Top news stories from Israel/Palestine: January 22, 2019

What We’re Reading

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

Time to Break the Silence on Palestine,

“And so, if we are to honor King’s message and not merely the man, we must condemn Israel’s actions: unrelenting violations of international law, continued occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, home demolitions and land confiscations,” writes Michelle Alexander.

Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism: But disentangling them can be tricky,

“The fact that many wrongs have been done to Jews in the past — and I say this as a Jew who personally experienced a hate crime — does not excuse the suffering that the Israeli government and individual Israelis, have inflicted against the Palestinian people,” writes Matthew Rozsa.

Opinion: The hypocrisy of anti-BDS laws is a slap in the face of Palestinians,

“When elected officials say they oppose BDS, what they are really saying is they oppose [advocating for human rights and social justice] — and would even outlaw constitutionally protected freedom of expression — only because the targets are institutions complicit in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights,” writes Yousef Munayyer.

US aid cuts hit Palestinians, further dimming hope for peace,

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are no longer getting food aid or basic health services from America, U.S.-funded infrastructure projects have been halted, and an innovative peace-building program in Jerusalem is scaling back its activities.

Occupation/Human rights

Israel to shut UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem,

Israel’s National Security Council decided to revoke permits allowing UNRWA schools in the city’s Palestinian neighborhood to operate, starting next school year, Israel’s Hadashot TV news reported Saturday.

Gaza's superbug epidemic: Bacteria without borders,

While Palestinians have long suffered a disproportionate share of the world’s injustices, the superbug epidemic will hardly remain confined to Gaza.

Palestinian rights activist wins legal fight over 'terrorism' database,

The head of a leading Palestinian lobby organisation has won a legal fight over his listing on the World-Check financial database which falsely linked him to terrorism.

Israeli politics

‘Only the strong survive’: Gantz’s new campaign videos laud his IDF bona fides,

The ex-army chief boasts how many terrorists were killed on his watch.