the time I had reacted he was already dead. That’s the image that will stay with me.’…Israel launched its own internal investigation into the killings, which was completed almost a year later in June 2015. The resulting report essentially exonerated Israel from any responsibility.”

“Nearly everyone I know in Gaza has contemplated suicide more than once. Despite the deep taboo, 2020 is heading toward a record spike in suicides, and most are young, unemployed and suffocated by despair.”

“Hamas deputy leader Moussa Abu Marzouk has confirmed Arabic media reports that a member of the Gaza-based terror group collaborated with and subsequently defected to Israel. ‘Hamas arrested a number of collaborators with the occupation… Some of them, or rather one of them, fled toward the occupation and the occupation gave him a warm welcome,’ Abu Marzouk told the Lebanese pro-Hezbollah al-Mayadeen TV on Thursday.” Also see: Jerusalem Post – Hamas accuses Saudi media of ‘lies, fabrications’; Arutz Sheva – Hamas admits: Senior Hamas official defected to Israel

“In the midst of the coronavirus and after the end of the Palestinian authority’s coordination with Israel, some Gazans have been stuck abroad.”

“Israel is drawing up a secret list of military and intelligence officials who might be subject to arrest abroad if the International Criminal Court in the Hague opens an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories. Haaretz has learned that this list now includes between 200 and 300 officials, some of whom have not been informed. The great secrecy surrounding the issue stems from a fear that the mere disclosure of the list’s existence could endanger the people on it. The assessment is that the court is likely to view a list of names as an official Israeli admission of these officials’ involvement in the incidents under investigation.” Also see: Times of Israel – Israel said to compile roster of officials who could face arrest over ICC probe

“The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement warned the Israeli occupation authorities on Tuesday not to attack Al-Aqsa Mosque. The statement from Hamas stressed that this issue could ‘trigger a war’. Hamas released its statement in the wake of the decision by an Israeli court decision to close Bab Al-Rahma Mosque, which is located at one of the gates within the compound of the Noble Sanctuary of Al Aqsa. The movement believes that the decision has to be seen as part of the efforts made by the occupation state to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque and its compound spatially and temporally between Muslims and Jews.”

“Sheikh Raed Salah, the firebrand leader of an outlawed Islamist group, will serve 28 months in prison for incitement to violence, an Israeli court said Thursday, rejecting an appeal against his conviction. Salah, the leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement, was convicted by the Haifa Magistrate’s Court in November of incitement to terror and membership in an outlawed organization, after he spoke out in support of a terror attack on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount that left two police officers dead and inflamed regional tensions.” Also see: Middle East Eye – Palestinian leader Raed Salah [an Israeli citizen] set for Israeli prison after losing appeal

“The first draft of the 2020 Democratic platform opposes unilateral actions by Israelis and Palestinians that hurt the chances of a two-state solution, including Israel’s proposed annexation of parts of the West Bank, but stops short of mentioning occupation — a key demand of progressive activists.” Also see: Jewish Insider – DNC advances the 2020 platform, including a pro-Israel plank, by unanimous consent

“If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unilaterally annexes parts of the West Bank, he will do so knowing that virtually the entire United States Democratic Party opposes the move. The entire leadership has spoken out against it, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and at least 210 of the 233 Democrats in Congress have sent or signed on to letters urging Jerusalem to drop the proposal. But now, some Democrats are no longer just stating their disapproval of annexation; they are now calling for a policy response should Netanyahu go through with it.”

“Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary-General Saeb Erekat said on Wednesday that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would need to undo the Trump administration’s moves regarding Israel in order to restore trust in the Middle East peace process. ‘If Mr. Biden wins, the first thing he needs to do is to reopen the American consulate in East Jerusalem, open the [PLO] mission in Washington, reiterate the U.S. position of two states on the 1967 borders — states with mutually agreed swaps by the two sides — and no side should take any steps that may unilaterally impede, preempt or prejudge these issues,’ Erekat said during a Zoom call hosted by the Arab Center Washington DC. ‘If they want a stable Middle East, if they want a democratic Middle East and if they want to defeat the forces of extremism in this region, they of course need to [undo] everything that Trump did.’”

“In the wake of an Israel Hayom report showing that the State Department was incorrectly tallying the number of Palestinian terrorist incidents in the Israel 2019 Human Rights Report it published several months ago, the US government said it would amend the document. US Congressmen Doug Lamborn and David B. McKinley had pressed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after Israel Hayom reported the errors, which were based on UN figures…The data about Palestinian attacks on Israelis have been collected by the group Boomerang, which advocates for Israel and publishes a weekly report on terrorism statistics.”

“A joint statement signed by 18 groups aims to step up the pressure on Jordan to send Ahlam al-Tamimi to the US for trial. In 2001, she helped carry out a suicide bombing that killed 15 people, including two Americans, in Jerusalem.”

“…the trainings contradict a key recommendation of major North American Jewish security groups: Leave the guns to law enforcement professionals…The synagogue team trainings last 40 hours, and are run by Caliber-3 instructors who are former IDF special forces officers. The synagogue volunteers learn handgun skills and safety, Krav Maga hand-to-hand fighting techniques, first aid and strategies for responding to an active shooter as a team… Caliber-3 was founded in 2003, and is headquartered in Efrat, a West Bank settlement outside Jerusalem…The company trains thousands of Israeli soldiers, police and security personnel a year in courses that can last months, and in recent years has begun offering half-day or shorter training to tourists, as well as weeks-long paramilitary drill courses marketed to observant American teenagers and young adults. It opened its first American location outside San Diego in 2018.”

