Tensions between Israel & Palestine are escalating. After protests & clashes, rockets are now being exchanged between Israel & Hamas. Reports say, this is the biggest escalation since the 11-day war of 2021. Molly Gambhir explains.

Gravitas: Israel-Palestine tensions escalate

Israeli police and Palestinians clashed again at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday after police stormed the mosque. The fresh raid took place today, with Palestinians throwing stones at the Israeli police. To get more perspective, we're joined by Meir Javedanfar, a Middle East analyst and Akram Natsheh, Journalist.

Jerusalem: Fresh clashes between Israeli police & Palestinians

The conflict between Israel and Hamas is escalating. According to reports, the two sides have engaged in the biggest exchange of fire since the 2021 war. Israel carried out airstrikes in central Gaza.

Israel-Gaza violence: Ultra-nationalist demonstrators waved Israeli flags

Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza, biggest exchange of fire since 2021 war

Tensions continue to mount at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound as fresh clashes were reported recently. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the government is working to restore calm.

Al-Aqsa mosque: Israeli government to restore calm, says PM Bennett

The United States said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned" after violence in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The clashes at the mosque compound took place on the heels of three weeks of deadly violence in Israel and West Bank. Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police clashed at Al-Aqsa mosque on April 15. More than 150 people were wounded in the clashes.

"We call on all sides to exercise restraint (and) avoid provocative actions and rhetoric," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

"We urge Palestinian and Israeli officials to work cooperatively to lower tensions and ensure the safety of everyone."

As per Israeli police, dozens of masked men marched into Al-Aqsa and set off fireworks. This was followed by crowds hurling stones towards the Western Wall which is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray.

In the violence that erupted on April 15, most of the Palestinian injuries were due to rubber bullets, stun grenades and due to police baton

Al-Aqsa is third holiest site in Islam. The mosque is called Temple Mount by the Jews. This is a reference to two temples said to have stood there in antiquity.

The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned" after violence in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The clashes at the mosque compound took place on the heels of three weeks of deadly violence in Israel and West Bank.

The United States said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned" after violence in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The clashes at the mosque compound took place on the heels of three weeks of deadly violence in Israel and West Bank. Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police clashed at Al-Aqsa mosque on April 15. More than 150 people were wounded in the clashes. "We call on all sides to exercise restraint (and) avoid provocative actions and rhetoric," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. "We urge Palestinian and Israeli officials to work cooperatively to lower tensions and ensure the safety of everyone." As per Israeli police, dozens of masked men marched into Al-Aqsa and set off fireworks. This was followed by crowds hurling stones towards the Western Wall which is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray. In the violence that erupted on April 15, most of the Palestinian injuries were due to rubber bullets, stun grenades and due to police baton Al-Aqsa is third holiest site in Islam. The mosque is called Temple Mount by the Jews. This is a reference to two temples said to have stood there in antiquity. The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif. (With inputs from agencies)

US makes appeal for calm after Jerusalem violence

Tensions between Israel and Palestine have been on the rise in the last few weeks. At least 152 people have been injured in the Jerusalem clashes. Israeli cops have detained

Israel-Palestine: Israeli cops detain about 400 rioters

Violence broke out at Al Aqsa Mosque on the first day of the rare convergence of 3 festivals - Ramzan, Easter & Passover. The 3-hour-long clashes between Palestinians & Israeli police left over 150 injured & hundreds arrested. Molly Gambhir tells you what happened.

Gravitas: Israelis & Palestinians clash at Jerusalem's holy site

Tensions between Israel and Palestine have been on the rise in the last few weeks and yet again for the second year running during the holy month of Ramzan, the tension seemed to have boiled over. At least 100 people have been injured as the violence breaks out.

Violent clashes at Jerusalem Holy site, masked men enter Al-Aqsa Mosque

Hamas has instructed Palestinians in the West Bank and across Israel to go out in the hundreds of thousands to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. 36 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since January, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Israel-Palestine: Gaza residents worry about another war as tensions soar

Tensions are on the rise between the Israelis and the Palestinian people. According to the latest update, Israeli soldiers have shot dead three Palestinians including a 14-year-old boy in occupied west bank. Two teenagers and a lawyer were the ones who were shot dead by the Israeli police.

Palestinian lawyer, 2 teenagers killed in Israel-West Bank violence

At a landfill in southern Gaza, mounds of discarded batteries pile up, rusting cells that pose a growing health risk to Palestinians in the enclave. Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, has only one power plant that runs on diesel. Fuel deliveries are unreliable, largely due to the blockade. The plant was also bombed by Israeli fighter jets during a 2006 conflict with Hamas.

Mounds of old batteries threaten health of Gaza residents

Mukul Arya, India's representative to Palestine, was found dead inside the Indian post in Ramallah on Sunday.

The abrupt death of Arya, who was 36 years old, shocked India's Foreign Minister, S. Jaishankar.

