Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s firm reversal of the Housing Ministry’s bid for the expansion of settlements into the West Bank, Ari Uriel, Israel’s minister of construction, decided to go forward with the plan of building an additional 450 housing units in the Eitam Hill area, just east of Efrat. A total of $215,000 (over 800,000 shekels) have […]
Israel moves to enlarge West Bank settlements
The Israeli Druze: soldiers and citizens
In this in-depth guest post, Israeli soldier Josh Green, who has lived and worked side by side with the Israel’s Druze population, paints a picture of his experience and and familiarity with a group that accounts for a significant portion of the IDF. The Druze have a total population of around 1-2 million. The largest community lives in Syria. Approximately […]
An Israeli soldier writes: The Judean hills are burning
In this enthralling account of the streets of the Holy Land, written by the hand of an Israeli Defense Forces soldier who took part in the most recent war in Gaza, we are provided with a visceral and beautiful account of the land and conflict at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. The Judean hills are […]
Israel Reopens Mosque Shortly After “Declaration of War” Statement
Al-Aqsa complex, a site holy to Muslims and Jews and the location of Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque, was reopened hours after the site was closed due to security fears after the shooting of a Jewish activist–during which interval Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had announced that the closure was a “declaration of war.” “This dangerous Israeli […]
Complaint Filed at International Court Against Israel for Alleged War Crimes in Gaza Strip
A French lawyer filed a complaint Friday against Israel for what the lawyer said were “war crimes committed by the Israeli army in June and July 2014 in Palestine,” referring primarily to Israel’s Protective Edge military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which began July 8. Over 1000 people have already been killed and over 6,000 injured in […]