the Knesset

Israelis hold mass pot protest by parliament

Jerusalem - Arab today

Hundreds of Israelis gathered on a grassy hill overlooking parliament on Thursday to smoke marijuana in an act of communal defiance of current laws. Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants lit up as the clock struck 4:20 pm for the local version of the traditional worldwide AprilRead more

Human Rights Watch Denied Work Permit Under the pretext Promoting ‘Propaganda’

Jerusalem - Arab Today

Israeli authorities denied Human Rights Watch’s application for a work permit for its Israel and Palestine director on the grounds that it is not a real human rights group, the organization said today. In its February 20, 2017 letter denying a work permit for Omar Shakir, the Interior Ministry cited an opinion received from the Foreign Ministry that Human RightsRead more

Canada ‘concerned’ by Israel’s settlement regulation law

Bethlehem - Arab Today

The Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday has expressed concerns regarding Israel’s settlement regulation law, which allows thousands of settler homes on private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. “Canada is very concerned … and we want to underline that this expansion of settlements is illegal under international law,” Freeland told reporters on a conference call. TheRead more

Rights groups to petition Israel’s High Court against regularization law

Ramallah - Arab Today

Two rights organizations said Wednesday that they are set to file a petition with the Israeli High Court against Israel’s new regularization law, which allows the state to expropriate private Palestinian lands in the West Bank for the purposes of settlement construction. The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, passed the regularization law on Monday. Its passage drew strong Palestinian, Arab andRead more

IOF cordon off Umm Al-Hiran in order to demolish it, again

Negev - Arab Today

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Wednesday morning have cordoned off the village of Umm Al-Hiran in the Negev desert, in order to demolish the mobile houses that were donated by the Popular committees in the Arab towns, in addition to the homes and solidarity tent. The tent was built three weeks ago, following the demolition of 12 homes and eightRead more

Israeli settlement bill legalizes theft of Palestinian land

Gaza - Arab Today

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemned the Israeli Knesset’s approval of the “Settlement Regulation Bill”, which allows the theft of Palestinian privately owned lands for the interest of settlement expansion in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. PCHR called upon the international community, particularly the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and High Contracting PartiesRead more

EU delays summit with Israel over settlement regularization bill

Bethlehem - Arab Today

Haaretz Israeli newspaper on Tuesday said that European diplomats noted that the summit with Israel, which was due on 28 February, had already been delayed for five years, following the settlement regularization bill which was passed in the Knesset late night on Monday. The diplomats, who reportedly preferred to remain anonymous due to the matter’s sensitivity, told Haaretz that duringRead more

Israel's parliament okays law legalizing Jewish outposts in West Bank

Jerusalem - Arab Today

Israel's parliament passed Monday a controversial law to retroactively legalize wildcat Jewish outposts built on private Palestinian lands, despite international condemnations and warnings that the law is unconstitutional. In a late-night session, the Knesset (parliament) approved the so-called "Regulation Bill" in a 60-52 vote. Under the new legislation, about 3,850 housing units in dozens of outposts built illegally on privatelyRead more

Palestinian MK to be indicted by Israel

Jerusalem - ArabToday

Israel’s attorney general has approved to indict a Palestinian member of the Knesset (MK), Israel’s parliament. He is accused of smuggling mobile phones to Palestinian prisoners, the regime’s justice ministry said on Thursday. Basel Ghattas of the Joint List, a coalition of Palestinian parties in parliament, was detained last month and has been under house arrest since December 27. HeRead more