Sealed Off and Forgotten: What You Should Know About Israel’s West Bank “Firing Zones”

Sealed Off and Forgotten: What You Should Know About Israel’s West Bank “Firing Zones”

A seemingly ordinary news story, published in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, on January 7, shed light on a long-forgotten, yet crucial, subject: Israel’s so-called “firing zones” in the West Bank.  “Israel has impounded the only vehicle available to a medical team that provides assistance to 1,500 Palestinians living inside an Israeli military firing zone in…

From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel’s West Bank Colonization

From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel’s West Bank Colonization

Three years ago, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334. With fourteen members voting in favor and one abstention, the Resolution was the equivalent of a political earthquake. Indeed, it was the first time in many years that Israel was roundly condemned by the international body for its illegal settlement policies in the Occupied…

Israel’s Case Against Human Rights Watch Reveals How Its Normalizing West Bank Land Theft

Israel’s Case Against Human Rights Watch Reveals How Its Normalizing West Bank Land Theft

In November 2019, following a long legal battle, Israel revoked the work visa and deported Human Rights Watch (HRW) director Omar Shakir. According to HRW, Israel argued that the state, “revoked the work visa of Shakir, a United States citizen, in May 2018 on the assertion that his advocacy violated a 2017 law that bars…

For Israel, Annexation of the West Bank Is a Long-Established Goal

For Israel, Annexation of the West Bank Is a Long-Established Goal

When Israeli prime ministers are in trouble, facing difficult elections or a corruption scandal, the temptation has typically been for them to unleash a military operation to bolster their standing. In recent years, Gaza has served as a favourite punching bag. Benjamin Netanyahu is confronting both difficulties at once: a second round of elections in…

Annexation: How Israel Already Controls More Than Half of the West Bank

Annexation: How Israel Already Controls More Than Half of the West Bank

A state of de facto annexation already exists on the ground in most of the occupied West Bank. Almost two-thirds of the Palestinian territory, including most of its most fertile and resource-rich land, is under full Israeli control. About 400,000 Jewish settlers living there enjoy the full rights and privileges of Israeli citizens. At least 60…