Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.

July 30, 2021

1. Sheikh Jarrah Updates: Court Issues Delays for Three Cases; Bennett Reportedly Considering DelaOthers
2. In First Since Settlement Regulation Law Was Overturned, Israel Announces Intent to Demolish Settlement Buildings on Privately Owned Palestinian Land
3. Elad Settler Group Loses Control Over East Jerusalem Holy Site/Archaeological Park
4. Knesset Votes Down West Bank Annexation Bill, Condemns Ben & Jerry’s
5. State Allows (& Funds) “Farming Outposts” to Graze Huge Tracts of West Bank Land
6. Outpost Activity Continues in the South Hebron Hills
7. Israeli Army Let Settlers Stay at Abandoned Base Despite Knowing Plans for Illegal Outpost
8. Bonus Reads

FMEP Legislative Round-Up

July 30, 2021

Brought to you in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Round-Up was born!

1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2. FY22 SFOPS on the House Floor
3. Hearings & Markups
4. On the Record

“Latest developments (after the reporting period)

• On 28 July, Israeli forces shot and killed an 11-year-old Palestinian boy who was in a car with his father at the entrance of Beit Ummar (Hebron). According to the Israeli military, soldiers ordered a driver to stop and, after he failed to do so, they shot at the vehicle, reportedly aiming at the wheels. On 29 July, following protests at the funeral of the boy, during which Palestinians threw stones Israeli forces soldiers shot live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, shooting and killing one Palestinian.
• On 27 July, Israeli forces shot and killed a 41-year-old Palestinian at the entrance of Beita (Nablus). According to the military, the man was walking towards the soldiers, holding an iron bar, and did not stop after they shot warning fire. No clashes were taking place at that time.

Highlights from the reporting period

• Two Palestinians, including a boy, died after being shot by Israeli forces during the reporting period. Israeli forces entered An Nabi Salih (Ramallah) to carry out an arrest operation, and when Palestinian residents threw stones at them, soldiers shot live ammunition and tear gas canisters.  During this exchange of fire, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old boy, who, according to the military, was throwing stones and endangered the life of soldiers.  According to Palestinian sources, he was shot in his back. On 26 July, a Palestinian died of wounds after being shot by Israeli forces on 14 May, in Sinjil (Ramallah), during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces.
• Overall, Israeli forces injured 615 Palestinians across the West Bank, including 24 children, the youngest of whom is a three-month-old baby. In total 588 of those were injured in protests against settlements in Beita (Nablus)….
• Israeli forces carried out 91 search-and-arrest operations and arrested 158 Palestinians across the West Bank. Some 45 university students were arrested in Turmus’ayya (Ramallah) during a protest against punitive demolitions; 20 others were arrested in the Old City of Jerusalem, during clashes with Israeli forces, following the entry of over 1,600 Israelis to the Haram Al Shareef/Temple Mount compound; and the rest were arrested in other circumstances across the West Bank.”

“Israeli forces shot and killed a young Palestinian man during confrontations in the southern occupied West Bank town of Beit Ummar on Thursday, less than 24 hours after soldiers killed a 12-year-old boy from the same town, in a case that has sparked outrage. Shawkat Awad, 20, was killed by Israeli forces during confrontations that broke out in Beit Ummar after members of Israel’s border police attacked the funeral procession of Mohammed al-Alami, a 12-year-old Palestinian who was killed by soldiers who shot at his family’s car on Wednesday as they were returning home from grocery shopping.”

Also see: “Israeli forces kill Palestinian during West Bank funeral protest” (Al Jazeera) and “West Bank: Mounting fury over Israeli killing of 12-year-old Mohammed al-Alami” (Middle East Eye) and “UN urges Israel to investigate killing of Palestine child in West Bank” (MEMO)

“At least 79 Palestinians were wounded as Israeli soldiers cracked down on protests in the occupied West Bank on Friday. Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets, as well as tear gas, at Palestinians gathered in the town of Beita for protests against Israel’s illegal settlement activity, witnesses said. They said the unarmed Palestinians responded by throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.”

Also see these reports from WAFA: 

• Occupation forces crackdown on anti-settlement rally east of Nablus 
• Occupation forces attack weekly Kafr Qaddum protest
• Live ammunition injuries reported as Israeli forces quell protest south of Nablus

“Mohammed Munir Tamimi was the fifth person killed in recent years in the village of Nabi Saleh, not far from Ramallah in the West Bank, almost all of whose residents are from the Tamimi clan…Of all the killings in Nabi Saleh, the death of Mohammed is perhaps the most criminal of all. The soldiers had no apparent reason to enter the village a week ago, when it was quiet – and even less of one to open the armored door of their jeep, shoot the youth in the stomach from close range and then close the door. And if that wasn’t enough, soldiers who were walking behind the vehicle fired more bullets at the wounded teen who was trying to flee for his life into an adjacent house, but collapsed, bleeding, on the way to its entrance.”