“Dutch government inspectors said they would fine a store selling wine from the West Bank city of Hebron that is labeled as made in Israel. The warning came during a July 10 inspection of the Israel Products Center, an importer and retail outfit run by the pro-Israel group Christians for Israel. In a statement, the center said that two agents from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority did not confiscate any products but warned that the center could face fines for violating labeling requirements. The center said it would not comply.” Also see: Artuz Sheva – Dutch inspectors threaten to fine store selling wine from Hebron as made in Israel

“Two civil society organizations have called on the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to include a German company in the list of firms active in Israeli settlement construction on the Palestinian land as well as human rights violations in the occupied territories. The Ramallah-based al-Haq and SOMO research centers in a recent report suggested inclusion of HeidelbergCement Group in the OHCHR’s annual update on business activities related to settlements. The report documents both direct and indirect implication of the company in the Nahal Raba stone quarry through its subsidiary Hanson Israel.”

“…The Committee examined activity and developments in the field over recent years.  After interviewing key professionals and experts on the subject, the Committee came to the conclusion that Israel must prepare a comprehensive strategic program for ensuring the future of the Jewish People. This program must focus on strengthening ties with Jewish communities worldwide based on an approach grounded in partnership, investing in formal and informal Jewish education, and reinforcing Jewish identity and the sense of connection to Israel through multiple channels.  These initiatives are to be implemented in full cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Absorption, the Jewish Agency, national institutions, philanthropists and Jewish communities around the world.”

“Online profiles describe him as a coffee lover and politics junkie who was raised in a traditional Jewish home. His half dozen freelance editorials and blog posts reveal an active interest in anti-Semitism and Jewish affairs, with bylines in the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel. The catch? Oliver Taylor seems to be an elaborate fiction…Reuters was alerted to Taylor by London academic Mazen Masri, who drew international attention in late 2018 when he helped launch an Israeli lawsuit against the surveillance company NSO on behalf of alleged Mexican victims of the company’s phone hacking technology. In an article in U.S. Jewish newspaper The Algemeiner, Taylor had accused Masri and his wife, Palestinian rights campaigner Ryvka Barnard, of being ‘known terrorist sympathizers.’…The Jerusalem Post and Arutz Sheva have kept Taylor’s articles online, although the latter removed the ‘terrorist sympathizers’ reference following a complaint from Masri and Barnard. The Post’s editor-in-chief, Yaakov Katz, didn’t respond when asked whether Taylor’s work would stay up. Arutz Sheva editor Yoni Kempinski said only that ‘in many cases’ news outlets ‘use pseudonyms to byline opinion articles.’ Kempinski declined to elaborate or say whether he considered Taylor a pseudonym.” Also see: Daily Beast – Right-Wing Media Outlets Duped by a Middle East Propaganda Campaign

“BDS-BLM intersectionality, as the face of the current deepening identity politics phenomenon in the United States, mobilizes racial minorities against what they see as a white supremacist established order they seek to replace. In parallel, the BDS and BLM movements share a vision for the replacement of Israel, which they see as an extension of the white United States – inherently unjust, racist, and illegal. In this view, Israel is the result of a historical sin – an error that can be corrected only by Israel’s replacement by Palestine. This deepens the challenge to Israel and American Jewry posed by BDS, BLM, and the Antifa, who demand the dismantling of the United States and Israel and their rebuilding from the ground up. The rebranding of Israel as a white supremacist entity also categorizes Diaspora Jews as “white supremacists” by extension, unless they disavow Israel as a centerpiece of their American Jewish identity. This new radicalized discourse demands that American Jews sacrifice their liberal and progressive worldviews.” Also see: Zachor Legal has asked the United States Department of Justice to investigate ties between Black Lives Matter and designated foreign terror organizations

“…Last week, the Democrat-controlled House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs officially adopted an amendment to send $250 million in aid to the PA, even though the pay-to-slay policy has not changed. If enacted, this would bring us back to the dark, pre-Taylor Force days in which the United States helped foot the bill for rewarding and encouraging murder, including the murder of Americans. Pro-Israel organizations need to speak out now to stop this madness before it advances any further.” [Note: the legislation explicitly states: “Funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘Economic Support Fund; and made available for 5assistance for the West Bank and Gaza shall not be made available in contravention of section 1004(a) of the Taylor Force Act (title X of division S of Public Law 115–141).”

“We are witnessing in the United States an extraordinary moment in which the old paradigm of structural racism is being criticized and challenged. It has not yet been replaced, but what we see, at this moment, is a powerful movement of protest demanding that we push past incrementalism to achieve overarching structural change in policing, education, sports, and many other domains. This is also a moment in which the existing paradigms of American, and American Jewish, support for Israel has been challenged. Ten years after his first blockbuster essay, the prominent journalist Peter Beinart published a pair of articles this week that challenged long-standing orthodoxies about Zionism and Israel. Not only was it the case, he claimed in a detailed historical argument, that key Zionist thinkers from the past did not require the instrumentality of a political state in order to realize their ideal vision for the Jewish nation, but it was also the case that the current sacralization by Jews of a Jewish state has obscured and enabled injustice against the Palestinian people. It is time, Beinart declares, to replace the current paradigm of injustice, and this requires surrendering the mythic dream of a two-state solution and privileging at long last the equal rights of all Palestinians in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.”

“A video of a popular children’s entertainer mocking Bedouin children was widely condemned by Israeli society. But does the singling out of one racist prevent a real reckoning?”

“This latest project, with support from MECA, is an art installation in the Silwan neighborhood of Israeli occupied East Jerusalem. The installation features large images of eyes — belonging to philosophers, activists, and artists — that dare to look back at the occupying forces and bear witness to the colonial violence that is wielded against the Palestinian people. ‘I Witness Silwan’ looks the ‘colonial gaze’ in the eye, asking: Who has the power to look and why? Whose sight counts?”