Top news stories from Israel/Palestine: November 6, 2018

What We’re Reading

BDS

After Pittsburgh, Jewish Groups First Fight Is Against BDS — Not White Nationalism,

Just days after the deadliest anti-Semitic massacre in U.S. history, American Jewish establishment groups got one step closer to achieving one of their longstanding policy goals: Passage of a bill that would criminalize some boycotts of Israel.

BDS Poses No Threat, Says Israeli Minister in Charge of Fighting It,

Gilad Erdan invoked Hitler and compared pro-boycott advocates to Nazis in a speech in Tel Aviv to 500 evangelical businesspeople and church leaders.

Israeli politics

Netanyahu says ‘occupation is baloney’ if a country is powerful enough – reports,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told lawmakers in his governing Likud party on Monday that powerful countries can occupy territories and transfer populations without consequence, in an apparent reference to ostensible Arab indifference toward Israel’s control over the West Bank.

Israel lawmakers to debate death penalty for Palestinian 'terrorists',

Palestinians have warned that new death penalty will be aimed at political prisoners.

Knesset bill would punish arts groups deemed disloyal to Israel,

Israel’s Knesset passed on its first vote a cultural loyalty bill, which would allow funds to be withheld from cultural organizations that are deemed disloyal to the state of Israel.

Far-right Otzma Yehudit Party to run in next election,

Otzma Yehudit, which means “Jewish strength,” is seen as an ideological descendant of the outlawed Kach Party of assassinated MK Rabbi Meir Kahane.

Occupation/Human rights

When the occupation dictates your life — and your funeral,

Long before he died in a work accident on an Israeli construction site, Muhamad Barghouth’s life was dictated by the violent whims of military occupation.

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

Zionist Organization of America gives John Bolton ‘Defender of Israel’ award,

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton was presented with the Defender of Israel Award at the Zionist Organization of America’s annual Brandeis Award dinner, held Sunday night in New York.