"He was a bright and talented officer with so much before him. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones, " Jaishankar, said in a tweet.

The cause of his death was unknown at the time.&nbsp;

Many Indian officials who worked with him were also taken aback by the news of Arya's death.

"This is truly shocking. A wonderful colleague was snatched away so young. My deepest condolences to his family, "said TS Tirumurti, India's ambassador to the United Nations, who also previously served as a representative to Palestine.

According to the Palestinian foreign ministry, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh have ordered security and police personnel, as well as forensic experts, to immediately deploy to the Indian representative's apartment to closely monitor the case.

It stated that in such tough circumstances, all parties were fully prepared to do what was required.

In a statement, the ministry said it was in contact with Indian authorities about conveying the envoy's body.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Mukul Arya, India's representative to Palestine, was found dead inside the Indian post in Ramallah on Sunday. The abrupt death of Arya, who was 36 years old, shocked India's Foreign Minister, S.

Mukul Arya, India's representative to Palestine, was found dead inside the Indian post in Ramallah on Sunday. The abrupt death of Arya, who was 36 years old, shocked India's Foreign Minister, S. Jaishankar. "He was a bright and talented officer with so much before him. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones, " Jaishankar, said in a tweet. The cause of his death was unknown at the time. Many Indian officials who worked with him were also taken aback by the news of Arya's death. "This is truly shocking. A wonderful colleague was snatched away so young. My deepest condolences to his family, "said TS Tirumurti, India's ambassador to the United Nations, who also previously served as a representative to Palestine. According to the Palestinian foreign ministry, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh have ordered security and police personnel, as well as forensic experts, to immediately deploy to the Indian representative's apartment to closely monitor the case. It stated that in such tough circumstances, all parties were fully prepared to do what was required. In a statement, the ministry said it was in contact with Indian authorities about conveying the envoy's body. (With inputs from agencies)

Mukul Arya, India's envoy to Palestine, found dead at office

India's external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar will embark on a two-day visit to Palestine's Ramallah on March 8.

The key focus of his visit will be the India-Palestine Joint commission meeting (JCM) which he will co-chair along with his Palestinian counterpart Riad al-Maliki. This is Dr Jaishankar's first-ever visit to Ramallah in his capacity as External Affairs Minister. During the visit, EAM will also call on Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.&nbsp;

A joint commission meet (JCM) took place in November 2016. In January 2016, the then EAM Sushma Swaraj had visited Palestine and met President Abbas, Foreign minister Riad. During her visit, she inaugurated India Palestine digital learning and innovation center at Al Quds University, Ramallah.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/palestines-pm-seeks-indias-support-at-international-forums-427083">Also read |&nbsp;Palestine's PM seeks India's support at international forums</a>

During this visit as well, EAM Jaishankar is expected to inaugurate a $5 million technopark project. While India continues to support the Palestinian cause at bilateral and international levels, New Delhi has been extending economic assistance to the Palestinian people. Two schools were built in Palestine in 2015 through Indian aid. Indian govt has set up an India-Palestine Centre of Excellence in ICT and Innovation in Al Quds University, Abu Dis in 2015 and another ICT center in Ramallah in 2016.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the&nbsp;de jure&nbsp;sovereign state on February 10, 2018. Before that, the then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee had paid a visit in October 2015. During President's 2015 visit, India had announced five projects worth $17.79 million, which included a Palestine India Techno Park in Ramallah and Palestine Institute of Diplomacy.&nbsp;

Indian PM Modi has been bestowed with the highest Palestinian award of the “Grand Collar of the State of Palestine”.&nbsp;New Delhi has also increased its annual contribution towards UN Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) from USD 1.25 Million to USD 5 Million in the backdrop of the financial crisis being faced by the UN agency.

The visit to Palestine will see EAM visiting other countries in the region, with an expected in-person West Asian Quad meet on the anvil. The west Asian quad includes UAE, India, Israel, and the US, also known as I2, U2 is expected to hold an in-person meeting in Dubai. This means, US Secretary of state Blinken, Israeli FM will also visit the country. But with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, things could drastically change as worries continue over Russian President Putin's ongoing military offensive. The west Asian quad last met virtually, during EAM's Israel visit last year and since then all sides have appointed a nodal person who will coordinate from each country on various issues, primarily economic.&nbsp;

This year, EAM has already visited,&nbsp;Indo Pacific region with visits to Australia, the Philippines, to Europe with visit to Germany and France. But the first visit he made this year was to Qatar, in west Asia.

India's external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar will embark on a two-day visit to Palestine's Ramallah on March 8. The key focus of his visit will be the India-Palestine Joint commission meeting (JCM) which he will co-chair along with his Palestinian counterpart Riad al-Maliki.

