Israel’s controversial settlements regulation bill
February 9, 2017
As readers will probably be aware, on Monday night the Israeli Knesset passed a very controversial law, known as the “Regulation Law” which retroactively allows residents of housing units in the West Bank “outposts” – settlements built without government permission – to stay in their homes if it is discovered their homes are inadvertently built on privately-owned Palestinian land. The landowners are to receive compensation rather than the evacuation of the land by the Israeli residents, as Israeli courts had previously ordered.
The Amona evacuation and Israel’s settlement announcements
February 3, 2017
This Update is devoted to exploring the link between recent Israeli announcements about new construction in West Bank settlements and the dramatic evacuation of the West Bank outpost of Amona yesterday, which led to scenes that many Israelis found traumatic (a gallery of images from the evacuation is here). Another theme is the link between Israeli policy toward West Bank settlements and Israeli relations with the new Trump Administration in Washington, which yesterday issued a statement cautioning Israel against announcing new settlements or expanding the boundaries of existing ones. Finally, following up on the recent Update on “Jerusalem and future peace hopes”, we offer an interesting piece on Arab reactions to any plans to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, as promised by Trump.
When historical facts become unacceptable – the effects of UNESCO Resolutions on Jerusalem
February 2, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
“It’s clear as the sun is clear that the Temple [in Jerusalem] which was demolished by the Romans, is a Jewish temple.”
Seems straightforward, doesn’t it?
Yet, in today’s post-truth world, such historical facts are no longer acceptable in some official Palestinian circles.
Fatah and Hamas announce unity – for at least the eighth time
February 1, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
In recent weeks, much has been reported about a proposed Fatah-Hamas unity government. “Fatah and Hamas to form unity government” reads the headline from Al-Jazeera. However, this headline falls short on two accounts. First, this new reconciliation attempt is only the latest of multiple similar reconciliation attempts – we count eight previous times in all, below. Second, it is very unclear that any real and meaningful reconciliation agreement has in fact been reached this time round.
How the Middle East has reacted to Trump
January 27, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
President Trump’s first days in office have been met with a wide range of responses from Israel and the broader Middle East.
ABC crosses the line on settlements again
January 27, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
Over the course of several years, I’ve blogged on several occasions about how the Australian media has exaggerated on a variety of issue related Israeli settlements in the West Bank (see here, here and here). Now, the ABC has provided some classic examples of such distortion with recent stories and an analysis piece that appeared on their website in recent days.
Jerusalem and future peace hopes
January 25, 2017
This Update looks at the debate over plans by the new Trump Administration in Washington to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – though it now says nothing has yet been finally decided on this – and especially examines claims that such a move will be inimical to hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
The Paris peace conference
January 17, 2017
This Update looks at the outcome of the French-organised conference on Israeli-Palestinian peace that took placed in Paris on Sunday. The dozens of states participating in the conference issued a declaration urging the parties resume negotiations, but making a number of other points, which you can read here. The Israeli government, which had been opposed to the conference (see Israeli PM Netanyahu’s statement about it here), appears to be relieved that the outcome was relatively innocuous compared to the recent UN Security Council Resolution 2334, while both Britain and Australia distanced themselves from the final declaration. Below is some analysis of the conference and its significance.
Hanan Ashrawi’s problems with truth and consistency
January 13, 2017 | Gareth Narunsky
Last year, I accompanied a group of journalists on a study tour of Israel and the West Bank. One of our engagements was a meeting in Ramallah with Palestinian spokeswoman and founder of the organisation Miftah, Hanan Ashrawi.
