Hagit Ofran

The following column is part of a series. For more, go to Liberal Zionists Speak Out.

When I was growing up in Jerusalem in the 1980s, the word "Zionism" was familiar to me mainly in two contexts. "The Zionist Movement" or "The Zionist Legacy" -- In the Pelech...

August 2nd, 2009. The Ghawi and Hannun families of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem are waking to the sounds of police and trucks and movers. In a few hours, their houses will have become the home to settler families, and they will be kicked out to...

Outposts are again taking center stage in the settlements debate, as the Netanyahu government announces two new policies aimed at legalizing illegal outposts. In doing so, the Netanyahu government is sending a clear signal that it values settlements over negotiations, and it prefers "Greater Israel" to peace.

In March the...

There is a sense of outrage within the Israeli public following the passing of "the boycott law" in the Knesset last week. The law allows any individual or institution who faces possible damage as a result of any person's call for boycott settlement products to sue that person....

Co-Authored by Lara Friedman

Two more houses in Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem taken over by settlers over the past two days, in the neighborhoods of Jabel Mukaber and A-Tur. Are these just routine settler provocations or something more? The answer is: both.

They are routine because settlers...

This morning it happened. The Palestinian residents were warning, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel published a detailed report on that threat and it was even reported in the Israeli media. But for the family of Samer Sarhan it will never help. Sarhan, 32...

Previous meetings between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu have been the occasion for some crises and embarrassments over the issue of settlements and East Jerusalem. This time, at the upcoming meeting, both sides want to finally have a good meeting, to be able to provide a hug...

"There is trouble in Silwan," M., a Palestinian friend living in Silwan, informed me last night by phone. Almost every evening over the last weeks there have been clashes in Silwan between police, guards, and residents. This time it sounded serious. M. reported on the injured and ambulances that were...

Co-authored by Lara Friedman

While all eyes are focused these days on Gaza, around the corner awaits another huge challenge to nascent peace efforts: the September 26th expiration of the settlement moratorium.

On that day the moratorium will expire automatically. Meaning that if the government simply does nothing,...

This picture is of an Israeli car yesterday in Tel Aviv. While the vast majority of the Israelis fly the Israeli flag on Independence Day, there has always been a strange trend in Israel of people, not necessarily American citizens, who fly the USA flag along with the Israeli flag....

One argument for Jewish settlement of East Jerusalem that is heard quite often is based on a principle of civil rights: Jews should be able to build their homes in East Jerusalem because Palestinians are able to build theirs in West Jerusalem. "There can't be a situation where only Jews...

On November 25, 2009, the Government of Israel announced a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction. From the outset it was clear that the impact of this decision would depend mainly on whether the government of Israel implemented the decision in good faith.

Now, three months into the...

Once again, even Americans can not stand up to a small group of settlers, who show - more often than not - that they have the last word on what takes place in the West Bank. This time, a small group of settlers insisted, and succeeded, to squash a plan...

Yesterday, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) visited Jerusalem, in what turned out to be another ordinary identification visit with Israel.

Jerusalem has been in the headlines in recent weeks with provocations and announcements of new Israeli settlement development and increasing tension in the...

Today was a historical day. The government of Netanyahu, the most extreme right wing government we have had in years, announced a total freeze of new construction in the settlements. It is hard to believe, but at least in terms of words and declarations, there is a settlement freeze;...

In Hebrew there is a famous verse that says: "The tongue holds the power of life and death." This is a reference to scripture, as God created the world by his speech - "let there be light" and so there was light, etc... Such is the positive power of words....

The talk and the press reports over the last few months about settlement construction and a settlement freeze have left many confused.

If you listen to the Americans, well, you don't learn much, since they aren't leaking anything about their talks with Netanyahu, Barak, Molcho, and Herzog. So all...

Last week, an incident that could have set the entire Middle East on fire was prevented. Netanyahu's secret plan to visit a disputed tunnel in the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, at the site known as Ir David (the City of David), was canceled, probably with some international...

Four months ago Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu walked out of his meeting with Obama pale faced. Apparently he did not expect such determination on the settlement issue. It took him a while to realize that he could not play the same games with the new administration that worked with...

Following the meeting between US Senator Mitchell and Israeli PM Netanyahu, it seems that Israel and the US are getting close to some kind of agreement or understanding about a settlement freeze.

A settlement freeze is one of the key factors in order to enable a resumption of peace talks.