India's external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar will embark on a two-day visit to Palestine's Ramallah on March 8. The key focus of his visit will be the India-Palestine Joint commission meeting (JCM) which he will co-chair along with his Palestinian counterpart Riad al-Maliki. This is Dr Jaishankar's first-ever visit to Ramallah in his capacity as External Affairs Minister. During the visit, EAM will also call on Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. A joint commission meet (JCM) took place in November 2016. In January 2016, the then EAM Sushma Swaraj had visited Palestine and met President Abbas, Foreign minister Riad. During her visit, she inaugurated India Palestine digital learning and innovation center at Al Quds University, Ramallah. Also read | Palestine's PM seeks India's support at international forums During this visit as well, EAM Jaishankar is expected to inaugurate a $5 million technopark project. While India continues to support the Palestinian cause at bilateral and international levels, New Delhi has been extending economic assistance to the Palestinian people. Two schools were built in Palestine in 2015 through Indian aid. Indian govt has set up an India-Palestine Centre of Excellence in ICT and Innovation in Al Quds University, Abu Dis in 2015 and another ICT center in Ramallah in 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the de jure sovereign state on February 10, 2018. Before that, the then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee had paid a visit in October 2015. During President's 2015 visit, India had announced five projects worth $17.79 million, which included a Palestine India Techno Park in Ramallah and Palestine Institute of Diplomacy. Indian PM Modi has been bestowed with the highest Palestinian award of the “Grand Collar of the State of Palestine”. New Delhi has also increased its annual contribution towards UN Relief and Works Agency in the Near East (UNRWA) from USD 1.25 Million to USD 5 Million in the backdrop of the financial crisis being faced by the UN agency. The visit to Palestine will see EAM visiting other countries in the region, with an expected in-person West Asian Quad meet on the anvil. The west Asian quad includes UAE, India, Israel, and the US, also known as I2, U2 is expected to hold an in-person meeting in Dubai. This means, US Secretary of state Blinken, Israeli FM will also visit the country. But with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, things could drastically change as worries continue over Russian President Putin's ongoing military offensive. The west Asian quad last met virtually, during EAM's Israel visit last year and since then all sides have appointed a nodal person who will coordinate from each country on various issues, primarily economic. This year, EAM has already visited, Indo Pacific region with visits to Australia, the Philippines, to Europe with visit to Germany and France. But the first visit he made this year was to Qatar, in west Asia.

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to visit Palestine on March 8

President Mahmoud Abbas has packed PLO with loyalists. The succession struggle looms over the PLO. Meanwhile, Palestinians haven't been to the ballot box for 16 years.

Palestinian politics in a gridlock: Mahmoud Abbas accused of maintaining a tight grip over PLO

Three Israeli military commanders have been disciplined after an investigation into the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man who was detained, gagged and handcuffed by Israeli soldiers in a night raid on his village last month.

An autopsy showed that the man, Omar Abdelmajed Assad, died from a stress-induced heart attack brought on by injuries sustained while he was detained for about an hour on Jan. 12 by dozens of Israeli soldiers.

The commander of the Netzah Yehuda, the Jewish ultra-Orthodox battalion which conducted the raid on the village, will be reprimanded and the platoon and company commanders will both be removed from their positions. They will not serve in commanding roles for two years, according to the military.

“The incident showed a clear lapse of moral judgment,” the Israeli military’s chief of general staff said in a statement released late Monday that summed up the conclusions of an investigation by the military’s central command. “The investigation concluded that the incident was a grave and unfortunate event, resulting from a moral failure and poor decision-making on the part of the soldiers.”

The statement, in which Assad’s full name was rendered incorrectly, said the Israeli military deeply regretted his death, but stopped short of apologizing for it.

Assad’s family and human rights groups said the punishments were too light and fit a pattern of impunity for Israelis who kill Palestinians.

“It’s not enough,” said Mohanad Assad, Assad’s 39-year-old cousin. “They need to be tried in international courts.”

The Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, has long dismissed Israeli military investigations into the killings of Palestinians as whitewashing.

But the Israeli military has called those allegations “ridiculous” and said it has proved repeatedly that its investigations are independent and professional.

One example of an investigation that critics say reflects a pattern of impunity was linked to the 2014 war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, when an airstrike killed four boys playing on a beach, prompting international condemnation. An Israeli military investigation resulted in no criminal charges or disciplinary actions against those involved in airstrikes during that war, including the two that killed the boys.

Assad was driving home around 3 a.m. after a night playing cards and drinking coffee at a relative’s house when he was detained near his home in the village of Jiljilya in the occupied West Bank. Immediately after soldiers left the scene, he was found face down and unresponsive with a blindfold still on, according to witnesses and his doctor, who said he died while in Israeli custody.

Initially, the Israeli military said Assad had been alive when he was released.

The soldiers did not identify signs of distress or see anything of concern regarding Assad’s health before they left, according to the investigation, saying they believed he was sleeping. But the investigation found that the “soldiers failed in their obligations by leaving Assad lying on the floor without the required treatment and without reporting the incident back to their commanders.”

