“Starting from virtually the moment President Trump took office in January 2017, he and his Middle East team began implementing a far-reaching transformation of U.S. policy vis-à-vis Israel and the Palestinians,” writes FMEP’s Lara Freidman. “Their intention: to erase the very assumptions upon which the Oslo peace process, and the consensus the need for a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, are based.”

“In the name of fighting boycotts of Israel, Congress legislated away U.S. recognition of ‘occupation’ and mandated U.S. support for settlements,” writes Lara Friedman.

In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians living near extremist settlements have been seeing a drastic increase in violence. Israeli authorities refuse to take responsibility, while the villagers are left to fend for themselves.

Ahead of the UN Human Rights Council meeting today (Monday, 18 March 2019) on the findings of the UN commission of inquiry into the 2018 Gaza protests, B’Tselem has issued a position paper explaining that Israel’s promise to “investigate” 11 incidents in which protesters were killed is mere propaganda.

The notion that the Palestinians have 22 states to go to is a blend of malice and ignorance: The Palestinians are the stepchildren of the Arab world, no country wants them and no Arab country hasn’t betrayed them.

The IDF Censor prohibited the publication of more news reports last year than in almost any other year this decade. While fewer articles were submitted for review than in previous years, the percentage of stories that were partially or fully censored was significantly higher.

US diplomatic chief Mike Pompeo travels next week to Israel, where he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of Donald Trump’s administration in the midst of a heated re-election campaign.

For a long time, politicians perpetuated the idea that Israel sought peace and a two-state solution, even while taking contradictory steps on the ground. In these elections, that dissonance seems to be dwindling. A look at what each party is saying.

Israel’s Supreme Court voted to disqualify Michael Ben Ari, head of the far-right Jewish Strength or Otzma Yehudit Party from running in national elections over his racism and racist incitement.

A senior Palestinian official said Saturday that the Ramallah-based leadership has asked Egypt to pressure Hamas over the violent suppression of protests during a third day of demonstrations in Gaza against the terror group and the dire economic conditions in the enclave.