Over 3,900 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa complex in July

Israel arrests Palestinian youth over Al-Aqsa clashes

Israel on Tuesday arrested a Palestinian youth over Friday's incidents at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, his family said. Rula Abu Sbeih said her son Sbeih Abu Sbeih was arrested by the Israeli intelligence after he ignored a police summons.Two days ago, the Israeli army stormed the house of Abu Sbeih’s uncle in Kafr Aqab town in northern Jerusalem, asking her son to visit the police station, she added.Video: Israeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipers Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Friday when Israeli forces entered the mosque complex and began attacking Muslim worshipers, according to local officials.For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site.

US support for Israel hurts Middle East peace prospects

The U.S. is the leading supporter of Israel, which was established on purloined Palestinian land and is often regarded as something akin to a “spoiled child”.In addition to providing copious financial and military aid, the U.S. also acts as a shield for Israel at the UN, preventing the adoption of a viable solution to the longstanding “question of Palestine” -- one of the region’s most enduring problems.Although the occupant of the White House has changed numerous times over the years, there has been little change in Washington's policy vis-à-vis Israel.This is due mainly to the power of the Jewish lobby in the U.S.On the issues of Palestinian dispossession, Israel’s ongoing occupation, and illegal Jewish settlement construction, the U.S. -- directly or indirectly -- invariably provides cover for Tel Aviv.According to many informed observers, Washington’s unconditional support for Israel not only aggravates the problem of Palestine, but it also makes finding a peaceful solution to the conflict more difficult.Twenty Palestinians arrested in West Bank raidsUS recognitionThe document known as the “Balfour Declaration”, sent by British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild in 1917, was a milestone in the Zionist march towards Israel’s establishment.“His Majesty's Government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object…,” the document reads.The Holocaust in Europe during World War II, meanwhile, only served to enhance British support for the Zionist project in Palestine.On Nov. 29, 1947, through the lobbying efforts of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, the UN Security Council adopted a plan -- the “partition plan” -- to divide historical Palestine into two halves, one Arab and one Jewish.When the British Mandate for Palestine ended in 1948, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, along with 25 others, declared the new state of Israel’s “independence”.Truman was quick to recognize the new state -- established on stolen Palestinian land -- on behalf of the U.S., becoming the first head of state to officially do so.Thus began the perennial “Middle East Conflict”, which continues to rage to the present day.Following the announcement of Israel’s establishment, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon all declared war on the nascent state.Israel’s subsequent victory in that war left it in possession of even more Palestinian land.Almost two decades later, Israel attacked Egypt in June of 1967. Syria and Jordan also participated in the conflict, which has since become known as the “Six-Day War”.As the Arab countries were largely caught off guard, they suffered an overwhelming defeat.That war left Israel in possession of the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem (in addition to West Jerusalem) and the West Bank, essentially destroying any prospect for a “two-state solution”.Israel’s ongoing occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights, meanwhile, ensured a de facto state of war between Israel and Syria for decades to come.Israel did, however, withdraw from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula following the 1979 Camp David peace treaty.Hamas delegation leaves Gaza for Egypt talksUS sponsorshipSince Israel’s establishment, the U.S. is believed to have sent more than $120 billion worth of financial and military aid to its closest Middle East “ally”.This aid completely destroyed the power balance between Israel and the Palestinians, with the former becoming one of the region’s most powerful countries while some six million Palestinians were forced -- over time -- to leave their historical homeland.As a result of this lopsided balance of power due to unwavering U.S. support, Israel has maintained its policy of occupation without making any concessions to the beleaguered Palestinians.Besides the enormous financial and military assistance, the U.S. has also protected Israel by wielding its veto right in the UN Security Council in the interests of the self-proclaimed Jewish state.To date, Washington has used this veto power more than 80 times -- more than half of which were used to shield Israel from criticism.This attitude by the U.S. has encouraged Israel to maintain its illegal occupation and deflate international pressure on Tel Aviv to accept a fair solution to the conflict.Recent steps by U.S. President Donald Trump on Palestine, meanwhile, have only further encouraged Israel to maintain its unjust policies.In December of last year, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordered Washington’s Israel embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (a process that began in May of this year).This was the first indicator of the Trump administration’s policies as they pertained to the Middle East conflict.On May 14, as U.S. and Israeli officials were inaugurating the new embassy, 60 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip -- who had been demonstrating against the U.S. decision -- were gunned down by Israeli troops.Instead of criticizing Israel’s use of deadly force against peaceful protesters, the Trump administration chose to blame Hamas, which had played a role in organizing the demonstrations.The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, for its part, responded to the embassy move by rejecting any future U.S. role in the peace process.Not long afterward on June 1, the U.S. vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council that had called for international protection for the Palestinian people.Jordan calls on Israel to halt 'violations' at Al-AqsaIsraeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipers‘The Deal of the Century’It is a widely known fact that the U.S. administration is currently working on a backchannel peace plan ostensibly aimed at resolving the Palestine-Israel issue.Touted by some as the “Deal of the Century”, certain details of the plan have been leaked to the public.According to media reports, the plan includes several major concessions to Israel, including the recognition of Jerusalem -- in its entirety -- as Israel’s capital and the annexation of large West Bank settlement blocs by Israel.Millions of Palestinian refugees, meanwhile, would not be allowed to return to their ancestral homes under Trump’s reported peace initiative.In fact, the only thing Palestinians would get from the plan, according to reports, would be promises of stepped-up financial aid.The so-called “Deal of the Century”, therefore, is likely to only further destabilize the region rather than offer a viable solution to the conflict.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has derisively described the U.S. president’s plan as the “Slap of the Century”.Trump’s (Jewish) Mideast teamIt’s also worth noting that most of those forging Trump's Palestine policy are Jewish -- especially Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior Mideast advisor.It is widely believed that Kushner, who attended the May 14 inauguration of the new embassy in Jerusalem, played a major role in the decision to relocate the embassy.Despite the fact that Kushner has had no previous diplomatic experience, Trump nevertheless believes his son-in-law can solve the region’s longest-running dispute."He [Kushner]… can secure an agreement with Israel that no one else could pull off. If he can’t produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can,” Trump declared in a speech.Another figure involved in forging Trump’s Palestine policy is David Friedman, Washington’s current ambassador to Israel.In the past, Friedman, who is Jewish, has said that Israel’s West Bank settlement blocs -- built illegally on Palestinian land -- do not constitute “an obstacle to peace”.Another figure guiding Trump's Middle East policy is Jason Greenblatt, Trump's special representative for international negotiations.Having previously worked for Trump as a lawyer in New York, Greenblatt hails from a Haredi Jewish family.Like Kushner, Greenblatt -- who reportedly oversees daily communications between Washington and Tel Aviv -- boasts little prior diplomatic experience.

