Israel's Oslo paradox

Dismantling the Palestinian Authority will bring neither security nor order, will cost Israel about $2.7 billion a year and will add more injustice in construction zones allotted to Palestinians.

Palestine

Leftist Knesset member: Israelis want social justice but vote Netanyahu

In an interview with Al-Monitor, left-wing Knesset member Dov Khenin describes the essential Israeli political incoherence, where the Israeli public calls for social justice while voting for capitalist, right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestine

Hezbollah sends Israel message in Shebaa bombing

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has claimed responsibility for the Shebaa Farms bombing that wounded Israeli soldiers, and Israel has filed a complaint at the United Nations, signaling that Israel understood the message.

Palestine

Fatah, Hamas battle for control of mosques

Fatah is tightly controlling mosques in the West Bank, claiming to shield them from political interference, but its adversaries accuse it of using mosques for its own political purposes.

Palestine

Senior Hamas leader discusses Iran, Syria, Palestinian politics

Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar tells Al-Monitor’s Palestine Pulse that Hamas is "ready at any moment" to resume reconciliation talks with Fatah.

Palestine

Abbas proposes discussing borders of future state

The Palestinian formula for the resumption of talks with Israel includes discussion of borders issue, which is not only the aim of negotiations but also the only way to sell renewed talks to the Palestinian public.

Palestine

Gaza IT industry bypasses economic crisis

Despite the high unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip, IT freelancing and outsourcing to foreign companies is insulating the industry from the siege and economic crisis.

Palestine

Meretz leader justifies Abbas applications to UN treaties

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Meretz Party leader Zehava Gal-On defends the application of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to 15 international treaties, claiming that this move could constitute a framework for continuing negotiations.

Palestine

Israel takes strategic alliance with US for granted

Israel’s neutrality toward the crisis in Ukraine is a dangerous precedent in Israel's relations with the US, when taking into account that it can exist without Russia’s help, but not without American support.

Palestine

Gaza’s population balloons

With an average 5.7 births for each woman, Gaza’s government has no plans to curtail population growth.

Palestine

Lone-wolf attacks on Israeli settlers increase

Individual, unorganized Palestinian attacks against Israeli settlers are difficult to prevent and reflect a frustrated Palestinian street.

Palestine

Planned construction encroaches on Temple Mount, Western Wall

Palestinians have not reacted to the wave of plans approved lately by Jerusalem's planning committee to build rabbinical colleges and a Jewish visitor center at the heart of East Jerusalem.

Palestine