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Palestinian Gunman, Israeli Man, Dead in West Bank Attack, AP
A Palestinian militant fired at the entrance to an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank Saturday evening, killing an Israeli man and wounding several civilians before a security guard shot him dead, the Israeli military said. Soldiers were conducting additional searches around the Kiryat Arba settlement near the Palestinian city of Hebron in the southern West Bank.
2022 Set to Be Deadliest Year in West Bank Since 2005, UN Middle East Envoy Says, Haaretz
2022 is on track to be the deadliest year in the West Bank since 2005, when the organization began systematically collecting data, according to UN’s Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland. Wennesland said in a briefing at the UN Security Council that in the period he reviewed, between September 21 and October 25, 32 Palestinians were killed, including six children, and 311 Palestinians, including one woman and eight children, were injured.
Palestinian Motorist Killed After Alleged Car Ramming Attack, ABC News
Israeli forces on Sunday shot and killed a Palestinian motorist who slammed his car into a bus stop in the occupied West Bank — the latest in a monthslong wave of deadly violence that shows no signs of slowing. The incident came a day after a Palestinian gunman killed an Israeli man near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, and just two days before Israel holds national elections.
Israel, Bahrain Hope To Seal Free Trade Deal by End of Year, Reuters
Israel and Bahrain hope to seal a free trade agreement before the end of the year, officials from both countries said on Monday. Israel normalised diplomatic relations with Bahrain and its Gulf neighbour the United Arab Emirates (UAE) two years ago under U.S. sponsorship.
IDF Begins Drafting Women to Elite Combat Units in Historic First, The Jerusalem Post
Women will be drafted into the elite Israel Air Force’s 669 Search and Rescue Unit for the first time in November, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit has announced.
Israeli President Tries To Ease U.S. Concerns About Radical Right Ahead of Elections, Axios
During his visit to Washington earlier this week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog tried to ease the Biden administration’s concerns about the expected rise of the radical right in the upcoming elections and asked U.S. officials to wait until the government is formed before jumping to conclusions.
Israel’s Haredi Voters Drift Hard Right in Leadership Vacuum, The Washington Post
One of Israel’s most extremist politicians, known for his inflammatory anti-Arab speeches and stunts, is attracting new supporters from a previously untapped demographic — young ultra-Orthodox Jews, one of the fastest-growing segments of the country’s population.
The Way We Teach Our Kids About Israel Is Broken. Here’s How To Fix It., eJewish Philanthropy
Dan Elbaum and Rabbi Joe Schwartz note, “[I]t would be understandable if those of us in the pro-Israel camp simply doubled- and tripled-down on what we have been doing: Repeating a simple narrowly self-interested narrative that either avoids the conflict altogether or highlights the Palestinians’ aggression and intransigence, lauds Israel’s achievements in fighting COVID-19 and protecting LGBTQ rights; and stressing the (very real), existential threat that Israel faces from Iran and other hostile forces. Yet, at this crucial juncture, we need to be honest with ourselves: This strategy has failed. Indeed, it may even be contributing to the problem. By avoiding the conflict or promoting a single narrative, we have lost considerable credibility among young people — for whom the conflict is of central concern. And the vacuum we have left has been filled by others — for the most part, actors who are not interested in presenting Israel’s actions fairly or concerned about the wellbeing of Jews. A new approach is called for. We need to teach the conflict with candor and in a way that does justice to its complexity.”
Five Elections in Four Years: What’s the Deal With Israeli Politics?, CNN
Hadas Gold and Richard Allen Greene write, “On Tuesday, Israelis are going to the polls to elect a new Knesset, or parliament. It’s the fifth time in less than four years that voters are casting ballots. Holding elections that often is bound to prompt some questions. Here are some answers.”
Another Israeli Election Looms, and a Familiar Face Plans a Comeback, The New York Times
Isabel Kershner reports, “Ousted from the prime minister’s office 16 months ago, Benjamin Netanyahu, the leading candidate, is out to prove his political obituaries were premature.”