His death brought renewed scrutiny on Israel from its closest ally, the United States, which called for a thorough investigation. Assad was a U.S. citizen with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren living in the United States. His family and several members of Congress have demanded that the United States conduct its own independent investigation.

In addition to the central command’s investigation, a separate criminal investigation by the Israeli military police is still ongoing.

Assad’s autopsy was conducted by the coroner for the Palestinian Authority, which is also conducting its own investigation into Mr. Assad’s death. The authority administers parts of the West Bank but even in Palestinian villages like Jiljilya, Israeli forces regularly carry out raids and operations aimed at thwarting attacks.

Assad’s life and death mirrored the daily perils faced by Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, including the fear of being detained in nighttime raids or arrested at home.

According to the investigation, soldiers were in Jiljilya that morning to thwart terrorist activities and seize weapons and as part of that operation, they stopped Assad’s vehicle. Assad refused to cooperate with their security check.

In response, he was detained with his hands bound and his mouth gagged for a short time, according to the investigation.

Dr. Islam Abu Zaher, who attempted to resuscitate Assad after the Israeli soldiers hurriedly left the village, said his face was blue and had been cut off from oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes.

The central command investigation found that soldiers did not use violence against Assad “apart from when Assad was apprehended after refusing to cooperate.”

These findings contradict a preliminary conclusion from the Palestinian investigation, which determined that he had been “severely beaten” and “subjected to harsh treatment and violence.”

The autopsy found that Assad had bruises on his head as a result of traumatic brain injuries, without concluding what may have caused those injuries. There was also internal bleeding in his eyelids from being blindfolded tightly as well as other bruises on his arms and red welts on his wrists from zip ties.

Another man who was detained by the same soldiers said that as soon as they left, he went to Assad and found him unresponsive. Abu Zaher was immediately called and tried to revive him with CPR and a defibrillator.

Assad had open-heart surgery and several stents implanted about four years ago, according to Abu Zaher. He was also being treated for obstructive pulmonary disease in recent months.

Three Israeli military commanders have been disciplined after an investigation into the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man who was detained, gagged and handcuffed by Israeli soldiers in a night raid on his village last month.

Three Israeli military commanders have been disciplined after an investigation into the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man who was detained, gagged and handcuffed by Israeli soldiers in a night raid on his village last month. An autopsy showed that the man, Omar Abdelmajed Assad, died from a stress-induced heart attack brought on by injuries sustained while he was detained for about an hour on Jan. 12 by dozens of Israeli soldiers. The commander of the Netzah Yehuda, the Jewish ultra-Orthodox battalion which conducted the raid on the village, will be reprimanded and the platoon and company commanders will both be removed from their positions. They will not serve in commanding roles for two years, according to the military. “The incident showed a clear lapse of moral judgment,” the Israeli military’s chief of general staff said in a statement released late Monday that summed up the conclusions of an investigation by the military’s central command. “The investigation concluded that the incident was a grave and unfortunate event, resulting from a moral failure and poor decision-making on the part of the soldiers.” The statement, in which Assad’s full name was rendered incorrectly, said the Israeli military deeply regretted his death, but stopped short of apologizing for it. Assad’s family and human rights groups said the punishments were too light and fit a pattern of impunity for Israelis who kill Palestinians. “It’s not enough,” said Mohanad Assad, Assad’s 39-year-old cousin. “They need to be tried in international courts.” The Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, has long dismissed Israeli military investigations into the killings of Palestinians as whitewashing. But the Israeli military has called those allegations “ridiculous” and said it has proved repeatedly that its investigations are independent and professional. One example of an investigation that critics say reflects a pattern of impunity was linked to the 2014 war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, when an airstrike killed four boys playing on a beach, prompting international condemnation. An Israeli military investigation resulted in no criminal charges or disciplinary actions against those involved in airstrikes during that war, including the two that killed the boys. Assad was driving home around 3 a.m. after a night playing cards and drinking coffee at a relative’s house when he was detained near his home in the village of Jiljilya in the occupied West Bank. Immediately after soldiers left the scene, he was found face down and unresponsive with a blindfold still on, according to witnesses and his doctor, who said he died while in Israeli custody. Initially, the Israeli military said Assad had been alive when he was released. The soldiers did not identify signs of distress or see anything of concern regarding Assad’s health before they left, according to the investigation, saying they believed he was sleeping. But the investigation found that the “soldiers failed in their obligations by leaving Assad lying on the floor without the required treatment and without reporting the incident back to their commanders.” His death brought renewed scrutiny on Israel from its closest ally, the United States, which called for a thorough investigation. Assad was a U.S. citizen with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren living in the United States. His family and several members of Congress have demanded that the United States conduct its own independent investigation. In addition to the central command’s investigation, a separate criminal investigation by the Israeli military police is still ongoing. Assad’s autopsy was conducted by the coroner for the Palestinian Authority, which is also conducting its own investigation into Mr. Assad’s death. The authority administers parts of the West Bank but even in Palestinian villages like Jiljilya, Israeli forces regularly carry out raids and operations aimed at thwarting attacks. Assad’s life and death mirrored the daily perils faced by Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, including the fear of being detained in nighttime raids or arrested at home. According to the investigation, soldiers were in Jiljilya that morning to thwart terrorist activities and seize weapons and as part of that operation, they stopped Assad’s vehicle. Assad refused to cooperate with their security check. In response, he was detained with his hands bound and his mouth gagged for a short time, according to the investigation. Dr. Islam Abu Zaher, who attempted to resuscitate Assad after the Israeli soldiers hurriedly left the village, said his face was blue and had been cut off from oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes. The central command investigation found that soldiers did not use violence against Assad “apart from when Assad was apprehended after refusing to cooperate.” These findings contradict a preliminary conclusion from the Palestinian investigation, which determined that he had been “severely beaten” and “subjected to harsh treatment and violence.” The autopsy found that Assad had bruises on his head as a result of traumatic brain injuries, without concluding what may have caused those injuries. There was also internal bleeding in his eyelids from being blindfolded tightly as well as other bruises on his arms and red welts on his wrists from zip ties. Another man who was detained by the same soldiers said that as soon as they left, he went to Assad and found him unresponsive. Abu Zaher was immediately called and tried to revive him with CPR and a defibrillator. Assad had open-heart surgery and several stents implanted about four years ago, according to Abu Zaher. He was also being treated for obstructive pulmonary disease in recent months.

