Trump says he’ll release peace plan before Tuesday meeting with Netanyahu, Gantz — Mondoweiss (1/24)

US President Donald Trump is set to release his long-awaited “deal of the century” peace plan in the coming days, Trump announced on Thursday. The announcement came after Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rival Benny Gantz to Washington, D.C. for talks. The president said his administration will “probably” release the details of the plan prior to the meeting with the two Israeli leaders. “It’s a great plan. It’s a plan that really would work,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to a political event in Miami. “I love doing deals,” Trump said, adding “they say peace between Israel and the Palestinians is the toughest – the toughest of any deal.” When asked about the Palestinian reaction to the plan, Trump said he had “briefly” spoken with Palestinian officials, and they he expects them to “act negatively at first.”

Families in disbelief after Israeli army kills three Gaza teens — Middle East Eye (1/24)

The West Bank was and still is the primary battleground of Israel — Middle East Monitor (1/24)

Israeli circles have been accusing Hamas of continuing to aggravate the front in the West Bank, in order to destabilise the security situation within, against the army and the settlers. This translated into increased tensions on Israel’s part, especially as one of the reasons for the rise of Israeli fears, is its fear of a succession war over Mahmoud Abbas’s successor, as Palestinian Authority president. In light of these fears, Shin Bet security agency recently announced the thwarting of 560 major operations in 2019, including ten self-sacrifice operations, four solider and settler captures and more than 300 shootings. The army circumvented nearly 12 Palestinian armed cells infrastructures, which had planned to carry out violent operations, using explosive devices. 

New York Democrat defends decision to back Republican-led anti-BDS bill — Middle East Eye (1/22)

ICC judges dash hopes for swift probe of Israeli war crimes — Electronic Intifada (1/22)

In Seattle, Local Movement Championed Palestine, Defeated Veolia — Palestine Chronicle (1/20)

A 7-year campaign led by disabled riders and anti-imperial, anti-privatization, disability justice, and labor solidarity activists has pushed King County in Washington State to cut ties with a corporation that was subcontracting Metro’s Access transit service. Veolia operated the federally mandated paratransit service. Veolia has long been a target of the movement to boycott, divest and sanction Israel until it complies with international law and ends its human rights violations of Palestinians. Veolia built the Jerusalem Light Rail connecting illegal Israeli colonies in internationally recognized Palestinian territory to Jerusalem and operated “Israeli-only” apartheid bus lines across the West Bank. Veolia managed a landfill on Palestinian land in the Jordan Valley that dumped waste from the settlements and from Israel in violation of the 4th Geneva Convention; and provided wastewater services to illegal colonies.