In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with journalists Basel Adraaand Yuval Abraham about the conditions of life in Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills of the West Bank, and how things have changed – and gotten far worse – since the May 2022 Israeli Supreme Court decision that authorized the IDF to expel communities in Masafer Yatta. Basel and Yuval co-authored “The Destruction of This Palestinian Community Was Green-Lighted by Israel’s Supreme Court,” the cover article in last week’s The Nation magazine (July 10, 2023 edition). In the article, Basel and Yuval write “The mass expulsion of Masafer Yatta’s residents has not yet been carried out, but the lives of all the people of these villages have changed beyond recognition in the months since the ruling. Soldiers have begun detaining children at impromptu checkpoints they’ve erected in the middle of the desert under the cover of night; families watch as bulldozers raze their homes with increasing frequency; and, right next to the villages designated for expulsion and demolition, soldiers are already training with live fire, racing tanks, and detonating mines.” Their article is a joint project of The Nation, +972 Magazine, and Local Call/Sikha Mekomit.

1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2. Hearings & Events
3. Herzog in DC
4. Media & Reports
5. Members on the Record

1. Settlers Move In After Israel Forcibly Evicts Ghaith-Sub Laban Family
2. Israel Starts Planning New East Jerusalem Settlement Enclave Via Weaponization of the Land Registration Process
3. Settlers Takeover Another Palestinian Home on Shuhada Street in Hebron, Potentially with IDF Help
4. Settlers Lead State-Backed Archaeological “Excavation” in Area B
5. Government Admits it Deliberately Permitted Illegal Construction at Homesh Outpost
6. Bonus Reads

“Attacks by Israeli soldiers on Palestinian medics, and interference with their access to the wounded, have more than quadrupled in the first half of 2023, according to Antar’s employer, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The Red Crescent said Israeli soldiers have physically assaulted medics, targeted their ambulances with live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, and blocked crews from accessing the injured or getting them to the hospital. The group said it recorded 193 incidents through June, up from 47 cases in the same period last year, a jump of over 300 percent and surpassing the 2022 total…The Red Crescent said it filed complaints on several of the recent incidents with Israel Defense Forces. The cases typically disappear, Palestine Red Crescent Society President Younis al-Khatib said. “We send them to military investigators, but we don’t hear back,” said Khatib, a physician.” See also West Bank medics given bulletproof vests after rise in attacks by Israeli forces (Guardian)

“Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian and wounded three others in Nablus on Thursday morning, shortly after settlers stormed Joseph’s Tomb in the occupied West Bank city. …Israeli forces entered eastern parts of the city in the early hours of Thursday morning after confrontations broke out when Israeli settlers stormed the religious site…Israeli forces targeted an ambulance with rubber-coated metal bullets while it was transporting a patient near Balata refugee camp in Nablus on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.” See also Israeli army fire kills Palestinian man while escorting settlers into Nablus shrine (New Arab)

in particular since the swearing in of the current Israeli government. What were once isolated events have become a trend that is forcing members of local Christian communities to reconsider their attitude toward the state and its institutions. The Israeli government’s response to the attacks and harassment against Christians ranges from weak to non-existent, despite the profound consequences not only for local Christians’ stance toward Israel, but also for the ties between Israel and Christian communities around the world.”

“The Sub Labans lost their home of several decades after being forced out by Israel at the start of the month. Willem Marx recounts the story of the eviction, and the push to force Palestinians out.” See also “Now it is Happening to My Family”: The Dispossession of Palestinians from the Old City of Jerusalem (July 2023 podcast with FMEP non-resident fellow Rabea Eghbariah speaks with Rafaat Sub Laban, Palestinian human rights attorney whose parents were evicted from their home in the Old City of Jerusalem)

“Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister and minister in the Defense Department, said at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that he is working on a plan that would allow Israel to demolish buildings deemed to be “national security threats” in areas A and B of the West Bank – lands which are under Palestinian Authority control. Smotrich’s plan signals a shift in Israel’s policy with regard to enforcing construction violations in the West Bank, which, in accordance with the Oslo Accords, was carried out only in Area C until now.”

