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
Why some Palestinians believe that 'death is the solution, not the problem' Seeing no political will to improve their circumstances, some young Palestinians appear to see killing Israelis as the only way to end the occupation and their misery. Palestine
Why Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat should cooperate with Israel The individual intifada is being fed by online social networks, which is why it is almost impossible to stop, unless the social network giants decide to help. Palestine
Why is the Palestinian Authority angry over Iran's offer of aid? The Palestinian Authority is upset over Iran's announcement that it will provide money directly to the families of Palestinians who attack Israelis, bypassing the PA and PLO. Palestine
Why does Hamas, Fatah reconciliation keep failing? Despite talks, Palestinians expect strategic differences and foreign interference to once more thwart a Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement. Qatar
Are Israel's Arabs losing hope for peace? The Pew Research Center found in a survey conducted at the end of 2014 and in early 2015 that Israeli Arabs are much more religious than Jews, while most of those polled share the view that a two-state solution is slipping away. Palestine
Are Israeli Jews racist? Two surveys published recently find a link between Jewish-Orthodox identity and discriminatory opinions against Israeli-Palestinians. Palestine
Why more and more of Gaza's parents are sending their kids to private schools Despite the difficult economic conditions in the Gaza Strip, parents are still enrolling their children in high-cost private schools, which indicates the value they place on quality education. Palestine
Is free speech a crime in Palestine? The Palestinian government needs to rewrite the law on defamation, making it a civil matter, not a criminal offense. Palestine
Will expelling families of Palestinian attackers to Gaza stop terror? A proposal to expel the families of Palestinians who attack Israelis to Gaza could motivate relatives remaining in the West Bank to commit revenge attacks. Palestine
Is Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution almost dead? Iran poised to exploit the declining fortunes of the Palestinian Authority as Israel expands West Bank settlements; Syrian government forces prepare for a showdown in Raqqa; The Washington Post refers to Jaish al-Islam as a "rebel" group; Al-Monitor Syria Timeline includes commentary from Ambassador Ryan Crocker and others. Palestine
What's behind Israel's call for 'economic peace'? The "economic peace" proposed by Israel to the Palestinians resembles more economic colonialism than economic ties between equal partners. Palestine
Why Palestinians prefer Clinton over Trump As Trump and Clinton move closer to winning their parties' nominations, Palestinians seem to favor Clinton, although they don't have high hopes that any president would resolve their conflict with Israel. Palestine
