‘They’ve incited hate’: The Democratic congresswoman taking on AIPAC
972 Mag

“Negative advertising is a constant dirty feature of American political life. But Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) was still surprised when her office showed her two Facebook advertisements published by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that directly targeted her and two of her colleagues, Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) — an unusual approach for an organization that has tried hard to keep Democrats on their side. The attack ads — one of which featured photos of McCollum, Tlaib and Omar — linked to a petition that called the congresswomen ‘anti-Semitic,’ and suggested that they were ‘maybe more sinister’ than militant groups such as ISIS and Hezbollah.” 

Image: Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) at the Rayburn House Office Building, in Washington, D.C., April 9, 2019. (Preston Keres/USDA)

Jordanian protesters reject Trump's Mideast plan, call for end to Jordan-Israel gas deal 
Haaretz

“Hundreds of Jordanians participated in a march in the downtown of the capital Amman on Friday (Feb. 14), protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump's U.S. Middle East peace plan commonly known as the ‘Deal of the Century.’ The protesters demanded the Jordanian Government show action against the Jordanian-Israeli Gas deal as well, calling for an end to the ‘deal of shame.’ The protests expressed that terminating the Gas deal will be the first real step for the Jordanian government towards the rejection of the Middle East peace plan which was announced by Trump last January.”

Image: A man shouts slogans during a protest against Trump's proposed Middle East peace plan, and a government's agreement to import natural gas from Israel, in Amman, Jordan, February 14, 2020. (Reuters/Muhammad Hamed)

US-Israeli sovereignty committee ready to work as Trump appoints members
JNS

“The joint U.S.-Israel committee tasked with mapping the areas to which Israel will extend its sovereignty under the Trump Mideast peace plan is ready to start working. A senior official in the U.S. administration confirmed to Israel Hayom that U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed to the committee U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Friedman’s senior adviser Aryeh Lightstone, and Scott Leith, director of Israeli and Palestinian affairs at the National Security Council. The appointments were announced a day after Israel announced its own appointments to the committee: Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer and Ronen Peretz, director of the Prime Minister’s Office.” 

Image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on the first night of Hanukkah, on Dec. 22, 2019. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

'Feels like prison': Palestinian family cut off from West Bank village by Israeli barrier
Reuters

“Israel began building its West Bank barrier in 2002 at the height of a Palestinian uprising, saying it aimed to stop attacks by bombers and gunmen in its cities. But the barrier’s circuitous route along and through the West Bank - Palestinians call it a land grab - slices through some Palestinian communities. In Hajajla’s case, it boxed him off from his village of Al-Walaja, near Bethlehem, part of West Bank territory Israel captured in a 1967 war. ‘Prison may be better than this, because even though I am at home, it feels like prison,’ said Hajajla, 53, who lives in the house with his wife and three children.” 

Image: Palestinian man Omar Hajajla, who is cut off with his family from the rest of their village by the Israeli wall, looks out of his house at the Israeli settlement of Gilo, in Al-Walaja village near Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma)

Saudi-Israeli relations to expand only after peace plan, FM says
J-Post

“‘Upgrading relations with Israel will occur only when a peace agreement is signed and is in accordance with Palestinian conditions,’  Saudi Arabia's new foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud noted on Saturday (Feb. 15) at the Munich Security Conference in response to a question from Maariv about Israel-Saudi relations. The Jerusalem Post's sister publication also asked whether improvements to the relationship would include a non-aggression pact as well as open and formal relations with the Arab Gulf states. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif complained at the conference that any violent action in the Middle East is now being blamed on Iran. He provided the example of how US President Donald Trump's peace plan has led to an increase in tensions and alleged violence against Israel and in the region, which he notes will be likely blamed on Tehran."

Image: Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud at 2020 Munich Security Conference. (MAARIV))

Amazon slammed for free shipping to Israeli settlements but not to Palestinian territories
Haaretz

“Amazon has been accused of bias for offering free shipping to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and not to Palestinian villages. The online retail giant began selling its international products in Israel late last year and offers free shipping on orders of $49 or more. But the address has to be listed as Israel. Residents of Palestinian communities who list their addresses as being in the ‘Palestinian Territories’ pay shipping and handling fees of as much as $24, the Financial Times reported. An Amazon spokesman, Nick Caplin, told the Financial Times that ‘if a customer within the Palestinian Territories enters their address and selects Israel as the country, they can receive free shipping through the same promotion.’”

Image: The West Bank village of al-Eizariya on the outskirts of East Jerusalem, February 11, 2020. (AFP)