“The Israeli army detained +972 reporter Basel Adra as he covered a settler attack in Masafer Yatta. Here, he recounts his ordeal…“I was not asked once about the settler attack on Mufagara, and no official investigation was conducted. I didn’t see a single police officer. After a few hours in the sun, the soldiers took me to the jeep, dropped me off at the entrance to Mufagara, and left. If you wonder how this happens, the answer is simple: because of the laws of military occupation. I was never once given the opportunity to vote for the authority that has control over nearly every aspect of my life. Everything here is under the control of people who cover their faces, carry weapons, and wear military uniforms.”” See also Israeli Forces Blindfold & Handcuff Palestinian Reporter Who Filmed Settler Attack in Masafer Yatta (Democracy Now interview with Basel Adraa); Settlers Invade Private Land. The Palestinian Owners Are Arrested. Another Illegal Outpost Is Born (Haaretz); How settlers justify their pogroms (+972); Israel approved record number of housing units in illegal settlements, says Peace Now (Middle East Eye)

Also from Basel Adraa: Deprivation of Water (Humans of Masafer Yatta): “Ali Suliman, a shepherd, owns agricultural land in the village of Thala: “The settlers control our crops and water right under our eyes, in the presence of the army and police who say one thing (go complain), but to no avail on the land. The settler has the power and the word in the field”)

“I’d like to highlight the tropes that Netanyahu is playing into—racial tropes that have constructed Palestinians as terrorists. In reality, all the fighters in Jenin have are hand guns, improvised explosive devices, and Molotov cocktails. They can’t annihilate much with that.The real issue is that Israel has no right to self-defense against the territory and the people that it occupies. According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, it has a duty and a responsibility to protect those people until the reversion to a status quo ante that preceded hostilities, meaning until sovereignty is returned to the Palestinians. Of course, Israel denies that this is applicable, because it denies that Palestinians are a people, and so they say there is no sovereign to whom to revert.” See also Excessive Force: A Legal Analysis of Israel’s Operation in Jenin Refugee Camp (Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre); Tunnels under Jenin camp: How Palestinian fighters fooled Israel (Al Jazeera); ICC to launch online platform for individuals to file complaints against Israeli perpetrators of war crimes (WAFA)

“To make sure that Biden’s position is crystal clear to all Israelis, he invited me to the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon and gave me a statement — unprecedented on this issue — expressing his respect for how the “enduring” protests in Israel are demonstrating the “vibrancy of Israel’s democracy.”…Biden is now deeply worried for the stability and future of Israel, America’s most important Middle East ally and a country for which he wears his affection on his sleeve. His message to the Israeli prime minister and president could not have been clearer: Please stop now. Don’t pass anything this important without a broad consensus, or you are going to break something with Israel’s democracy and with your relationship with America’s democracy, and you may never be able to get it back.” See also Biden invites Netanyahu to meet in U.S. amid rift over judicial changes (WaPo) and The waning days of the ‘special relationship’ (Meron Rapoport, +972: “The White House will not cut aid to Israel or stop cooperation overnight, but the day America treats Israel like any other country is nearer than we think.”); Biden extends invite to Israel’s Netanyahu to visit US (Al Monitor)

“Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, hailing the “sacred bond” between Washington and Jerusalem and stressing the alliance’s historical — and immovable — importance, a day after lawmakers bickered openly about what language is permitted when criticizing one of America’s longest-standing partnerships. Herzog stuck to familiar themes in a speech that lasted about 40 minutes and included numerous religious and biblical references. He cast Israel as both a resolutely Jewish state and one “founded on complete equality” and pluralism, and emphasized the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, even amid “great disagreements” — some of which he likened to antisemitism. Herzog’s visit to Washington, which included a meeting with President Biden on Tuesday, comes amid months of simmering unrest on multiple fronts in the Jewish state.” See also this analysis from Khaled Elgindy (Twitter): “Herzog talks about Israel yearning for peace with “Palestinian neighbors” — but never once mentions Israel’s main mode of interacting w/Palestinians – its 56 yr occupation. Palestinians are not Israel’s neighbors. They don’t live next to Israel but 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 it. Israelis have luxury of ignoring Pal’s while Pal’s cannot ignore Israelis. Soldiers & settlers shape every aspect of their lives—from where they can go to how much water they have etc.”

