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TitleDescriptionDate
Israel-UAE Deal & the Two-State SolutionHussein Ibish - Arab Gulf States Institute / Geneva Initiative - Palestinian outrage is certainly understandable. The UAE, agreeing to move forward with normalization in the absence of any progress towards ending the occupation, but rather in order to forestall an annexation the Palestinians regard as outright theft, appears to have shattered the main non-violent leverage Palestinian believed they still had with Israel: the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative (API) under which Arab states` normalization with Israel was conditioned on a two-state Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. In fact, however, so much activity was already going on between Israel and several Gulf Arab countries - including not only the UAE but also Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and even Saudi Arabia - that , arguably the API had become simply a comforting illusion for Palestinians. If Arab commitment to the API was already a convenient fiction, perhaps it`s better to dispense with deception and self- deception. Moreover, history suggests that the two Arab countries which have diplomatic relations with Israel, Egypt and Jordan, have been far better able to care for specific Palestinian interests on the ground, including in Gaza, than Arab states that keep Israel at arm`s length.[ak] 25/8/2020
Did Netanyahu agree to the sale F-35 jets to UAE ?Nahum Barnea/Yoav Zitun - Yediot Aharonot/Y-net/Reuters - This morning, the well-informed senior commentator Nahum Barnea raised a storm when writing that, as part of his highly-touted deal with the United Arab Emirates, PM Netanyahu assented to the sale of American F-35 fighter jets and advanced drones to the UAE. If true, that would change a long-standing American policy established the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when US vowed "to maintain Israel`s military superiority" and that no sale of advanced weapons systems would be made to any other Middle East country without Israel`s agreement. That also includes countries which signed a peace agreement with Israel, such as Egypt and Jordan. Earlier this year, Trump had publicly stated his intention to sell strategic weapons to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but was blocked after Congress passed an arms embargo on such a sale. Netanyahu was quick to issue a denial, stating that "there was no secret clause in the Israel-UAE agreement which would see the U.S. sell the Gulf state aircraft that could end Israel`s military edge in the region". However, Netanyahu did not completley rule out that he had given that assent by other means than an explicit "secret clause". For his part, Barnea stuck to his position that Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed had conditioned the entire agreement with Israel on the multi-billion- dollar F-35 arms deal, and that if the one is written off, so would the other. [ak] 18/8/2020
Israel lobbyists force Dutch government to suspend funding of farmers’ organizationAdri Nieuwhof - The Electronic Intifada - The attack on UAWC is in line with an Israeli government strategy to undermine Palestinian organizations. Last year, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy published a report, Terrorists in Suits: The Ties Between NGOs promoting BDS and Terrorist Organizations. The report effectively sets out to smear Palestinian organizations who defend the rights of the Palestinian people. Thus, Mahmoud Nawajaa, national coordinator of the Palestinian Boycott National Committee (BNC) was recently detained, taken from his home in the middle of the night in front of his children. He has only just been released after over three weeks. The military has issued no charges. Not so lucky is Khalida Jarrar, board member of Addameer prisoner rights organization and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. She remains in administrative detention – without charge or trial – today. UKLFI has smeared Defense for Children International – Palestine, but had to retract its allegations that DCIP provides “financial or material support to any terrorist organization” after legal action. And human rights group Al-Haq has been smeared and attacked for many years. All of these groups featured in the Terrorists in Suits report which relies “on outdated and unsubstantiated allegations,” according to al-Haq and is “premised on racist caricatures, attempting to paint Palestinian civil society organizations as essentially suspicious and violent, in order to discredit and defund them.” [bz]18/8/2020
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Emirati foreign minister said “Israel kills children.” But it’s all smiles nowAli Abunimah - EI - "On Sunday, United Arab Emirates foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with his Israeli counterpart. It’s all part of the UAE’s US-brokered `peace` agreement with Israel. The UAE foreign ministry spokesperson referred to the Israeli minister as `HE Gabi Ashkenazi` – which stands for `His Excellency`" [ry] 17/8/2020
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Outraged by annexation halt, settler representatives suggest time for Netanyahu to goTimes of Israel - Yamina’s Bezalel Smotrich says right must present ‘alternative leadership’ to the PM; settler chief Elhayani declares premier ‘needs to be replaced’ if he gave up on sovereignty [bz] 15/8/2020