Israeli commanders disciplined in death of Palestinian-American man

Former deputy prime minister of Israel Natan Sharansky in an exclusive interview with Wion opined that&nbsp;western world was right to warn Russia against invading Ukraine. He maintained that Israel had good relations with both, Ukraine and Russia.

Natan Sharansky was the figurehead of the worldwide human rights campaign to free Jews from Soviet Russia. At the time, Jews there weren’t allowed to practise Jewish life – or to emigrate.

Having spent 9 years in prison for his activism, Sharansky himself was finally freed in 1986.

He immediately moved to Israel, where he went on to become a minister in 5 different governments, including serving as deputy prime minister.

Our correspondent, Jodie Cohen, brings you this exclusive interview for WION…

Wion: Natan Sharansky, you went from the depths of a Soviet prison to becoming Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, and winning numerous awards across your lifetime. With the world currently facing difficult times because of the pandemic, what do you think gave you such resilience?

Sharansky: In Soviet Union, there was a totalitarian regime which wanted to deprive people of any independence. The way to do it was to deprive people of their identities. So I grew up having no freedom and no identity. Being Jewish, (there was) nothing Jewish in our lives. No holiday, no tradition or religion or language, nothing. There was a lot of anti-semitism. And (there was) no freedom.&nbsp;

And then Israel secured victories against Arab regimes. You learn a lot in underground movements about this unique history, the people and the country, and you want to be part of it. The discovery of things bigger than yourself gives you strength to start speaking publicly and to fight for your rights. And that's how I became official spokesperson of two movements, Jewish movement and human rights movement.

When you get arrested, (you get) this feeling of yourself being part of a very important historical struggle, and that your people are together with you. And then somehow you make yourself feel that the struggle of your people depends on you saying 'no' to KGB. That's what gives you strength. And ofcourse KGB tried to convince me that everything was lost and nobody was ready to fight for you. And then you convince yourself that your people continue to struggle.

So it's mainly a struggle of your imagination against their lies and feeling that your life is more meaningful than simply your survival. Your identity and your freedom are very important.

Wion: You spent about half your time in prison in solitary confinement. With Christmas approaching, and people all over the world having to isolate because of COVID-19, what tips do you have for people finding it hard to cope in quarantine?

Sharansky: First of all, We are in a big struggle for the health of humanity and each of us has a role. We can deliver the victory together. So realising that there is sense, there is meaning (to all of this) helps.

Secondly, try to keep your sense of humour. I always enjoyed laughing at my prison guards showing them absurdity of their regime by making jokes about Soviet leaders. They couldn't even laugh because they were afraid to laugh.&nbsp;

As long as you can laugh when it is funny, you are free. So internet has lot of jokes about our situation. Enjoy the jokes.

Thirdly, don't make plans which don't depend on you. For example, don't say something like when all of this is over I will go to America. It doesn't depend on you, whether you can or cannot go. Then you feel even more depressed. Make plans that depend on you.

For example, say I will learn a new language next month. I will read books which I wanted to read but didn't have time. This depends on you.

In prison, it was very important to not make plans about your survival. Your survival doesn't depend on you. But make plans to stand and say no to KGB and think that you will be a free person on the last moment of your life.