“At least six progressive Democrats boycotted Israel’s President Isaac Herzog’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, hours after the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a highly politicized Republican resolution meant to divide Democrats after Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal deemed Israel a “racist state.” Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush and Nydia Velazquez are the six lawmakers to confirm skipping on political grounds, while several other notable progressive critics did not attend due to what they described as scheduling conflicts.”See also Why progressives like AOC are right to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog (Peter Beinart, The Guardian); Herzog Washington visit sets off demonstrations throughout Capitol Hill (New Arab)

“The US and Israel announced on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement for Jerusalem to ease travel restrictions for Palestinian-Americans, paving the way for Israel’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), but the text of the deal obtained by The Times of Israel revealed that US citizens in Gaza will not be granted the significant benefits that their American peers living in the West Bank and around the world will be able to enjoy. Unlike all other US citizens, Americans based in Gaza will be ineligible for 90-day permits to enter Israel, according to the agreement signed Wednesday by Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog and US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides. This is the key benefit that the Biden administration secured for US citizens in the West Bank, who will be also be able to use Ben Gurion Airport — Israel’s primary international airport — for the first time beginning on Thursday. The limitations for US citizens based in Gaza appear to violate the Biden administration’s pledge to ensure “equal treatment” for all US citizens traveling to a country that is a member of the VWP “regardless of national origin, religion, or ethnicity” — a commitment that was also included in Wednesday’s bilateral agreement, titled “Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the state of Israel and the government of the United States of America on extension of reciprocal privileges and the Visa Waiver Program…The new guidelines for US citizens in the West Bank and Gaza will come into place on Thursday. The US will then monitor Israel’s compliance with the guidelines over the following six weeks and make a determination as to whether to admit Israel into the VWP by September 30.” See also Israel signs deal with US to join visa waiver program (Al Monitor)

Also see this Twitter thread from the Arab American Institute: “The US-Israel #VisaWaiver MOU is an outrage. It is an insult to Arab Americans, including Palestinian Americans, given Israel’s decades of discriminatory entry/exit treatment…For months Biden Admin officials held that Israel, like all other 40 countries in the program, must meet the statutory requirements including reciprocity before being admitted. With this MOU, they have disregarded the legal requirements of joining the VWP to Israel’s benefit. A trial period is being instituted to see if Israel can comply with the law and NOT discriminate against us like they have been doing for 4+ decades. We have been tracking violations for years and their discrimination against our community is the norm, not the exception. By admitting Israel into the VWP in violation of statutory requirements, the Biden Admin will choose to abandon the rights of Arab American citizens to give Israel a political perk. This decision is an egregious breach of responsibility owed by the US gov’t to its citizens.”

“Nine progressive House Democrats on Tuesday voted against a resolution declaring that Israel is neither a racist nor an apartheid state. The resolution, which passed by an overwhelming 412-9-1 margin, was hastily put on the floor by House Republicans after Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Israel a “racist state” at an event in Chicago over the weekend. Jayapal has since walked back the remarks, saying that the “idea of Israel as a nation” is not racist while emphasizing that Israel’s government has “engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies.” House Democratic leadership issued a statement on Sunday declaring that Israel is “not a racist state,” while a group of 43 House Democrats released a statement on Tuesday saying they were “deeply concerned” about Jayapal’s “unacceptable comments.”…The one-page resolution, sponsored by Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, states that Israel is “not a racist or apartheid state,” that Congress “rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia,” and that the US will “always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.”…Altogether, these 9 House Democrats voted against the resolution: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York; Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana; Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts; Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri; Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois; Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota; Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York; Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan; Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania; Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota voted “present.”” See also In Congress, Democrats’ Rift Over Israel Flares on Eve of Herzog Visit (NYT); Israel ‘not a racist’ state, US House resolution proclaims (Al Jazeera); Statement from Rep. Jayapal (D-WA): “I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist. I do, however, believe that Netayahu’s extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government.”  