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How the world reacted to UAE, Israel normalising diplomatic tiesAl Jazeera (and news agencies) - "Netanyahu never intended to annex" the West Bank, but the UAE is "claiming a diplomatic victory in exchange for what`s probably a lot of very valuable security cooperation from Israel. All on the backs of Palestinians, as usual." (Lisa Goldman, 972Mag) // May you never experience the agony of having your country stolen; may you never feel the pain of living in captivity under occupation; may you never witness the demolition of your home or murder of your loved ones. May you never be sold out by your "friends." (Hanan Ashrawi, PLO) // UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres "welcomes this agreement, hoping it will create an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to re-engage in meaningful negotiations that will realise a two state-solution in line with relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements." [bz]15/8/2020
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Behind the scenes: How the Israel-UAE deal came togetherBarak Ravid - Axios - President Trump described the phone call Thursday, in characteristic style, as "like love." But in the hours after the leaders` joint statement surprised the world, Netanyahu and MBZ offered different interpretations of its implications. MBZ called it a "roadmap" to normalization, rather than a final agreement, while Netanyahu stressed that the suspension of his annexation plan was only temporary. [bz]15/8/2020
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Call of Duty - about hasbara games under the hashtag #KeyToPeaceDaniel Lark - Jewish Currents - THIS YEAR ON Nakba Day, the annual May 15 commemoration of the mass displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of the State of Israel, Palestinians gathered on the internet to remember their history and to remind the global public of their struggle. Unable to meet in person due to Covid-19, activists arranged virtual reality tours of Gaza and the West Bank, shared personal and family stories, and promoted hashtags to mark a historic trauma and its present ramifications. The same day, a special mission appeared on the app and Facebook page of the online platform Act.IL, directing users to download a set of images and memes—already cropped into Instagram-ready squares—and then share them on social media under the hashtag #KeyToPeace. Designed to disrupt and delegitimize the observance of Nakba Day, the memes were replete with racist and violent imagery of Palestinians: pictures of suited men transforming into terrorists, photos of children dressed in camo and war paint. Hundreds of these images soon appeared online, [bz]11/8/2020
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Facebook Threatens to Censor IMEMCIMEMC - As we didn`t succeed in contacting any facebook representative [facebook without a face?-ed] we decided to publicly present to Facebook these questions: ***What exactly about our original, on-the-ground reporting about Israel-Palestine has ‘inauthentic content’ and is ‘low quality’? Please provide specific examples. ***What have we reported on our page that is false? Our reports come from on-the-ground witnesses and reporters. [bz] 11/8/2020
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How Far Can Israel Go in Trying to Erase Palestinians?Mariam Barghouti - Quds News Network - Palestinians have resisted Israeli occupation and colonisation for decades. But erasure is still a looming threat [ry] 10/8/2020
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Palestinians as ghosts: How Israel’s education system normalizes occupationGil Gertel - +972 - A study finds that while some high school textbooks touch on Israel`s control of the West Bank, students are taught little to nothing about its true nature [ry] 10/8/2020
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Netanyahu’s decline benefits pro-settler BennettMAZAL MUALEM - Al-Monitor - When Netanyahu composed his current government last April, he left out right-wing, pro-settler Yamina. But combined with the COVID-19 crisis, Netanyahu’s decision has turned out to be an unintentional gift to Bennett. With the Prime Minister falling in the polls and facing public discontent, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, is more popular than ever. Bennett is now Seeking support from the wider public. Some two weeks ago he shrewdly founded an apolitical and all-inclusive volunteer movement with one goal: beating the coronavirus. [bz] 4/8/2020
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Court orders PM`s son to `cease harassing` protest leadersAFP - Ynet - Judge orders Yair Netanyahu to stop harassing demonstrators against his father for the next 6 months after he posted their addresses and encouraged followers to picket their homes [ry] 3/8/2020
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Former defense brass demand commission of inquiry into submarine affairThe Times of Israel - As part of lawsuit filed by anti-corruption group, affidavits urge Netanyahu be investigated in scandal over bribery in the procurement of German naval vessels [ry] 3/8/2020
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