Top news stories from Israel/Palestine: November 27, 2018

What We’re Reading

BDS and settlement boycotts

Dispute Over Airbnb In West Bank Settlements Shows ADL’s ‘Moral Schizophrenia’,

“Airbnb isn’t boycotting Israel; it’s drawing a line between Israel proper, in which Palestinians enjoy citizenship and the right to vote, and the West Bank, where they enjoy neither,” writes Peter Beinart.

Czech President voices hope embassy will move soon to Jerusalem ,

“I am no dictator, unfortunately, but I promise I will do my best,” he added.

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

USAID to Lay Off Half Its Employees, Close Doors of West Bank and Gaza Operation by 2019,

The United States Agency for International Development announced that half of its employees in the West Bank and Gaza will be let go in the coming weeks and by early 2019, the operations will be completely shut down.

US not delaying peace plan over Israeli government turmoil, ambassador to Israel says,

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, denied reports that the Trump administration is delaying the rollout of its peace plan due to the recent upheaval in Israel’s government.

Occupation/Human rights

New settlements planned in the heart of the West Bank,

The Israeli government on Sunday approved a map of “national priority” areas, including a number of settlements in the heart of the occupied West Bank.

IDF to destroy home of Palestinian teen who killed American-Israeli activist Ari Fuld,

The Israel Defense Forces will demolish the home of the Palestinian teen who stabbed and killed American-Israeli activist Ari Fuld outside a West Bank shopping mall.

The kids ask: ‘Why do we suddenly have electricity?’,

Fuel purchased with Qatari funding for Gaza’s only power plant has significantly increased Gaza’s power supply.

In Jerusalem's Silwan, Palestinians fear looming ethnic cleansing,

Despite living in their homes for decades, Israel is set to evict hundreds of Palestinian residents from a historic neighborhood of the city.

The Israeli army is putting humanitarian workers at risk in Gaza,

According to the Israeli media, the soldiers who took part in a botched intelligence operation in Khan Younis earlier this month were dressed up as humanitarian workers. If the details are true, it could put countless people in danger.

Israeli politics

The 2018 Jerusalem Municipal Elections: Highlights & Lessons,

In the run-up to the 2018 municipal elections in Jerusalem, there was unprecedented speculation regarding both possible Palestinian participation in the voting, and the likely impact of the election results on the Palestinian sector in East Jerusalem. The smoke has now cleared, and it is possible to examine what the actual election results disclosed.

Palestinian politics

Did PA receive Saudi reward for its support?,

On Nov. 15, the Palestinian presidency praised the measures Saudi Arabia had taken regarding the Khashoggi case and reiterated its confidence in the Saudi judiciary.