“Last weekend, Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who is chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, made a significant political error. She called Israel a “racist state,” instead of simply a state that has racist leaders who treat many of the people under their authority as second-class citizens or worse on account of their ethnic and religious background. Her rhetorical misstep generated international headlines and rebukes from Democrats and Republicans alike, demonstrating that, no matter how far Israel veers from liberal democratic norms, when it comes to American politics, it’s still protected by a thick lattice of taboos…But the rush to condemn her offhand remarks is not about encouraging linguistic rigor. It’s about raising the political price of speaking about Israel forthrightly.” See also It’s the Republicans, not the Democrats, who are radical on Israel (Ishaan Tharoor//WaPo)

“Polls this year have shown that the gap between the American public and those elected to represent them is widening when it comes to U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly among Democrats. This year, for the first time, an annual Gallup survey found that Democrats’ sympathies lie more with Palestinians than Israelis by a margin of 49% to 38%. The survey found that sympathy toward Palestinians among U.S. adults is at a new high of 31%, while the proportion not favoring either side is at a new low of 15%. That’s a remarkable shift from only a decade ago, when sympathy toward Palestinians stood at just 12%. During that same period, sympathy toward Israelis has declined from 64% to 54%…A new poll published on the eve of Herzog’s address found that, in the absence of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, three-quarters of Americans would choose a democratic Israel that is no longer Jewish over a Jewish Israel that denies full citizenship and equality to non-Jews…But this disquiet has yet to manifest itself within Washington—a reality that was best exemplified in recent days by the uproar over comments made by Rep. ​​Pramila Jayapal, the Democratic chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who came under fire for referring to Israel as a “racist state.”” See also See also How do Americans feel about Zionism, antisemitism, and Israel? (Shibley Telhami//Brookings)

“Herzog is a fig leaf, putting a kinder, gentler face on Israeli apartheid and the most extreme government in Israel’s history…In their invitation to Herzog, Sen. Schumer and Speaker Pelosi referred to the founding of Israel as a “historic and joyous milestone” to be celebrated. They fail to acknowledge that exclusive Zionist sovereignty necessitated the ethnic cleansing of three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homeland to make way for a Jewish majority state, known to Palestinians as the Nakba (catastrophe), and that their systematic erasure continues into the present. The ongoing Nakba and the massive suffering it inflicts on Palestinians is nothing to be celebrated. Herzog might be considered a moderate by the right-wing standards of Israeli politics, but that says little. He does not even oppose the West Bank settlement enterprise, considered illegal by international diplomatic consensus and now up for scrutiny as a war crime before the International Criminal Court. Congress should be discussing measures of accountability, rather than normalizing the apartheid of our time.”

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech on Thursday, in which he defended overturning the so-called reasonableness standard, saying that it will “strengthen democracy.” His remarks come after the Knesset’s Law, Constitution and Justice Committee cleared the way for two final votes on overturning the reasonableness standard, a key part of the Netanyahu government’s overhaul of Israel’s judiciary. Those final two votes are scheduled to take place next Monday. If the bill passes, it will deprive courts of the power to overturn government decisions that it deems unreasonable….”All of these statements about the destruction of democracy are simply absurd,” the prime minister said. “It’s an attempt to scare people about something that has no basis in reality.” He continued, “amending the reasonableness standard will only strengthen democracy, and certainly not endanger it. What will endanger democracy is refusal to serve in the military.” For an explainer on the “reasonableness standard” see: Explained: How Israel’s Top Court Could Lose a Key Power to Rein in the Government (Haaretz)

“In Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and other locales, protesters take to the streets after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the judicial overhaul in a televised speech” See also Israeli Reservists Threaten Mass Resignations if Judicial Plan Proceeds (NYT); Israelis Protest Netanyahu’s Judicial Overhaul (NYT Video); Israeli police arrest dozens of protesters on ‘day of disruption’ (Al Jazeera); Israeli doctors hold ‘warning strike,’ caution that judicial overhaul threatens health care system (AP); ‘Day of Resistance’ | Police Violently Disperse Protesters, Deploy Water Cannons After Hundreds Block Tel Aviv Highway (Haaretz); From Times of Israel: Protesting overhaul, hundreds join growing list of reservists ending volunteer duty; ‘Won’t serve dictatorship’: Reservists to suspend volunteer duty over legal shakeup; Ex-Shin Bet chief justifies army reservists’ refusal to serve: ‘Overhaul is a coup’; Former AG: Coalition’s bill is a ‘coup,’ would ‘crush’ judiciary and cause ‘tyranny’; Ex-Mossad chief Pardo says Netanyahu should be put on trial if legal overhaul passes; 