So make plans for which you can take full responsibility, and then deliver.&nbsp;

Wion: Hundreds of thousands of people marched united in Washington to stand up for Jews from Soviet Russia. Today in the US, Israel and across the world, politics is increasingly polariseD. What lessons can be learned from the unity of the campaign to free Soviet Jews?

Sharansky: That campaign was extremely powerful. They marched not just to free Soviet Jews but also to bring down the iron curtain. The Soviet Union couldn't survive, it fell apart. So it was a victory against the most powerful totalitarian regime in the world. And this was possible because us, a small group of dissidents in the Soviet Union were supported by Jews from different walks of life and also other people who were interested in (supporting) human rights.

They marched with Martin Luther King and then they fought for our human rights. We also received support from those interested in freedom of those teaching Judaism. People from left to right (in the political spectrum) could understand why it was in their interest to press Soviet Union on the issue of human rights. So it was really very important that there was a common ground.&nbsp;

The problem today is that even in the most obvious battles like battle against anti-Semitism, the confrontation between the left and the right that left is ready to see anto-Semitism among the right but not among themselves.

(Fight against) Hatred towards other religions and anti-Semitism must unite us all, left and right, and we all have to fight these prejudices in our own camps. This is quite a challenge, how to overcome political differences and unite ourselves for fight for freedom.

Wion: In 2018, you won the Israel Prize for your contributions to the State of Israel in the fields of Immigration and Absorption. This included setting up a political party to help integrate the 1 million Soviet Jews who moved to Israel. What can you tell us from your experience about the best way to integrate immigrants into society?

Sharansky: First of all, Israel is really a unique country because usually a country creates diaspora. In case of Israel, diaspora created Israel. They created their own state which existed two thousand years ago. So these are the people who came from very different diasporas.

Secondly, our victory over the territorial regime of Soviet Union brought the unique fact that 1 million Jews came from Soviet Union to Israel. Israel at the time was a country of 6 million people. It was a big change. It was very cometitive. People who became professionals, elite in a country of 200 million people, they came to a small country. So suddenly, number of doctors doubled (there were) engineers, 10 times more musicians and so on. So it was difficult.

But what was critical was that we understood we had to give voice to new immigrants. That's why we created a party of new immigrants. We entered the Knesset. Many immigrants were not well conversant in Hebrew, but they worked in government, municipalities are were taking decisions along with rest of country. That proved to be the best way of integration.

And if you look now, one generation later, (you can see) unbelievable example of successful integration. They are very comfortable in all walks of society.

Wion: Moving to Israel now. You became Deputy Prime Minister just after the Camp David peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down - in hindsight, why do you think they broke down? In your books on democracy, you’ve argued that there can never be peace until there are ‘real democratic institutions in Palestinian society’. Do you see signs for optimism today?

Sharansky: Well, I definitely see signs of optimism today. And they think that we lost a lot of time trying to build peace process through Oslo agreement. At that moment in 1993 when we signed the Oslo agreement, everybody was happy to see the picture of Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton. Two weeks after this I wrote my first article against this. Why? Because our prime minister said that it was very good that Yasser Arafat was a dictator. Without free press, human rights organisations, supreme court, he will defeat terrorism of Hamas.

I wrote in my article that as dictators, these people would need us as their enemies....For Yasser Arafat there will be no other enemy but us. So we have to be insistent that Yasser Arafat has free press, human rights organisations and supreme court (in Palestine). What happened in Oslo brought Yasser Arafat from Tunis to Palestine and it told Palestinians that he was their leader. And he destroyed all beginnings of (establishment of) human rights.

And that's why I was very critical. I never believed that this type of process of creating our own, or encouraging our own (principles) among Palestinians would bring peace.

I am more optimistic now. Because Abraham Accords between Israel and number of countries are based on people-to-people connections. Public opinion in Egypt continues to be extremely hostile to Israel. Same in Jordan. (But) The leaders are encouraging contact between people, businesses, cultures. It inevitably will also include Palestinians.

And then when those Palestinian leaders who will choose to recognise how important it is to use this, to build their own civil institutions, to build joint ventures with Israelis, they will become leaders of future Palestinian state which will make peace with us. Only the state in which people and leaders are interested to make peace can be our partner. So yes I am much more optimistic than I was before.

Wion: As a human rights activist, you’ve won numerous awards including, in 2006, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Israel often faces criticism for its human rights record. In your opinion, is this criticism fair?

Sharansky: Israel, like every democratic country, should be open to criticism. Israel has a challenge of constantly fighting for its right to exist and also uphold human rights. For example, how to minimise casualties among civilians while fighting terror. Israel surely has this challenge and has more and more reasons to think about it. And as one who has been trying to solve this problem from all sides, I can say that we have this problem and we are dealing with this at least as good if not better than all other democratic countries.

