Top news stories from Israel/Palestine: January 26, 2018

What We’re Reading

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

Palestinian envoy to US says Trump’s Jerusalem decision was a ‘backstabbing’,

President Donald Trump’s recognition last month of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital amounted to “backstabbing,” the Palestine Liberation Organization envoy to Washington said. Husam Zomlot delivered his first remarks Thursday since the Dec. 6 recognition, addressing the Middle East Institute, a think tank. [FMEP note: You can watch his full speech on the MEI website here.]

Trump: No more aid unless Palestinians talk peace; Jerusalem is ‘off the table’,

In unscripted remarks to the press on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said the US would no longer transfer monetary aid to the Palestinians unless they entered peace negotiations with Israel, and excoriated the Palestinian leadership’s reaction to his decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. [The Palestinian chief peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, responded that “those who say that Jerusalem is off the table are saying that peace is off the table.”]

In swipe at Abbas, Haley says Palestinian leader lacks ‘courage’ for peace,

US Ambassador Nikki Haley took direct aim at Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, telling the United Nations Security Council that he lacks the courage needed for a peace deal.

US said to mull shuttering PLO office in Washington,

The US is reportedly considering shutting down the offices of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington, the de facto embassy of the Palestinian Authority in the US, if Ramallah continues to refuse to take part in peace talks.

Opinion: US-Palestinian rift nothing for Israel to celebrate,

“Israel shouldn’t rejoice over the rift between the United States and the Palestinians as previous US administrations helped repeatedly to ease tensions and end violent clashes,” writes Akiva Eldar.

Occupation/Human rights

‘We’re keeping the holy sites’ in any peace deal, Netanyahu vows,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Thursday that Israel would retain control over Jerusalem’s holy sites in any peace deal, while ensuring “complete religious rights for those of all faiths.” His comments came amid speculation over the content of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

Car torched in East Jerusalem in suspected anti-Arab hate crime,

A car was torched in East Jerusalem overnight Thursday-Friday and “Death to the Arabs” graffiti was found nearby in what police are investigating as a possible anti-Arab hate crime.

UK says funding cut to UNRWA could lead to instability,

A senior British diplomat has backed the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, saying that a cut in US funding could lead to instability in the region.

Support for two states drops below 50% among Jewish Israelis & Palestinians alike,

Given alternatives to a two-state solution, nearly 20 percent of Jewish Israelis said they would opt for a ‘definitive war,’ and nearly 40 percent of Palestinians said they support armed struggle.

BDS and differentiation

New Orleans rescinds human rights resolution celebrated by BDS activists,

The City of New Orleans rescinded a recent resolution, celebrated by anti-Israel activists, that would have prohibited investment with human rights violators.

Gaza

As Gaza approaches ‘famine,’ Israel, rather than world, appears most concerned,

Residents of the Gaza Strip are growing increasingly desperate over food shortages, with some saying it’s only a matter of time before Palestinians march on the Erez crossing that straddles the border with Israel “just out of distress.”

Gaza’s sick, newborns fall victim to power outages,

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering, and some are dying, as the Palestinian reconciliation fails to produce the relief they were promised months ago.