Topic: West Bank

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Israeli Oscar contenders force citizens to confront uncomfortable questions

Two Israeli documentary films nominated for Oscars, 'The Gatekeepers' and '5 Broken Cameras,' raise difficult questions about the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Palestinian textbooks fall short where they are most needed - introducing 'the other'

A new study indicates that Palestinian textbooks, and their Israeli counterparts, do little to address how segregated the two societies are.
Bright spot in Palestinian economy: more women opening businesses

Female entrepreneurs are finding creative ways to carve out a niche for themselves in the marketplace, boosting the economy as well as their confidence and independence.
Global News Blog In West Bank, a space for tutus and pirouettes

Ramallah Ballet Center owner Shyrine Ziadeh decided not to leave the West Bank to study dance, but instead opened a space to cultivate talent and hope among local youth.
'The Gatekeepers' is an eye-opening look at Israel's past – and possibly its future

'The Gatekeepers' focuses on six of the surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli domestic counterterrorism agency, and their memories of dark days.
UN report: Israel's 'creeping annexation' of territory is illegal

The new UN Human Rights Council report, though not legally binding, declared that Israeli expansion into Palestinian-claimed territory is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Opinion The fall and rise of Chuck Hagel: a good sign for US-Israel relations

Chuck Hagel, President Obama's controversial nominee for secretary of Defense, faces his Senate confirmation hearing today. His rise after a wave of objections is a welcome sign that 'daylight' between US and Israeli policies may be becoming more politically acceptable in Washington.
What does the world expect from newly confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry?

From France to Pakistan to China, many have voiced expectations that John Kerry's vast experience and diplomatic skill will be a boon to dealing with international crises and issues.
Obama makes Page 1 in Israel ahead of elections, after US columnist quotes

Comments by Obama on Netanyahu published by Bloomberg columnist track ongoing disagreements between the two leaders over settlements and military action on Iran. But contretemps unlikely to cut into Netanyahu's large poll margins ahead of Jan. 22 elections.
Gulf between Israel's female powerhouses highlights country's deepest tensions

A progressive feminist from the left went head-to-head with a hawkish Orthodox Jew from the right in a debate last night – and they had little in common beyond their gender.
Israeli elections: The 5 candidates steering the debate

Israeli elections will be held Jan. 22.
Robert Reich Chuck Hagel vs. the neocons

That the neocons hate Chuck Hagel is the best sign yet that he may be the right person for the job, Reich writes.
Israel removes Palestinian protest settlement

Palestinians set up the Bab Al-Shams village two days ago in the sensitive E1 area, pointedly mirroring a tactic used by some Israeli settlers to establish facts on the ground.
Netanyahu closes roads to Palestinian tent site

Territorial disputes continue between the Israelis and Palestinians over an area of the West Bank known as E-1. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu closed roads leading to a Palestinian tent site in preparation for evacuation.
Critics of Likud's new vanguard say party has abandoned founder's ideals

Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was an ardent nationalist – and a staunch defender of civil rights. Likud critics say today's party is discarding the liberal aspects of Begin's legacy.
Opinion Israel's 'self-defense' argument against Hamas holds no water

Israel's ceasefire with Hamas is holding, but unless Israel completely lifts its blockade and includes Hamas in two-state negotiations, renewed rocket attacks from Gaza are likely. Should that happen, Israel would not be justified in arguing self-defense.
Poll: Spike in Palestinian support for military operations against Israel

Spurred by the recent Gaza conflict, continued settlement expansion, and a stalled peace process, Palestinian support for a military operation against Israel has jumped 20 percentage points in a year.
Readers Write: Obamacare should keep religious exemption narrow. What has Obama done for Palestinians?

Letters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of Dec. 31, 2012: The religious exemption to Obamacare's contraceptive mandate should remain narrow, so few groups have the right to deny employees insurance coverage for contraception. President Obama should stop support for Israel's West Bank takeover and bring US foreign policy in line with American democratic principles.
Focus Obama's pivot to Asia? Middle East will still demand attention in 2013.

The popular unrest of the last two years has left the Middle East volatile as 2013 kicks off.
Focus In 2013, possibilities for stability from Somalia to South China Sea

Policymakers in many of the world's hot spots have a common New Year's wish: for unity to usher in and consolidate political and economic stability.
Can you invest in Middle East peace?

There are ways to invest in the economies of Israel and the Palestinian territories, separately – and women's progress in the Middle East, indirectly. But investing in the Middle East is not for the faint of heart.
Opinion Israel's settlement push kills two-state solution, leaving Palestinians few options

Israel's settlement construction in the E1 corridor and East Jerusalem sends a clear message. Unless President Obama stands up to Israel, he and Benjamin Netanyahu should not be surprised if Palestinians charge them with the death of the two-state solution and seek other paths.
Ban Ki-moon, UN Security Council slam Israel on settlements

The UN chief and every Security Council member other than the US, which remained silent, denounced on Wednesday Israel's plans to expand its settlements.
Israel moves to further seal off Jerusalem from West Bank

Israeli officials approved plans for 2,612 homes on Givat HaMatos, a hill between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Critics say the move would so fragment Palestinian areas that drawing borders of a future state would be unworkable.
Global sympathy for Newtown, antipathy for US gun laws (+video)

Even as observers around the world mourned the teachers and children killed in Newtown, many expressed frustration with a US political system that has left guns so easily accessible.