Criticism is ok. But when criticism turns into demonisation of Israel, denying right of Israel to exist, applying double standards, that is anti-Semitism.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, people in the free world, without realising are helping those who want to destroy us by agreeing with all sorts of extreme demonisation. For example, I hear some respectable western leader who says that I was in a refugee camp of Palestinians. This is the Auschwitz of today.

This is typical demonisation.

What does a refugee camp have to do with Auschwitz? Anyone who was in Auschwitz knows what a hell it was. It has nothing to do with poor neighbourhoods of Palestinians.

This is one of millions of examples of demonisation of Israel. These are clear double standards.

China is erasing whole cultures in Tibet and that of Uyghurs. Awful things are happening in Chechenya or in Africa.&nbsp;

Amid all this, the only conflict that becomes symbol of human rights (violations) is that between Israel and Palestinians. These are clear double standards.

Wion: You were a child chess prodigy, and even beat the world chess champion in 1996! There is another Israeli who is also known to be a master strategist, and that is former PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. A) Would he beat you at chess? And B) Do you think he’ll be able to manoevre his way to becoming prime minister again?

 
Sharansky: First of all, Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) is not a bad chess player. He once drew with me and I don't know which other Israeli politician can do that.

He is not oustanding, but by the standards of politicians, he is a good chess player.

As to the political chess, Netanyahu is a friend. When I was in prison, he was a young diplomat in Washington. He was very inventive in giving ideas about how our struggle against the Soviet Union can be amplified.

And then when I was in government, I could see how he fought for an open Israeli economy, for removal of old socialist restrictions. And at the same time. For 20 years he was a fierce voice, sometimes a lonely one, against Iran.&nbsp;

When such a person stays in power for so many years, it appears somehow that for the future of the country this person should stay in power. But let's not bet about democracy let's not bet over a person.

So I do reach out to my friend Netanyahu to strengthen his heritage. (But I don't want him to be complacent).

Today's political situation is unstable because we have a government that has the majority of 1 vote in the Knesset. This makes it very difficult to take any serious decision. There needs to be effort from both sides to build a government that will have a much broader platform.

Wion: Moving to geopolitics. You were born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union…today there is great tension between the Ukraine and Russia. Israel has just celebrated 30 years of ties with the Ukraine, and it also has ties with Russia. How can it continue to balance relations with both Ukraine and Russia going forward?

Sharansky: First of all, we have good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. There is no KGB today controlling minds of the people, there are no&nbsp;Gulags with millions of people dying there.

Having said this, I feel sorry that President Putin, who has very good relations with Israel, is restricting democracy and freedom in Russia.

Russia's annexation of Crimea was a violation of Helsinki agreement that said that borders will not change by way of war. I think this is very unfortunate.

I think the free world is right in warning Russia against invading Ukraine. At the same time I understand the difficulty of Israeli leaders who have to lead war against Iran and Iran's presence in Syria.

Unfortunately, Syrian airspace and territory is controlled by Russia. Giving away control in Syria, doing nothing when Syria was using chemical weapons and allowing strong Russian presence in Syria was a mistake from President Obama.

As a result, when we have to fight Iranian presence in Syria, we have to co-ordinate with Russia. So our leaders, when they are critical of Russia, they have to be cautious in choosing their tone, words and actions

Wion: You’re currently chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy – with the pandemic there has been a new trend of Covid-related anti-Semitism. What can you tell us about this, and what is being done to counter it?

Sharansky: This is something very new, anti-Semitism and Covid. It is continuation of same policy of anti-Semites for 3000 years. Jews were presented as symbol of the evil, so everything bad was connected with Jews. (It was said that) Jews were responsible for Capitalism and they were also responsible for Marxism. They were held responsible for establishing regimes and destroying regimes.

Today we see two types of accusations. First is, Jews are making money through Covid pandemic. Second is, Jews helped China to keep Covid a secret. Jews didn't tell the world because they wanted to do business using pandemic. All of this is nonsense. But when some absolute nonsense is repeated many times on the internet, more and more people start believing it.

Only way to fight this is through a fight against demonisation of Jewish people and of Jewish state on all fronts simultaneously, on the left, on the right, religious, secular, everywhere.

After all, we are Jews and we are very proud of it.&nbsp;

I was very happy when I received the Genesis Prize. I donated the prize amount, one million dollars for fight against Covid. Many Jewish people and organisations are doing excellent work in this field.&nbsp;

Wion: You most recently served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which seeks to unite and educate Jews across the world…This is seen as a unifying role, and of course there is one other major unifying role in Israel, and that is the president. Would you like to become President of Israel one day?

Sharansky: I am very happy and lucky that I got the opportunity to lead the struggle for Soviet Jews, the struggle to bring down the iron cutrain, the struggle for integration of Soviet Jews and many other good opportunities. But everybody has to know where he can contribute. It is great, the position of president of Israel is noble. But (there are) many speeches, many performances and many receptions every day, I don't think I can be good in it.

