Internal Israeli Politics | The American Task Force on Palestine

Israeli museum showing Muslim-world artists
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Amy Teibel - August 2, 2011 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — A museum on the road separating Jewish west Jerusalem from the Arab neighborhoods in the city's east is attracting a daring group of artists from Middle Eastern nations that shun contact with Israel, trying to erode political barriers through art. It's been a years-long process for the Museum on the Seam, which is one of the few art museums in Israel that aggressively tries to convince Arab and Muslim artists to show in its galleries.

Netanyahu's trump card against Israeli protests: Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Bradley Burston - (Blog) August 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Early Monday, when the news broke of the IDF trading fire with the Lebanese army, everyone in this house, and undoubtedly many others in Israel, had the same thought: That's it. Netanyahu's decided to solve the protest crisis by going to war. In fact, even before the Lebanon tension began, journalist Yossi Gurvitz outlined exactly such a scenario. In the face of the mushrooming protests over social welfare issues, "Netanyahu's magic hat is emptying quickly," Gurvitz wrote last week, adding that the prime minister might choose a war as the way out of his troubles.

Israeli housing protests spotlight government priorities, including settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now
by Lara Friedman - (Blog) August 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Thousands of Israelis are in the streets protesting high housing costs. It is an amazing, indeed, stunning development. Israelis from all walks of life are fed up with Israel's wealth gap as it continues to widen. These protests are not about Netanyahu's policies regarding the Palestinians or the settlements. But let no one be confused: these protests shine a bright spotlight on policies of the Netanyahu government regarding settlements.

Israel's Supreme Court orders state to dismantle largest West Bank outpost
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Chaim Levinson - August 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an unprecedented ruling ordering the state to dismantle the largest illegal settlement outpost in the West Bank by April 2012. The decision follows a petition filed by Peace Now movement. Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch harshly criticized the Israeli government for failing to dismantle the outpost of Migron, which is home to some 50 families, despite earlier promises it would do so and after it had admitted that it was in fact built on lands belonging to Palestinians.

Dozens of MKs to Netanyhu: Solve Israel housing crisis by building in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Jonathan Lis - August 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Forty-two cabinet ministers and MKs, all members of the Eretz Yisrael Lobby, signed a petition addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, calling on him to solve the housing crisis that has swept up the country by building in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

A prosperous Israel is dancing on the rim of a volcano
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Dominique Moisi - (Opinion) August 1, 2011 - 12:00am

It is difficult not to be struck by the contrast between the “Asian”-like energy of Israel’s economy and civil society and the purely defensive nature of its approach to political change, inside the country and out. A recent law passed by Israel’s Knesset bars Israeli citizens from supporting Western boycotts aimed at putting an end to the country’s settlement policies and at backing an independent Palestinian state. While Israel has never been so affluent, dynamic, and confident, it also has never been so isolated internationally.

Encountering Peace: I should be a millionaire!
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) August 1, 2011 - 12:00am

‘The people demand social justice” – I can hear the rhythm of the chant of the masses along the route from the tent encampment on King George Street in Jerusalem to the prime minister’s house. The beat, the words – “the people demand….” so reminiscent of the sounds of Tahrir square in Cairo or Tunis a few months before. The Arab spring has arrived in Israel – unbelievable!

Israel struggles with free-speech rights
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - July 31, 2011 - 12:00am

A string of new laws passed this year by Israel's right-leaning Knesset has triggered an unusually rancorous debate here over where to draw the line on free speech, exposing shifting sentiments about a core democratic ideal. The latest battle erupted with the approval this month of a law that created civil and financial penalties against those who voice support for boycott campaigns targeting Israel or its institutions, including West Bank settlements that many in Israel and around the world oppose as an obstacle to peace.

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