“Bahrain will not distinguish between Israeli goods made in Israel proper and those from disputed territories, the country’s minister in charge of trade said Thursday during a visit to Jerusalem. Speaking to Israeli reporters, Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed R. Alzayani said that all goods and services offered by Israelis will be treated as products of Israel, indicating that even goods from the West Bank and the Golan will not require special labels… ‘So we will not go into the details [but] we will recognize them as Israeli products. And all Bahraini products, hopefully, will be recognized in Israel as Bahraini products. I don’t see, frankly, a distinction on which part or which city or which region it was manufactured or sourced from..’” Also see: Bahrain gives free pass to settlements as Palestinians fume (YNet)

“As one approaches the white walls of the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, an amphitheatre-style set of stairs takes one down to the famous Damascus Gate. Business owners carrying large trays atop their heads clamber up and down and women in hijab and men with traditional Palestinian keffiyehs sit along the limestone steps as Israeli soldiers watch them with their guns pressed to their chests. For Palestinians in Jerusalem, Damascus Gate is a site of community, culture and political significance – but in October, the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem erected a sign reading ‘Ma’Alot Hadar VaHadas,’ or ‘Hadar and Hadas Steps’ in Hebrew, after Israeli border police officers Hadar Cohen and Hadas Malka, who were killed in confrontations with Palestinians at Damascus Gate in 2016 and 2017, respectively.”

“On Nov. 15, the Jerusalem Development Authority was planning to meet with potential bidders for the design, building and operation of a cable car in the city. But instead, a legal, political and architectural battle is raging over the project, and the High Court will soon determine its fate.”

“Dozens of Palestinian nonviolent protesters were injured by rubber-coated rounds while others suffocated from teargas today, after Israeli occupation forces attacked them while demonstrating against the colonial Israeli settlements near the town of Salfit, in the center of the occupied West Bank. Israeli occupation soldiers fired rubber-coated rounds and stun grenades at the protesters to disperse them, injuring over 30 protesters and causing many cases of suffocation from gas inhalation.  Mahmoud al-Aloul, Deputy Chairman of ruling Fatah Movement, and Walid Assaf, the Head of the Palestinian Government’s Committee Against Settlements and the Apartheid Wall, were among the protesters who suffocated after being teargased by the Israeli occupation forces.”

“Several Palestinian protestors were injured from Israeli military gunfire as Israeli settlers stormed Joseph’s Tomb in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to security sources. Israeli forces escorted a convoy of buses packed with hundreds of fanatic Jewish settlers into the site, located in the Palestinian-controlled area, sparking confrontations with Palestinian residents. Soldiers opened fire on Palestinians protesting the raid and attempting to block settlers’ access to the site, injuring several protestors with rubber-coated steel bullets and causing dozens others to suffocate from tear gas.”

“Israel fetes country’s decision to become second EU member state to establish official mission in the city; Prague says its positions on peace process remain unchanged.”

“The US government is planning to open an ‘outreach building’ in east Jerusalem to improve relations with Palestinians and east Jerusalem Arabs. Senior US officials said that the office would not be a consulate and would not have the facilities of one. They denied reports circulating in media that there was a plan to open a consulate in east Jerusalem. According to one news report, George Noll, head of the embassy’s Palestinian Affairs Unit, has begun preparations for the reopening of a consulate in east Jerusalem.”

“A Meretz delegation led by party chairman, MK Nitzan Horowitz, and faction chairwoman, MK Tamar Zandberg, conducted a tour of no-go zone area 918 in the southern Hebron Hills together with representatives of radical left organizations Breaking the Silence, B’Tselem and local Arab representatives. The party said ‘an extensive demolition wave [was] underway in Area C.’”

“The United Nations General Assembly approved five pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli resolutions on Wednesday, but all texts passed with less support than in 2019 and Israel interpreted this as a small victory in an otherwise dismal situation. ‘Countries that supported Israel today have understood that this package of resolutions does nothing to forward peace, but serves instead to entrench the Palestinian’s rejectionist position and deepen the conflict,’ Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said.” Also see: Palestinians push series of anti-Israel resolutions at UN (Israel Hayom)

“The Palestinian Authority can pay its 130,000 employees their full salaries for November – for the first time in six months, after receiving from Israel on Wednesday more than $1 billion in tax duties collected on its behalf. It is the first time that the tax revenue has been transferred since June, when the PA halted security cooperation and the monthly financial transfers over Israeli plans, now suspended, to annex parts of the West Bank. The PA announced that it had resumed security cooperation with Israel on November 17.” Also see: Israel transfers $1.14bn in tax revenues to PA (Middle East Monitor); Israel transfers billions to Ramallah, does not deduct for terror stipends (Times of Israel)

