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Tensions Escalate between Israel and Hezbollah in Border Region, The Guardian
Tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah are at their highest level in years after a series of inflammatory incidents on the UN-controlled boundary between the two countries.
Top Israeli Court Weighs in on Netanyahu’s Judicial Overhaul, Reuters
Israel’s Supreme Court began hearing on Thursday the first in a series of appeals linked to a judicial overhaul undertaken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hard-right coalition, which has set off an unprecedented domestic crisis.
Israel’s Supreme Court Dismisses Petition to Remove West Bank Settlement, Reuters
Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled against a petition to remove a previously abandoned settlement outpost in the occupied West Bank that Israeli parliament cleared for rebuilding earlier this year.
PA Says Saudis Mustn’t Bow to US, Israel Optimistic over Deal, The Jerusalem Post
Saudi Arabia must not bow to US pressure to normalize ties with Israel, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said Thursday. His Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, however, predicted a deal with Riyadh could materialize as early as next March.
A Quarter of Palestinians Jailed in Israel Are Imprisoned Without Charges or Trial, Haaretz
A quarter of all Palestinians being held in Israel prisons are administrative detainees – imprisoned without charges or trial – according to Israel Prison Service figures obtained by HaMoked, the Center for the Defense of the Individual.
Israel Is Best Understood Through Its Contradictions, The New York Times
Gershom Gorenberg writes, “In the long run, democracy and occupation cannot coexist. The only hope for curing Israel’s chronic, potentially terminal condition — the occupation — lies in overcoming today’s acute illness. For now, everyone trying to save Israel’s democracy is on the same side.”
Israel’s Supreme Court Must Not Repeat Hungary’s Mistake, Foreign Policy
Garvan Walshe, former advisor to the British Conservative Party, argues, “The power is in the court’s hands: When it hears the case, it will be the last constitutional bulwark of democracy in Israel. It is the court that must decide whether to hand over power to Netanyahu or order him to cease his attacks on Israeli democracy.”
Why the U.S. Needs to Move on From Israel, According to This ex-White House Official, Haaretz
“Steven Simon served as a Middle East adviser in the Obama administration and has strong views on where things have gone wrong in U.S.-Israel relations. His new book delivers a clear message: Israel is not America’s problem”