Top news stories from Israel/Palestine: November 27, 2017

What We’re Reading

FMEP in the News

PLO office closure threat could be last straw for Palestinians,

FMEP’s Lara Friedman talks to Al-Monitor about the Trump administration’s decision to allow the PLO mission in Washington, DC to operate as long as it “limit its activities to those related to achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.”

US-Israeli/Palestinian relations

U.S. Says Palestinian Mission in Washington Will Remain Open for at Least 90 Days,

The Trump administration has decided that the Palestinian diplomatic delegation in Washington, D.C. will remain open for at least the next 90 days, but its activity will be limited to actions that support efforts to renew the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Trump Administration Is 'Fed Up' With Israel's Refusal to Build Trust With Palestinians,

An Israeli diplomatic source who is often in the U.S. and meets with Trump’s aides related that there’s disappointment with Netanyahu in Trump’s circles. “They think we stretched the rope too far,” he said. In what way, I asked. “They want us to implement confidence-building measures in relation to the Palestinians, and we say no to every request,” the source replied.

US Amb. David Friedman drops out of Ezra Schwartz memorial ceremony at West Bank outpost,

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman cancelled his participation in a memorial ceremony for Ezra Schwartz, an American citizen killed in a Palestinian terror attack, set to take place in at an illegal West Bank outpost.

Why rebuild homes in the U.S. while destroying homes in Palestine?,

The Jewish Federations of North America support disaster relief at home but human rights abuses in Israel/Palestine. Why don’t they see the contradiction?

Occupation/Human rights

New footage proves police assaulted Arab MK at deadly home demolition,

Police initially denied using force against Ayman Odeh, who was shot in the head and back with sponge-tipped bullets moments after a Bedouin man and a police officer were killed in a tragic incident.

Palestinians to appeal over Israeli settlement teams,

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear an appeal on Monday against FIFA’s response to a complaint Palestinians lodged against the Israeli football league.

Palestinians in Jabal al-Baba protest Israeli expulsion order,

The small village is located in E1, an area in which the U.S. and Europe have long demanded Israel not build new settlements, because doing so would cut the West Bank in two.

Israeli high court postpones demolition of four buildings in East Jerusalem,

The Jerusalem District Court issued an order on Thursday, halting the Jerusalem Municipality’s demolition of five buildings in Kafr Akab.

Government votes to extend Israel National Trail into Jerusalem, West Bank,

Israel’s Cabinet voted to extend the Israel National Trail to Jerusalem and the West Bank. The $2.8 million project approved on Sunday will construct a second trail to include historic sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Israeli politics

Opposition slams police recommendation bill as tailor-made to shield Netanyahu,

Opposition leaders on Monday slammed the advancement of a bill restricting police authority to recommend criminal charges as an attempt to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the corruption probes into his affairs.

Explained: Why many on the Left are furious at new Labor leader Avi Gabbay,

“From vowing never to join forces with Arab political parties to saying there’s no reason to remove settlements, Labor’s new leader has alienated many on the Left in recent months,” writes Joshua Leifer.

Palestinian politics

Parallel legal systems pose threat to Palestinian unity,

Laws and decisions issued separately in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the split will be raised in the upcoming days by the reconciliation committee.

Palestine factions agree presidential and legislative elections,

Palestinian factions said on Wednesday they agreed to hold elections by the end of 2018 and praised the unity deal aimed at ending a long-running dispute between Fatah and Hamas.

PA controls just 5% of Gaza, senior Abbas minister says,

Palestinian Authority Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh on Sunday said the PA government had assumed control of just five percent of the Gaza Strip, ahead of a looming December 1 deadline for the PA to take full control of the enclave as part of the intra-Palestinian reconciliation process.

Gaza

Rafah crossing and the impossibility of leaving Gaza,

After three days of an exceptional opening of Gaza’s only gate to the outside world, the Rafah border crossing, Palestinians are – again – locked up behind the giant concrete walls of the blockade; their only way out is paying the unaffordable bribe for the “coordinated passage”.