“Israeli forces stormed the main office of NGO Defence for Children International (DCIP) early on Thursday, in a raid which was captured on CCTV. The footage shows Israeli forces forcing their way into the offices at Al-Bireh’s Sateh Marhaba neighbourhood at around 5:15am. They confiscated several computers and files about clients – many of whom are Palestinian children detained in the Israeli military courts. The CCTV feed was cut at 5:27am. Six desktop computers, two laptops, hard drives and client files related to Palestinian child detainees represented by DCIP’s lawyers in Israel courts were taken. No documents were left in the office to indicate the reason for the raid, and neither was a receipt of materials seized, according to DCIP. “This latest act by Israeli authorities pushes forward an ongoing campaign to silence and eliminate Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations like DCIP,” said Khaled Quzmar, general director at DCIP.”

“Israeli settlers today cut wooden electric poles using chainsaws in Burin town, south of Nablus city, according to a local activist. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors colonial settlement activities in the northern West Bank, confirmed that a group of settlers used chainsaws to chop down six wooden electric poles supplying electricity to a house located on the outskirts of the town, causing power blackout in the area.”

“The murals, part of a multi-site public art project titled “I Witness Silwan,” for which 150 murals are planned, are the result of a decade-long relationship between the Madaa Creative Center, a nonprofit, nongovernmental community arts center based in Silwan, and the US-based Art Forces group, founded and run by Jewish-American artist and clinical psychologist Susan Greene….”People in the neighborhood are very happy about the murals,” Zuheir Rajabi, head of Batan al-Hawa resident’s council and director of the Madaa-Silwan Creative Center, told Al-Monitor. “The murals have had a great impact by bringing positivity and optimism to the neighborhood.”…pHe noted, “Don’t forget that the murals have a message to convey to the world. They reflect the oppression and psychological pressure experienced by the residents of Batan al-Hawa every minute.””

“Palestinian prisoners, particularly those held under administrative detention orders, often resort to hunger strikes to demand the right to due process, instead of the current practice that keeps them in detention for an unlimited period of time over allegations both they and their lawyers are left in the dark about. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS), the number of Palestinians being kept under administrative detention orders currently stands at 540. The 15 hunger strikers alongside Hamed mark an unprecedented number of simultaneous hunger strikes by administrative detainees, with the number of prisoners staging their own protests on the rise.” Also see “Israel tortures Palestinian female prisoners: PLO Group” (Al Anadolu) and “Palestinian women in Israeli prisons keep bonds of friendship alive.” (Al Anadolu)

“Israel will expand Gaza’s fishing zone and allow the import of agriculture, food, electric goods into the Gaza Strip as of Sunday, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced on Thursday night. Other goods for medicine, fishing and international trade will also be transferred to the Strip on Sunday.”

“A Japanese-owned vessel managed by a company run by an Israeli businessman was targeted in an attack off Oman in the Arabian Sea, resulting in the death of two crew members, Zodiac Maritime, the U.K.-based company operating the ship said on Friday….Israeli sources believe an unmanned drone was used in the attack….Over the past six months, there have been increasing attacks on both Israeli- and Iranian-owned ships, which the countries attribute to each other.” Also see “Two crew killed in attack on Israeli-managed tanker off Oman” (Al Jazeera) and “2 crewmen slain in strike on Israeli-operated ship; Jerusalem blames Iran” (Times of Israel)

“The Israeli government is weighing rejoining the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which Israel left in 2019 together with the U.S., Israeli officials tell me. Why it matters: An Israeli return to UNESCO, which promotes the preservation of cultural sites around the world and holds educational programs, could help pave the way for the Biden administration to rejoin the organization — and help fend off criticism from Republicans.”

“Israel’s alleged attacks on Iranian targets in Syria in recent years appear to have run their course and accomplished as much as they can in blocking Iran’s entrenchment there, although its presence there remains. Israel’s eyes are now turning to the starving, divided country on its northern border — Lebanon — which would serve as the most likely launchpad for a future war with Israel. Israel believes that the greater the domestic deterioration in Lebanon, the more destructive will be Hezbollah’s firepower if it opts for war with Israel. Israel’s greatest concern is what it dubs the “precision project,” Hezbollah’s intense ongoing effort to upgrade as many of the rockets in its arsenals as possible into precision missiles, making them strategic weapons as far as Israel is concerned. Israeli intelligence assessments put the number of such adapted rockets at several dozen, a quantity that could increase into the hundreds within two-three years, barring unforeseen developments. This would constitute a strategic tie-breaker, turning the armed Shiite terrorist organization into a force capable of paralyzing Israel for long days in case of a military clash.”