“President Mahmoud Abbas tonight issued a decree extending the state of emergency in Palestine for 30 more days starting tomorrow amidst the coronavirus outbreak in the occupied territories. This the ninth month for the state of emergency in the West Bank since the outbreak of coronavirus in Palestine in early March. Also see: Coronavirus Live: Israel Confirms 1,500 New Cases in a Day; Gaza Active Cases at 10,000 (Haaretz)

“Summoning of ambassador comes in response to Czech Republic’s intention to open diplomatic office in occupied Jerusalem.”

“The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories called on Wednesday for a transparent investigation into Israel’s shootings at several Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, causing the children critical injuries, news agencies reported. The UN office confirmed in a statement that the Israeli occupation forces critically injured at least four Palestinian children with live ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets in separate incidents across the occupied West Bank in the past two weeks. All injuries, according to the statement, resulted from the use of potentially lethal force in circumstances where available information suggests that the children did not pose a threat to life nor of serious injury of the soldiers or anyone else.”

“The police’s internal investigations unit has closed its investigation into the serious injury of a 9-year-old boy, who was apparently injured by a sponge-tipped bullet during a raid in East Jerusalem in February. No officers will be charged over the incident in the neighborhood of Issawiya, the unit said.” Also see: 9-year-old Palestinian Was Hit by Police Fire and Lost an Eye. Israel Closed the Case (Haaretz)

“Israel’s 13-year closure of the Gaza Strip along with neglect by Hamas authorities, significantly encumber the day-to-day life of tens of thousands of Palestinians with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Episodes of armed conflict have compounded the barriers that people with disabilities face, which include lack of accessibility of public spaces and widespread stigma. Sweeping Israeli restrictions on the movement of people and goods, at times exacerbated by restrictive policies by Palestinian authorities, curb access to assistive devices, health care, and electricity essential to many people with disabilities. Chronic power outages in particular jeopardize the rights of many people with disabilities who need light to communicate using sign language, or need equipment powered by electricity to move, including elevators and electric mobility scooters.” Also see: Gaza: Life ‘extraordinarily difficult’ for people with disability (Al Jazeera); Israeli blockade of Gaza severely hindering lives of disabled people, says report (Middle East Eye)

“Israeli authorities routinely detain Palestinian children in isolation solely for interrogation purposes, a practice that amounts to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, said Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) in its newly released report. The 73-page report by the rights group, ‘Isolated and Alone: Palestinian children held in solitary confinement by Israeli authorities for interrogation,’ evaluates and details patterns of arrest, detention conditions and interrogation practiced by Israeli authorities. It concludes that the physical and social isolation of Palestinian children for interrogation purposes by Israeli authorities is a practice that constitutes solitary confinement, amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under international law norms.”

“A new report by human rights groups highlights the arbitrary nature and psychological harm of the Israeli army’s home invasions on Palestinian families.”

“Israel must maintain the status quo at the Jerusalem’s al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, a Jordanian representative told the UN General Assembly in advance of the plenum’s vote on five pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel resolutions.Israel is attempting to ‘impose a fait accompli on al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem,’ he said, adding that Jerusalem’s ‘holy sites will remain the focus of Jordanian care and guardianship.’ Jordan will ‘combat a new fait accompli or change the historic or legal status of the holy city especially at the Aqsa Mosque,’ the Jordanian representative said. He spoke in Arabic, and his words were translated by the United Nations into English.”

“Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi is looking to host a summit that brings together Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss peace between the two sides, Russia Today reported, citing Israeli sources. The sources added that Netanyahu was seeking ‘to send positive signals to the new American administration’, noting that the recent anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel had suspended the move.”

“The recent U.S. election results triggered an Israeli response that appeared well-planned. First, Netanyahu sought to paper over his recent history of intense partisanship in American politics, after years of openly siding with Republicans; his deeply polarizing address to the U.S. Congress at the invitation of Republicans during Obama’s presidency was perhaps a pinnacle of this partisanship up to that point, and the trend deepened under the friendship with Trump. Still, following the elections, Netanyahu emphasized his longstanding relationship with Biden, and after a slight pause, congratulated him on victory against the background of Trump’s electoral histrionics. The initial politesse, however, turned out to be only a soft cover for a salvo of messages that followed. Netanyahu quickly began conveying to President-elect Biden and his foreign policy team packed with former Obama staffers how hard he intends to play to maintain the achievements, in Netanyahu’s view, of the Trump years…”

“Israel took a major step toward plunging into its fourth national election in under two years on Wednesday as lawmakers — supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner — passed a preliminary proposal to dissolve parliament. The 61-54 vote came just seven months after the coalition took office following three inconclusive elections in just over a year. Netanyahu’s Likud party and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White said they were seeking national unity to confront the coronavirus crisis. But since then, the rivals have been locked in infighting.”

“Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Thursday issued a call to Blue and White and other parties to join an alliance under his leadership, an offer that was immediately rebuffed by his partner-turned-rival. The call came a day after the centrist Blue and White joined the opposition in supporting Lapid’s motion to dissolve the Knesset and hold new elections — the fourth in two years — in a preliminary vote.” Also see: Lapid Calls on Gantz to Rejoin Forces: ‘There’s No Other Alternative’ to Netanyahu (Haaretz)

“Amir Peretz, Israel’s Economy Minister and head of the Labor party, announced Thursday that he will be running for presidency in 2021. Peretz, who was the Defense Minister during the Second Lebanon War of 2006, made the announcement in an interview with the Army Radio. He said he would make a good fit for the role, a largely ceremonial one in the Israeli political system, due to his ability to foster dialogue between different groups in the Israeli society.”

“The IHRA ‘working definition’ is confusing and divisive. Forcing its adoption will not help protect Jewish students and staff.”

“ECRI has also repeatedly underlined that criticism of Israel cannot be considered per se antisemitic, as long as it is expressed in the same way as criticism against other states. ECRI strongly emphasises that any attempts to misuse the Working Definition and its examples to stifle, or stigmatise as antisemitic, legitimate criticism of Israel and its policies, in particular towards the Palestinian people and in the context of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, will jeopardise efforts to combat antisemitism and should therefore be rejected.”

“The Council of the European Union, which is a key driver of EU policy, ‘invited’ all the bloc’s 27 members to adopt a definition of anti-Semitism that includes anti-Israel vitriol. The invitation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition came in a declaration published Wednesday by the Council, which is made up of cabinet ministers from all the bloc’s member states…” Note: the actual text of Council of EU conclusions – which are not legally binding – invited states to endorse the IHRA definition “as a useful guidance tool in education and training.” Also, nowhere in the conclusions is reference made, directly or indirectly, to the examples that accompany the IHRA definition (and which are the cause of controversy).

“The Norwegian government has decided to ignore the United Nations “blacklist” of companies operating in Israeli settlements and allow a tourism company that appears on the list to provide services to government and other organizations in Norway. The list was published by the UN Human Rights Office in early 2020 and includes 112 Israeli and international companies that operate beyond the Green Line, in the environs of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria.” Also see: In blow to BDS movement, Norway to ignore UN ‘blacklist’ (Israel Hayom)

“On Mike Pompeo’s recent final tour of the Middle East as Secretary of State, he took an additional step among many by the U.S. in recent years to defend Israel on the international stage. This latest was the recognition that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the Jewish state is anti-Semitic. ‘We want to join all the other nations that recognize BDS for the cancer that it is,’ Pompeo said at a press conference in Jerusalem. Supporters of Israel welcomed this gesture, but recent events remind us that the dark heart of BDS still beats relentlessly.”

“Less than a day after Israel’s nation-state law was approved by the Knesset, Haaretz published a commentary by Jonathan Lis addressing its practical significance. ‘The nation-state law is mainly a symbolic measure designed to enshrine national values in a basic law,’ he wrote. Considerable commentary of this nature was heard at the time: Israel is defined as a Jewish state, with all the concomitant discriminatory ramifications. Many sought on that basis to mute criticism of the new law. Others understood that the law, officially legalising apartheid within Israel’s borders, would be more than merely symbolic. Lawyer Hassan Jabareen, founder of the legal defence group Adalah, whose petition against the law has been pending for more than two years, described it nicely to me at the time: If hitherto Arab citizens could turn to the courts for help in fighting discrimination in the name of the law, from now on the legal system itself can validate apartheid, also in the name of the law. A 30 November article in Haaretz proves just how correct Jabareen’s point was, as the Krayot Magistrate’s Court recently cited the nation-state law as grounds to reject a petition from Arab children in Karmiel seeking reimbursement for their bus fares to Arab schools outside the town, since there are no Arab schools in Karmiel.”

“Widad Hasanat wanted to sign her three daughters up for a local public school, prompting a backlash from municipality, which sought to prove the family had trespassed onto their own territory.”