Worth Reading... Palestine-Related Articles

Textbooks, Grasshoppers, and the Question of Incitement by Ghassan Khatib (The Huffington Post)

There is a great opportunity in the next few months to reach a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This may seem a surprising view just now, but there is a competent and responsible Palestinian government in place which is serious about establishing a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel. And there is strong public support for this objective. The evidence is all around you if you come to see the reality. >

Israeli settlement push hurts U.S. interests, peace process (USA Today)

It has never been a secret that the United States pays a steep price in the Muslim world for being Israel's staunchest ally. But when a U.S. official actually says so, as Gen. David Petraeus did during a Senate hearing last month, it's a sure sign that tension between the allies is rising. And so it has, reaching a peak not seen in some time. >

A dangerous step by As'ad Ghanem (Haaretz)

It is hard not to be impressed by Akiva Eldar's forgiving attitude toward Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. During his interview about Fayyad's plan to declare a Palestinian state in the course of 2011 ("Palestinian PM to Haaretz: We will have a state next year," April 2), Eldar allowed the prime minister to present his plan without raising a single challenging question. Any such question could reveal the weakness of that plan. >

The Principle and Practice of Universal Jurisdiction: PCHR's Work in the occupied Palestinian territory (PCHR)

This detailed and comprehensive work on universal jurisdiction is the first one on this topic in the Arab world. >

Hamas Rule in Gaza: Three Years On by Yezid Sayigh (Crown Center for Middle East Studies)

Three years after taking control of Gaza, Hamas has established a stable and effective governing system despite a crushing siege and political challenges from Fatah and Salafist groups. In this brief Prof. Sayigh explores both the policies and the fortuitous circumstances that have enabled Hamas to consolidate its control over Gaza and to maintain its domestic legitimacy. If international law matters to any American president, it ought to be President Obama who has taught constitutional law. >

The US-Israel Standoff over Settlements by Victor Kattan (Jurist)

The Obama administration is on solid ground in its confrontation with the Israeli government over its refusal to stop constructing settlements in East Jerusalem morally, legally, and politically. >

Turning a Blind Eye: Impunity for Laws-of-War Violations during the Gaza War (Human Rights Watch)

This 62-page report details the steps both Israel and Hamas have taken over the past year to investigate alleged violations of the laws of war and possible war crimes, and how those investigations have fallen far short of international legal standards. >

IDF order will enable mass deportation from West Bank by Amira Hass (Haaretz)

A new military order aimed at preventing infiltration will come into force this week, enabling the deportation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank, or their indictment on charges carrying prison terms of up to seven years. >

To achieve Mideast peace, Obama must make a bold Mideast trip by By Zbigniew Brzezinski and Stephen Solarz (The Washington Post)

More than three decades ago, Israeli statesman Moshe Dayan, speaking about an Egyptian town that controlled Israel's only outlet to the Red Sea, declared that he would rather have Sharm el-Sheikh without peace than peace without Sharm el-Sheikh. Had his views prevailed, Israel and Egypt would still be in a state of war. Today, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, with his pronouncements about the eternal and undivided capital of Israel, is conveying an updated version of Dayan's credo -- that he would rather have all of Jerusalem without peace than peace without all of Jerusalem. >

Archbishop Desmond Tutu to UC Berkeley: Divesting is the Right Thing To Do by Desmund Tutu (Salem-News.com)

It was with great joy that I learned of your recent 16-4 vote in support of divesting your university's money from companies that enable and profit from the injustice of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and violation of Palestinian human rights. >

IDF bid to expel West Bank Palestinians is a step too far (Haaretz)

A new military order will take effect this week, enabling the army to deport tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and prosecute them on infiltration charges, which carry long prison terms. The order, uncovered by Amira Hass in Haaretz yesterday, bears the signature of Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni in his previous capacity as commander of the Israel Defense Forces in Judea and Samaria. >

Ramallah is not Palestine by Sandy Tolan (Middle East Online)

In Ramallah, on a sliver of land inside the occupied West Bank, it's possible to imagine what Palestinian freedom might feel like. Major Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints are down or unmanned, allowing drivers who used to be stalled, fuming, to travel nearly unimpeded from Jericho, up the ancient hills to Ramallah, and on to Nablus in northern Palestine.Yet the improved conditions in this part of the West Bank -- known as Area A, a creation of the Oslo process in which Palestinians have been given civil autonomy -- deepen the resentment of other Palestinians who remain locked down in Area C--where Israel retains full control. >

Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.

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