“Anger has spread across the occupied Palestinian territories following the arrest of a prominent journalist by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces…The arrest came after he published a short video disputing a claim made by the spokesperson of the Palestinian security services that there were no political detainees in their prisons…The issue of political detention is a sore point among many Palestinians, alongside general criticism of the Palestinian security services in the occupied West Bank. Asmaa Harish, a human rights campaigner and journalist, said that 40 detainees were being held by the Palestinian security services on political grounds. She added that more than 300 cases of political arrests had been recorded since the beginning of 2023 in the occupied West Bank, including university students, journalists and activists.”

“A whopping 58 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip suffer from symptoms of depression, and 7 percent show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, a survey by the World Bank found. Depression was more common among Gazans, with 71 percent exhibiting symptoms, compared to 50 percent of West Bank residents. But West Bank residents were more likely to show signs of PTSD…The World Bank billed the survey as a pioneering effort to determine the cumulative effects on mental health of exposure to conflict and poor living conditions, including movement restrictions. But the impact of trauma is exacerbated by economic distress, high unemployment and the lack of job prospects, the researchers said.” See also The intersection of economic conditions, trauma and mental health in the West Bank and Gaza (World Bank Blogs)

“With most people only getting around 10 hours of electricity a day, keeping cool has been a challenge. The constant power cuts have also had a knock-on effect on businesses, medical facilities and the wider economy. The temperatures, which have surpassed 38C, are starting to cause discontent and anger, as people struggle to complete daily tasks without proper electricity.”

“In an effort to counter the PA’s decline, its security forces are attempting to reassert control over parts of Jenin and Nablus in the aftermath of Israel’s recent incursions. But the process may further compromise the PA’s legitimacy. Not only did the Israeli army operation, which was coordinated with the PA to prevent a clash between Israeli and PA forces, reveal the PA’s inability and unwillingness to defend its own people—now, to show that it is still in control, the PA will need to crack down on the young militants who have taken up the banner of armed resistance to Israel’s occupation, doubly undermining it in the eyes of Palestinians. “It looks like the PA is returning to Jenin on the back of Israeli tanks,” Elgindy said. “That’s not going to do anything to help their already extremely low credibility.””

“The Israeli prime minister office confirmed the invitation in a statement on Wednesday evening. “The invitation was extended in a warm personal letter in which the king thanked the State of Israel for its willingness to recognize the Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.” … Relations between the two countries were renewed in 2020 in the framework of the Abraham Accords normalizing ties between Israel and Arab countries. At the time, the Trump administration agreed to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, but Israeli recognition was not part of the deal. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded in a variety of fields such as diplomacy, trade, security, technology, culture and more.” See also Work on Israel-Saudi land bridge has begun, Israeli Foreign Ministry confirms (Al Monitor); Algeria: Israel backing Morocco sovereignty over Western Sahara ‘illegal’ (Times of Israel); Netanyahu to meet Erdogan in Turkey next week, first such visit in 15 years (Times of Israel)

“The construction of a road in southern Lebanon near Israeli territory led to clashes on Thursday as tension with militant group Hezbollah escalates on the border. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that locals in southern Lebanon town of Kfarchouba tried to approach the Israeli border on Thursday. They also used a bulldozer to create a road in response to Israeli construction in the area. Israel fired smoke bombs at the Kfarchouba residents after they approached the border, according to the agency.”

“European Union representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff parachuted off the coast of the besieged Gaza Strip at the end of his term, in a rare display of solidarity aimed at drawing attention to the Palestinian enclave.” See also ‘First Gaza paraglider in history’: Israel slams EU envoy who soared over Gaza coast to draw focus to blockade (New Arab)