Newsletter: Palestine Palestine elections chief: Vote ‘transparent’ despite war, restrictions In an exclusive interview, Rami Hamdallah defended the transparency of recent Palestinian local elections while outlining the political and logistical barriers to voting in Gaza and East Jerusalem. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know European foreign ministers have agreed to sanction extremist West Bank settlers, but are still discussing the list of names. Israel
Feature Gazans show cautious hope ahead of first local elections in 20 years The city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza is set to hold municipal elections for the first time in nearly two decades. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Analysis On eve of Palestinian local elections, competition in short supply With many races unopposed and rivals excluded, the vote underscores a calibrated effort to contain dissent and prioritize stability. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Interview Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable' Ehud Olmert Former Israeli prime minister
Netanyahu distracts public, buys time with Egypt talks Facing another police probe, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is directing the public's attention to a possible summit in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Palestine
Have Arab leaders forgotten about Palestine? Palestinian senior officials feel that not only are Arab countries preoccupied by the Islamic State threat, but that the countries are also tired of the Palestinian issue and are sidelining the urgency of establishing a Palestinian state. Palestine
Is Israel doomed to live with terror? Former Mossad Deputy Chief Ram Ben Barak disagrees with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position that Israel is doomed to live with terror, claiming that it is up to Israel to decide if it wants to pay the price of occupation. Palestine
Gaza mechanic turns heads in handmade classic car Palestinian auto mechanic Munir Shindi has finished his masterpiece: a replica of the 1927 Mercedes Gazelle built from scratch in his workshop in Gaza City. Palestine
EU to push forward with two-state conference, with or without Washington EU senior officials are planning a two-state conference to be held before the end of the year, with both a bilateral and a multilateral track. Palestine
Khamenei says Iran has not intervened in Bahrain Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran has not intervened in Bahrain and encouraged the island state's leaders to act wisely in order to not turn a political conflict into a civil war. Saudi Arabia
Israel amps up cyberwar on Palestinian Facebook posts To fight the Palestinian attacker 2.0, the IDF and Shin Bet are increasing cyber efforts to detect internet posts by potential assailants. Palestine
Why Hamas refused to return IDF remains Hamas' release of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two soldiers was never on the table as a condition of the Israeli-Turkish reconciliation agreement. Palestine
Why is Hamas giving away government-owned land? While Hamas has begun distributing government-owned land as payment to employees of its disputed government, challenges about the project's legitimacy continue. Palestine
Quartet's latest edition of Israel-Palestine report offers nothing new The Quartet report on the obstacles before the two-state solution is a compilation of old findings, and it is easy for Israel's prime minister to dismiss its recycled condemnations. Palestine
Will upcoming local elections unite Palestinians, or divide them even further? The Palestinian Authority has announced a date for local elections to be held in Gaza and the West Bank, but Hamas is reluctant to sign onto an electoral process it suspects will marginalize it. Palestine
Israel faces off against Facebook Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan has claimed that some of the blood in Israel's streets is on Facebook's hands as Knesset members demand better monitoring. Palestine
