Huge pro-democracy demonstrations in Israel have taken place for almost two months in protest of new rules for the Supreme Court that Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government is rushing into law.
Newly emerged Palestinian militant groups are increasingly fragmented and calling for a popular uprising. This, in turn, coincides with a radical shift to the extreme right in Israel’s government.
Boaz Atzili, American University School of International Service
Israel’s most far-right and religious ruling coalition, which just assumed power, poses a profound threat to the country’s democratic institutions, from the courts to individual rights.
Where it goes from here will depend how much violence Israel is willing to inflict on Hamas, and Hamas’s continued tolerance of Israeli air strikes and artillery fire.
The fighting between Israelis and Palestinians grew quickly and ferociously after being ignited by a conflict in an Arab part of Jerusalem. Why did things go so bad so quickly?
Palestinian territories are impoverished and densely populated – ripe for the spread of coronavirus. Israel may have a practical as well as moral obligation to extend its vaccine program to them.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates weren’t at war, so their new deal is not really a peace accord. Nor does it satisfy the Palestinians, who need Arab nations to support their drive for statehood.
The normalisation of ties between Israel and an important Gulf state reveals an acceptance of the arguments for a regional buffer to counter Iran’s growing influence.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu could begin to unveil his annexation plans on July 1 – a move that would be the most contentious move of his lengthy premiership.
In 2015, Justin Trudeau announced that ‘Canada is back’ and promised to support a rules-based international order. Yet Canada has maintained the previous Conservative government’s pro-Israel stance.
The Jordan Valley, which US president Donald Trump has proposed integrating into Israel, has been transformed by the introduction of date palms, emptying it of its Palestinian inhabitants.
The Israel-Palestine “peace” plan concocted by Donald Trump’s administration openly violates the principles of international law and, if implemented, would set a dangerous precedent.