Topic: West Bank

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International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe

International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:
Who is Hamas? 5 questions about the Palestinian militant group.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to form a unity government led by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and head of rival Palestinian faction Fatah. But who is Hamas? What is their relationship with Fatah, and what might Hamas gain from reconciling with them? Here are five key questions about Hamas.
Palestinian UNESCO membership: What it means for 4 key players

UNESCO members overwhelmingly approved Palestinian membership in a 107-14 vote on Monday, although there were 52 abstentions. What are the ramifications for the parties involved?
What are the Israeli-Palestinian peace talk preconditions?

Peace talk preconditions are proving to be a problem for resuming negotiations. What are the two parties’ requirements for getting talks started?
Gilad Shalit deal: Which Palestinian prisoners will walk free?

Nearly 500 Palestinians are scheduled to be released by Israel Tuesday in an exchange for soldier Gilad Shalit. Here’s the status of seven well-known prisoners (See the whole list here):

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Beyond Stuxnet: massively complex Flame malware ups ante for cyberwar

Flame is something new in cyberwar, experts say. It can take screenshots and record audio on infected computers. The malware was almost certainly made by a nation-state.
Israel: South Africa's desire to label West Bank goods is 'racist'

When South Africa requested imports from Israeli settlements be labeled 'made in the occupied West Bank,' Israel's Foreign Ministry said the move 'bears clear racist characteristics.'
Interview: Michael Sfard, the Israeli lawyer battling illegal settlements

Michael Sfard has won two key rulings in Israel's supreme court that are applying some pressure against Israeli expansion in the West Bank.
Palestinians mark Nakba Day with slingshots, despite calls for calm

Nakba Day, translated to 'catastrophe day,' marks the day the state of Israel was created and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced.
Palestinian hunger strikes: the power of peaceful protest

Hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention ended with a deal this week for better treatment. That showed the power of peaceful protest. If Palestinians adopt nonviolence as a strategic tool, that could bridge the Israeli-Palestinian divide.
Israel's unity government: How big was the shift to the center?

A new coalition government in Israel was expected to give Prime Minister Netanyahu more flexibility on Palestinian peace talks. But moves on Jewish settlements suggest otherwise.
Will Netanyahu stay obsessed with Iran or use his new coalition to help Israel?

Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy has been dangerously transfixed on Iran, neglecting the myriad other issues threatening Israel and Middle East stability. The new coalition government sets up a rare opportunity to reshape Israel’s domestic institutions and strengthen its regional standing.
Israel's unity government: a bid to represent the majority

For decades, Israel's system of representation gave tiny parties an outsized voice, particularly on the issue of settlements. The unity government now has a chance to prioritize majority views.
How Netanyahu's 'unity' government may affect Palestinians, Iran

Prime Minister Netanyahu jolted Israeli politics by forming a 'unity' government with the centrist Kadima party, arguing it will promote stability at a time of contentious challenges.
Israeli PM Netanyahu forms new 'unity' government

Benjamin Netanyahu, head of Israel's Likud Party, joined forces Tuesday with Kadima Party leader Shaul Mofaz to form one of the broadest governments in the history of the Jewish state.
Backchannels
Where does the Israeli security establishment stand on attacking Iran?

A look at disclosed positions.
Hunger intifada? Palestinian prisoners wield new-old tool against Israel.

As many as half of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have followed the example of Khader Adnan, whose 66-day hunger strike became something of a cause célèbre earlier this year.
Is the Palestinian Authority really a 'fig leaf' for Israeli occupation?

That's the charge of Yossi Beilin, Israeli architect of the Oslo accords. In an interview with the Monitor, he defends his recent call for the PA to be dissolved – 19 years after he helped set it up.
Backchannels
Israel security establishment goes where US politicians fear to tred

Disagreements in Israel over whether to attack Iran have erupted into the open. In one corner, the Netanyahu government. In the other, a number of Israeli security officials.
Florida-style 'Stand Your Ground' gun laws sub impulse for intelligent thinking

Even as George Zimmerman stands trial for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, many Americans argue these laws make us safe. I've had pistols held to my head from Bosnia to Beirut. Your best self-defense is your tongue. Those who put their faith in guns will ultimately be outgunned.
Backchannels
Israel legalizes three more West Bank settlement outposts

The decision, which is part of a broader settlement expansion, could pave the way for similar legalizations. Prospects for meaningful peace talks just grew dimmer.
Israel bans a textbook promoting Arab rights as 'unbalanced'

Israel's Education Ministry approved the textbook, 'Taking the Civil Road,' just last year but now says it has factual errors. Critics see the ban as part of a broader nationalistic push.
Torture victim's family can't sue PLO for damages, Supreme Court says

US Supreme Court, in a narrow reading of a federal anti-torture law, ruled Wednesday against a son who sought redress from the PLO and Palestinian Authority for the death of his father, a US citizen, during a visit to the West Bank.
No explanation given: Palestinian PM skips Netanyahu meeting

Looking ahead, Palestinian leaders face few appealing options for advancing their agenda, which has been sidelined by Iran and the US elections.
Restart of talks uncertain as Palestinian prime minister skips Israeli meeting

Salam Fayyad did not attend a scheduled meeting Tuesday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other senior Palestinian officials delivered a letter to Netanyahu with a list of demands before talks can resume.
Israel dismisses 'flytilla' protest, pointing to human rights abuses in Syria, Iran

Israel denied entry and deported several dozen pro-Palestinian activists who flew into Tel Aviv's airport on Sunday, arguing they are missing the bigger regional issues.
With West focused on Iran, Netanyahu moves to expand Israeli settlements

Last week, the prime minister allowed police to evict settlers from an Arab house in Hebron. But he also asked his government to authorize three illegal outposts in the West Bank.
Hebron settlers threaten retaliation after Israeli police evict them

The tensions in Hebron, a mainly Arab city that's holy to both Muslims and Jews, test Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to expand settlement in the West Bank.
The Crisis of Zionism

Is the American Jewish establishment putting Israel's democratic ideals at risk?
Osama Abu Ayyash tells his story to Israelis who've never met a Palestinian

Osama Abu Ayyash visits Israeli classrooms, telling his story of loss and forbearance to humanize Palestinians to Israelis who may have never met one.