“Amid growing domestic criticism, Abbas is planning to reshuffle the Palestinian government and replace a number of ambassadors and governors. The intrigue: A senior Palestinian official told me the changes would include appointing a new minister of the interior and a new minister of endowments, the officials responsible for the security forces and for religious affairs and Muslim holy sites, respectively.”

“Khalil Shikaki, a political science professor and director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, who has been conducting polls since 1993, told Al Jazeera he has never seen such a high level of frustration with the PA among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. He said Palestinians are dissatisfied with perceptions of PA cooperation with the Israeli occupation, its administration of areas under its control in the West Bank, and its growing corruption and authoritarianism. “There’s a perception that is the PA is essentially accepting the status quo, is lacking the initiative and the resolve to confront Israel, essentially protecting its own interests in keeping the PA alive,” Shikaki said.”

“Israeli spyware company NSO Group has temporarily blocked several government clients around the world from using its technology as the company investigates their possible misuse, a company employee told NPR on Thursday.The suspensions are in response to an investigation by the Pegasus Project, a consortium of media outlets that reported the company’s Pegasus spyware was linked to hacks and potential surveillance of telephones of people including journalists, human rights activists and heads of state….”There is an investigation into some clients. Some of those clients have been temporarily suspended,” said the source in the company, who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity because company policy states that NSO “will no longer be responding to media inquiries on this matter and it will not play along with the vicious and slanderous campaign.””

“The White House raised concerns with Israeli officials about reports that spyware from Israeli firm NSO was used to spy on journalists, human rights activists and opposition figures in several countries around the world, Israeli officials tell me.”

“A Jewish suspect in the brutal mob assault of an Arab man in Herzliya in May was apprehended and charged this week after managing to evade police for over two months. The indictment filed against 22-year-old Shaked Siboni at the Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday included a terror charge, as well as charges of aggravated assault and intentional sabotage of a vehicle.”

“Israel will begin offering a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine to people over the age of 60 starting Sunday, Haaretz reports. Why it matters: Israel will become the first country to begin giving booster shots, per Haaretz. The country will offer doses to those over 60 who received their second dose at least five months ago.” Also see: “Israeli Health Ministry approves covid booster shot for older population” (Washington Post)

“There is no doubt that Netanyahu is the most effective shadow prime minister that Israel has ever seen, and not only because he spent so many years as the actual prime minister. The real reason is that even after he was voted out of office, he still had a huge base of supporters that continued to admire him and would never abandon him. That’s why he has been able to stay so far ahead of the current prime minister in all of the recent polls.”

“Long a symbol of coexistence, Acre Theater is set to reopen its doors for its world-renowned fringe festival in September. But the tense clashes that took place during the Israel-Gaza war still cast a shadow.”

“The Biden administration is set to announce on Friday that it is appointing renowned Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, the highest-ranking public official in the country tasked with combatting anti-Jewish prejudice….Addressing the IHRA definition, Lipstadt told Haaretz earlier this year that “you won’t find right-wing antisemitism there: you won’t find Pittsburgh there; you won’t find Poway there; you won’t find Halle, Germany, there; you won’t find what we saw from some of the groups on January 6 at the Capitol there,” concerning the definition. “If I call someone an antisemite, it should have the sting of a thousand cuts,” she said about the definition’s potential application. “It should never be used lightly, it should never be used frivolously.” Lipstadt also said that arguing over a definition is “not the best expenditure of [the Jewish community’s energy],” saying that “What should be getting our attention is antisemitism coming from different places on the political spectrum.” Lipstadt also acknowledged the “major thrust” of antisemitism is coming from populist groups and QAnon.” Also see: “Deborah Lipstadt, noted Holocaust historian, is Biden’s pick for antisemitism envoy” (JTA)

“The House of Representatives voted last night to approve $3.3 billion in security aid to Israel as part of Congress’s annual appropriations process. Tucked more than 100 pages into the massive Department of State and Foreign Operations spending bill was a new Oversight and Accountability provision governing the way aid is disbursed to American allies. The goal of the new provision, according to the bill, is to ensure that countries that receive military aid from the U.S. use the money in a way that is consistent with U.S. national security policy.”

“Seven Republican senators are seeking to codify import-labeling rules implemented by the Trump administration on products produced in West Bank settlements, Jewish Insider has learned. In November 2020, the Trump administration changed U.S. policy to allow goods produced in some Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be labeled as “Made in Israel.” Under the policy, products created in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of the West Bank were labeled as products of the West Bank, and those produced in the Gaza Strip were marked as such….The new GOP bill, the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act,” would codify the policy change into federal law, blocking any administration from changing it by executive action. The bill, introduced on Tuesday night, is sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Boozman (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Ted Cruz (R-TX).”