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Autopsy Says Violence Caused Death of Detained Palestinian, The Washington Post
The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, concluded that the cause of death was a “sudden cessation of the heart muscle caused by psychological tension due to the external violence he was exposed to.”
US and Iran ‘in Ballpark’ of Possible Nuclear Deal, Says White House Official, Times of Israel
A senior White House official said Thursday that the United States and Iran are “in the ballpark of a possible [nuclear] deal” in Vienna, while also clarifying that Washington is “very prepared” for the “pretty likely” scenario that there won’t be an agreement.
IDF Troops Detain a Settler Who Attacked Palestinians; Police Promptly Free Him, Times of Israel
Israeli soldiers on Wednesday detained an Israeli man who had allegedly thrown rocks at Palestinian cars passing through a northern West Bank military checkpoint and then handed him over to the police, who apparently released him immediately, making no record of the incident.
Israeli Police Wound Palestinian Photographer for Second Time in Less Than a Year, +972 Mag
On Tuesday, during a home demolition in East Jerusalem, Israeli police shot a Palestinian photographer in the chest with a sponge-tipped bullet. Ahmad Gharabli, who works for the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), was taken to the hospital for treatment, before being released that evening.
Israeli President Plans To Accept Invitation to Visit Erdoğan, Axios
Israel and Turkey are negotiating the terms of a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ankara that could take place in the near future.
The Battle for the World’s Most Powerful Cyberweapon, The New York Times
A Times investigation reveals how Israel reaped diplomatic gains around the world from NSO’s Pegasus spyware — a tool America itself purchased but is now trying to ban.
UAE Convoy of One Million COVID-19 Vaccines Reaches Gaza, Haaretz
A United Arab Emirates medical convoy of one million COVID-19 vaccines reached the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday, state news agency WAM said on Thursday.
Lessons from Colleyville on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Times of Israel
Jonathan Jacoby reflects, “Colleyville is a reminder that we can go beyond intergenerational trauma. On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must also remember that, as Jewish Americans, we can go beyond our fears and embrace our hope; we can forge alliances and build relationships that make us safer. These are just as important as the security measures we will need when terror strikes again.”
A #MeToo Moment Shakes Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox, The New York Times
“For the ultra-Orthodox public in Israel, he was a charismatic mix of soul healer, role model and media star. So it came as a great shock when Chaim Walder, a celebrated and prolific author of children’s books, commentator and child and family counselor, was accused of sexual assault and abuse of women and children. Coming months after the exposure of sexual abuse accusations against Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, another prominent, albeit less liked, figure in the ultra-Orthodox community, some have described the Walder affair as a #MeToo moment for Haredim, the Hebrew term for the ultra-Orthodox, which means those who tremble before God. “It’s historic,” said Avigayil Heilbronn, an activist from a strict religious background who has long campaigned on behalf of ultra-Orthodox victims of sexual abuse and describes herself as a “new” or modern Haredi, a feminist with a more liberal attitude. “The abusers are running scared,” she added, as more victims were coming forward.”
The Great Exploitation: Palestinians Forced to Pay Huge Sums to Work in Israel, Haaretz
Tali Heruti-Sover reports, “Under the current system, tens of thousands of Palestinian workers are each forced to pay 2,500 shekels ($780) a month for a work permit in Israel. The money is divvied up between a Palestinian middleman and an Israeli contractor.”