Top news stories from Israel/Palestine: February 21, 2019

What We’re Reading

FMEP in the News

Bernie Sanders pushed the Democrats left on Israel in 2016. Has he become the party’s mainstream?,

“Before the last presidential campaign, it was an article of faith that no candidate of any serious stature would go near Israel-Palestine,” said Lara Friedman, director of the Foundation for Middle East Pace. Sanders showed, she said, that “you can engage politically on this issue in a way that differs from the orthodoxy that has defined where politicians can go. Not only does it not hurt you, it makes you stronger as a candidate.”

Israeli politics

Netanyahu’s election rivals merge as Israeli leader makes pact with extreme right,

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under mounting criticism Thursday for making a pact with an extreme far-right political party, while his two main rivals in upcoming elections pledged to run on a joint ticket out of “national responsibility.”

Tzipi Livni couldn’t save Israel because Israel doesn’t want to be saved,

Without Livni, the upcoming Knesset will be almost entirely bereft of Jewish Israelis whose chief political aim is ending the occupation.

Ahead of key deadline, Arab parties haven’t reached deal to revive Joint List,

The four major Arab-majority factions have still not reached an agreement to run again on a joint list for the upcoming Knesset elections, officials said, a day before the Thursday deadline for declaring election slates.

Occupation/Human rights

The Escalation of Israeli Collective Punishment of Palestinians,

Israel has used collective punishment against Palestinians since the military occupation began in 1967 through home demolitions and psychological and economic warfare against the families of alleged attackers – a violation of international law.

Netanyahu pretends occupation does not exist,

How does a state that boasts of being a democracy deal with its continued control of another people? There are various ways.

25 years on, Palestinians mourn Hebron mosque killings,

West Bank residents mark anniversary attack on Ibrahimi Mosque which deepened divisions and rent city.

Palestinian politics

Abbas won’t accept Palestinian tax revenues collected by Israel,

The move announced Tuesday came after Israel said Sunday it would not distribute part of the revenues, amounting to more than $138 million, because the Palestinian Authority pays terrorists’ families, The Times of Israel reported.