VP Pence's Middle East trip
Mike Pence tells Knesset US embassy will move to Jerusalem by end of next year, JTA
Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. Embassy would move to Jerusalem by no later than the end of next year during an address to Israel’s parliament.
U.S. Embassy Invites Israeli Settler Leaders to Attend Pence’s Knesset Speech, Ha'aretz
In a sign of the current administration’s sympathy towards settlers, the personal invitations are being called ‘unprecedented’.
Arab MK calls Pence ‘dangerous, messianic,’ will boycott his Knesset speech, Times of Israel
Arab Israeli lawmakers will boycott Mike Pence’s speech to the Knesset, with the head of a coalition of Arab parties saying Saturday that the US vice president is “dangerous” and has a “messianic vision” that threatens the region.
Pence Asks Egypt, Jordan to Reach Out to Palestinians, Source Says, Bloomberg News
Vice President Mike Pence asked Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and King Abdullah of Jordan to reach out to Palestinian Authority leaders on behalf of the U.S., a person familiar with the matter said.
Jordan’s king delivers pointed remarks to Pence on Jerusalem, Washington Post
In pointed public remarks, Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Vice President Pence on Sunday that he had repeatedly warned Washington about the risks of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and that he hoped the United States would now “reach out” and find the right way to move forward.
Occupation/Human rights
Social media giants feel the heat at Palestinian digital conference, +972 Magazine
At the Palestine Digital Activism Forum, representatives from both Google and Facebook faced a crowd that demanded to know why the two companies cooperate with Israel’s attempts at silencing Palestinians.
Revealed: Shin Bet controlled Arab schools for decades, +972 Magazine
Classified documents reveal how, for years, Israel’s internal security service meddled in Arab society’s education system, firing teachers deemed ‘threats’ and employing Shin Bet agents in the Education Ministry.
Justice will never be the norm under occupation, +972 Magazine
A 15-year-old boy is shot and killed, and the soldiers who shot him — in violation of army regulations — will likely never see the inside of a prison cell.
Israeli Ministers Deliberate on Applying 12 Bills to West Bank Settlements, Ha'aretz
Cabinet ministers began deliberations Sunday on how 12 government-sponsored bills might be applied to West Bank settlements.
‘And then we felt the bulldozers hitting our house’, Ha'aretz
The Israeli army destroyed four homes in Jenin last week, leaving three families homeless, unable to even retrieve important documents and valuables.
Jerusalem’s Palestinians Hold the Key to Israel's Future, Ha'aretz
The real power of the Palestinians lies in the fact that Israel doesn’t know what to do with them.
Palestinian politics
Abbas urges EU to swiftly recognize Palestine, says it will encourage peace, Times of Israel
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday urged the member states of the European Union to “swiftly” recognize the state of Palestine, arguing such a move would preserve the Palestinians’ hope for peace.
Palestinians call general strike to protest Pence visit to Jerusalem, Times of Israel
Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party called for a general strike across “all Palestinian sectors” on Tuesday in response to a United States decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The strike was timed to coincide with the final day of US Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Jerusalem.
Gazans call for strike over collapsing economy, Al Jazeera
Business leaders in Gaza say the economy is on the verge of collapse. With unemployment soaring and sales falling, they have called a strike to highlight their plight.