As 2021 Ends, Tensions in the West Bank Flare Again
The murder of a Jewish Israeli settler is a flashpoint amid increasing rates of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank
24
Dec
30
Dec
Opinion | Mike Pompeo Was Right
When my daughter Bracha decided to sell her apartment in Modi’in, a small city between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and move to a spacious corner house in Elkana, one of the first settlements over the so-called Green Line, no ideology or nefarious government scheme played any part in her decision.
03
Sep
In ‘Unsettling,’ Leftist Filmmaker Embeds in a West Bank Settlement
Zaki arranged a pop-up studio/cafe outside a small organic grocery with three cameras, a table and chairs. Then, she waited.
06
Mar
Opinion // Why There Won’t Be a ‘One-State’ Solution
Trump’s use of the phrase opened up a debate about its many meanings.
by David Makovsky
It’s fitting that the Israelis and Palestinians, who cannot agree on how to solve their conflict, don’t even agree on its terms. Take the phrase “one-state solution,” which recently popped up in the news when President Donald Trump mentioned it in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. What is the “one-state solution”? It means very different things to different people.
Israeli settlers and their sympathizers see a one-state solution as meaning Israel should be sovereign not just over Israel according to pre-1967 lines, but also over the entire West Bank (what some refer to as Greater Israel).
To some Palestinians, a one-state solution means no Israel whatsoever, but rather a binational state in Israel and the West Bank....
28
Nov
Israel and I: A Love/Hate Relationship
The Donald Trump victory is not only highly distressing to me as an American; it is troublesome because it portends to render peace in my beloved Israel more distant than ever.
30
Apr
Is The Two State Solution Dead?
Are separate Israeli and Palestinian states still the answer? Moment speaks with peace negotiators, policy makers, activists and a former head of the Mossad. Noam Chomsky, Dani Dayan, Ruth Gavison, Efraim Halevy and others share their views.
18
Jan
The Man Who Stopped the Freeze
Dani Dayan, head of Israel’s settler lobby, Yesha, has successfully kept another settlement freeze—and peace talks—off the table. But can this mild-mannered former software tycoon stop the settler movement from imploding?
On a clear day, Dani Dayan can look out the bedroom window of his two-story home and see the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv, just 20 miles away. But as we sit in his open and airy modern living room on a chilly winter day, with a eucalyptus tree swaying in the breeze and an ancient-looking wine press in the sprawling green yard, Tel Aviv seems a world away. The neighborhood’s serenity belies the fact that Dayan’s home is in the settlement of Maale Shomron in the northern West Bank, far beyond the separation barrier and deep in territory that may very well someday be part...
02
Aug
A Golden Opportunity for Livni
By Niv Elis
It’s not clear why the Israeli left has shied away from putting economic arguments for peace front and center. But the recent explosion of economically driven populist angst may change all that.
For nearly two weeks, Israeli citizens have protested en masse in the streets of Tel Aviv, building tent cities along its main drag, Rothschild Boulevard, and across the country. Though popular disaffection with consumer prices, particularly housing, are at the heart of the the protests, growing economic inequality (persistent through strong general growth) and the neighboring protests of the Arab spring have fueled them. Because the protests represent a significant challenge for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his economic policies, they also provides an opportunity for the opposition leader, Tzipi Livni.
Sitting atop the largest party in the Knesset, which was thrust into...
19
Nov
The Narrow Line Between Expression and Insult
By Merav Levkowitz
A number of Israeli artists have signed a letter proposing to boycott a cultural center set to open shortly in Ariel, a Jewish settlement beyond the Green Line. The boycott has sparked much controversy among the artist community and in Knesset. Some Knesset members have expressed disappointment with these Israeli artists who have received government funding and have used their public platform to criticize and, in some cases, de-legitimize Israel. Members like Yariv Levin and Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat have recommended that restrictions be extended to government-funded artists and cultural institutions.
This tense situation brings forth a variety of important issues. On one hand, the outrage of some Knesset members towards these government-funded artists makes perfect sense. A venture capitalist who supports a fledging start-up would not be pleased to find the...
17
Nov
Israel Mulls Settler Freeze
By Doni Kandel
With Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu scrambling to gain approval for a three month construction freeze on settlements, Americans, Palestinians and Israelis have formulated an alternative plan. It is now believed that the Knesset is considering freezing settlers in lieu of freezing settlements as a unilateral symbol of good faith. Both the American and Israeli governments have expressed hope that freezing of those dwelling beyond the green line will be a concession far too impressive for the Palestinians to ignore.
Naturally, the controversial proposal has proven to be far more complicated than first thought. A debate has broken out among the concerned parties over the details of the actual freezing. The Israelis, ahead of the technology curve as always, have suggested cryogenics as the preferred method. The Palestinians have planted their flag in the...