291 Palestinian children being held in Israeli prisons

A total of 291 Palestinians are currently in Israeli prisons, a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official said on Sunday.In a statement, Hanan Ashrawi, a PLO Executive Committee member, said: "There are currently nearly 5,900 Palestinian prisoners, including 291 children in Israeli prisons."The statement comes after teenaged Palestinian resistance icon Ahed al-Tamimi and her mother were released by Israeli authorities after an eight-month long detention.Third Palestinian dies of wounds in Gaza protestsIsraeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipers"Israel persistently violates the rights of Palestinian political prisoners while the international community turns a blind eye to such illegal behavior and inhumane treatment," said Ashrawi.Al-Tamimi became an international icon for Palestinian resistance after she was filmed slapping an Israeli soldier during a raid on her home to arrest her brother.Israeli forces arrested the Palestinian girl in December 2017 after a viral video showed her slapping an Israeli soldier; later an Israeli court handed down an eight-month long sentence in March for her “attack” on an Israeli soldier.In 2012, Istanbul’s Basaksehir Municipality had granted al-Tamimi the prestigious Hanzala Courage Award for defying Israeli soldiers after she was photographed showing her tiny fists to the occupying forces.

Jordan calls on Israel to halt 'violations' at Al-Aqsa

Jordan on Friday called on Israel to immediately halt its “violations” at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque, holding Israel responsible for the safety of Palestinian worshipers.Jordanian government spokeswoman Jumana Ghneimat issued the appeal in response to reported attacks on worshipers by Israeli security forces inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.Ghneimat went on to condemn “ongoing Israeli provocations at the mosque compound, including the storming of the site on Friday by Israeli police and their assault on Palestinian worshipers and employees of the [Jordan-run] Religious Endowments Authority”.Video: Israeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipers“Such reprehensible practices violate the sanctity of this holy place, provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world, and violate Israel's legal obligations as an occupying power in East Jerusalem,” she added. Ghneimat also described recent events at Al-Aqsa as “a violation of international conventions that stress the need to respect places of worship”.Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Friday when Israeli forces entered East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and began attacking Muslim worshipers, according to local officials.Israeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipersFor Muslims, the Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount", claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.In late 2000, a visit to the Al-Aqsa by controversial Israeli politician Ariel Sharon sparked a years-long popular uprising against the Israeli occupation in which thousands of Palestinians lost their lives.

Israeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipers

Israeli police have sent reinforcements to East Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex amid ongoing clashes with Muslim worshipers, according to eyewitnesses. “At least 50 additional policemen have entered the mosque compound within the last hour,” one eyewitness told Anadolu Agency. “Meanwhile,” he added, “Israeli forces have sealed the gates of Al-Aqsa and prevented anyone from entering the mosque compound.”A Palestinian official who works in the area told Anadolu Agency that “dozens” of Palestinians had been injured after Israeli forces entered the compound and began attacking worshipers. In a statement, Firas al-Dibs, a spokesman for Jerusalem’s Jordan-run Religious Endowments Authority, said at least 60 soldiers had entered the holy site, “where they used teargas and stun grenades to disperse worshipers after Friday prayers”. “Fifteen Palestinians have been injured, including three mosque guards,” he added. Video: Israeli police attack Muslims at al- Aqsa after Friday prayersAccording to al-Dibs, the Israeli authorities have sealed the compound’s Al-Qibali Mosque with iron chains and prevented Palestinian worshippers from entering the building. For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount", claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Video: Israeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipersIsrael occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community. In late 2000, a visit to the Al-Aqsa by controversial Israeli politician Ariel Sharon sparked a years-long popular uprising against the Israeli occupation in which thousands of Palestinians lost their lives.

Israel wages ‘systematic religious war’ against Palestine

Approximately 1,500 Israeli settlers and police on Sunday forced their way into East Jerusalem’s flashpoint al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Yehuda Glick, a far-right Israeli Knesset (Parliament) member, who campaigns for Jewish access to al-Aqsa Mosque, was seen in the compound where many of the Israeli settlers performed Jewish religious rituals.Palestinian boy arrestedTensions rose between the Israeli settlers and Muslim tradesmen in the area. Additionally, Israeli soldiers arrested a Palestinian boy for raising the Palestinian flag inside the Noble Sanctuary.Initial results of Israel’s Nation-State lawHamas Political Bureau vice-president Salih al-Arui described the event as the initial result of Israel’s Nation-State law, adding that a new era of attacks targeting Jerusalem had begun.On Thursday, Knesset passed a controversial law that recognizes Israel as the “nation-state of the Jewish people.”Hamas slams the storming of Aqsa Mosque compound“Storming and desecrating al-Aqsa Mosque by large groups of Zionists comes within the framework of the systematic religious war waged by the extremist Israeli government backed by the U.S. administration against the Palestinian people and their holy sites, as it also aims at targeting the Palestinians’ existence and their national and Islamic identity,” said Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum in a press release released on their website on Sunday.“Hamas strongly condemns such policies and practices and urges the Islamic and Arab nations to take quick action at all levels to stand up for Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect the Muslim holy site from being desecrated and Judaized. There remains no justifications for remaining silent on this dangerous issue,” the statement added.Number of raids increasesThe number of Israeli settlers who raided al-Aqsa Mosque compound has increased compared to the previous year. The Israeli "Yara" association, which supports raids of the holy site, recently published a report claiming that the number of Israeli settlers who raided the compound last year was 22,200, while in the first six months that figure reached 22,206.Druze lawmakers challenge Nation-State lawIsraeli Druze members of the Knesset announced that they will lodge an appeal against a recent law recognizing Israel as the “nation-state of the Jewish people.”Three Druze lawmakers on Sunday joined a number of Druze groups in filing the first High Court of Justice petition against the Nation-State law. Akram Hasoon (Kulanu), Saleh Saad (Zionist Union) and Hamad Amar (Yisrael Beiteinu) led the petitioners challenging the divisive law.“I have no problem with the Jews and the fact that Israel is the state of the Jews. What about the Druze, who sacrificed and fought for Israel's sake, 240 of whom were killed and more than 1,200 injured during their service in the army?” MK Akram Hasson from Kulanu Party told Maariv daily on Sunday.The Druze lawmakers argue that the Nation-State law violates basic rights such as the right to equality, and deems that non-Jewish minorities have no status in Israel.Palestinian minor martyred by Israeli fire in West BankPalestinian Foreign Ministry calls on OICFollowing the mass raid, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the incident. In a statement released later on Sunday, the ministry expressed that the escalation was part of an Israeli plot to Judaize Jerusalem, establish the division of al-Aqsa Mosque, and attract more settlers to participate in the raids regularly with the aim of changing the legal and historical status quo in the holy site. The statement called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to act immediately.Israel’s Nation-State lawThe legislation further states that a “united Jerusalem” is the capital of Israel and that Hebrew is the country's official language, stripping Arabic of its earlier designation as an official language while recognizing its “special status.”It was approved by a vote of 62-55 in a tumultuous assembly session in which Arab lawmakers decried what they called “Israeli racism against the Arab minority.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, has hailed the legislation, describing its passage as a “defining moment for Zionism and Israel.”Turkey has denounced the legislation for trying to strip Palestinians of their rights.Israeli launches large-scale attack on GazaUsing tanks, warplanes, and artillery fire, on Friday the Israeli army launched a major attack on the Gaza Strip. The attack came a day after the Nation-State law was approved. A written Israeli army statement said the army launched a large-scale assault targeting military points allegedly belonging to Hamas.Palestinian dies of wounds from Israeli fire in GazaTwo Palestinians injured by Israeli airstrike in GazaMufti slams Jewish settlers' storming Al-Aqsa compoundOver 1,000 Jewish settlers converge on Al-Aqsa complex