Former deputy prime minister of Israel Natan Sharansky in an exclusive interview with Wion opined that western world was right to warn Russia against invading Ukraine.

Former deputy prime minister of Israel Natan Sharansky in an exclusive interview with Wion opined that western world was right to warn Russia against invading Ukraine. He maintained that Israel had good relations with both, Ukraine and Russia. Natan Sharansky was the figurehead of the worldwide human rights campaign to free Jews from Soviet Russia. At the time, Jews there weren’t allowed to practise Jewish life – or to emigrate. Having spent 9 years in prison for his activism, Sharansky himself was finally freed in 1986. He immediately moved to Israel, where he went on to become a minister in 5 different governments, including serving as deputy prime minister. Our correspondent, Jodie Cohen, brings you this exclusive interview for WION… Wion: Natan Sharansky, you went from the depths of a Soviet prison to becoming Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, and winning numerous awards across your lifetime. With the world currently facing difficult times because of the pandemic, what do you think gave you such resilience? Sharansky: In Soviet Union, there was a totalitarian regime which wanted to deprive people of any independence. The way to do it was to deprive people of their identities. So I grew up having no freedom and no identity. Being Jewish, (there was) nothing Jewish in our lives. No holiday, no tradition or religion or language, nothing. There was a lot of anti-semitism. And (there was) no freedom. And then Israel secured victories against Arab regimes. You learn a lot in underground movements about this unique history, the people and the country, and you want to be part of it. The discovery of things bigger than yourself gives you strength to start speaking publicly and to fight for your rights. And that's how I became official spokesperson of two movements, Jewish movement and human rights movement. When you get arrested, (you get) this feeling of yourself being part of a very important historical struggle, and that your people are together with you. And then somehow you make yourself feel that the struggle of your people depends on you saying 'no' to KGB. That's what gives you strength. And ofcourse KGB tried to convince me that everything was lost and nobody was ready to fight for you. And then you convince yourself that your people continue to struggle. So it's mainly a struggle of your imagination against their lies and feeling that your life is more meaningful than simply your survival. Your identity and your freedom are very important. Wion: You spent about half your time in prison in solitary confinement. With Christmas approaching, and people all over the world having to isolate because of COVID-19, what tips do you have for people finding it hard to cope in quarantine? Sharansky: First of all, We are in a big struggle for the health of humanity and each of us has a role. We can deliver the victory together. So realising that there is sense, there is meaning (to all of this) helps. Secondly, try to keep your sense of humour. I always enjoyed laughing at my prison guards showing them absurdity of their regime by making jokes about Soviet leaders. They couldn't even laugh because they were afraid to laugh. As long as you can laugh when it is funny, you are free. So internet has lot of jokes about our situation. Enjoy the jokes. Thirdly, don't make plans which don't depend on you. For example, don't say something like when all of this is over I will go to America. It doesn't depend on you, whether you can or cannot go. Then you feel even more depressed. Make plans that depend on you. For example, say I will learn a new language next month. I will read books which I wanted to read but didn't have time. This depends on you. In prison, it was very important to not make plans about your survival. Your survival doesn't depend on you. But make plans to stand and say no to KGB and think that you will be a free person on the last moment of your life. So make plans for which you can take full responsibility, and then deliver. Wion: Hundreds of thousands of people marched united in Washington to stand up for Jews from Soviet Russia. Today in the US, Israel and across the world, politics is increasingly polariseD. What lessons can be learned from the unity of the campaign to free Soviet Jews? Sharansky: That campaign was extremely powerful. They marched not just to free Soviet Jews but also to bring down the iron curtain. The Soviet Union couldn't survive, it fell apart. So it was a victory against the most powerful totalitarian regime in the world. And this was possible because us, a small group of dissidents in the Soviet Union were supported by Jews from different walks of life and also other people who were interested in (supporting) human rights. They marched with Martin Luther King and then they fought for our human rights. We also received support from those interested in freedom of those teaching Judaism. People from left to right (in the political spectrum) could understand why it was in their interest to press Soviet Union on the issue of human rights. So it was really very important that there was a common ground. The problem today is that even in the most obvious battles like battle against anti-Semitism, the confrontation between the left and the right that left is ready to see anto-Semitism among the right but not among themselves. (Fight against) Hatred towards other religions and anti-Semitism must unite us all, left and right, and we all have to fight these prejudices in our own camps. This is quite a challenge, how to overcome political differences and unite ourselves for fight for freedom. Wion: In 2018, you won the Israel Prize for your contributions to the State of Israel in the fields of Immigration and Absorption. This included setting up a political party to help integrate the 1 million Soviet Jews who moved to Israel. What can you tell us from your experience about the best way to integrate immigrants into society? Sharansky: First of all, Israel is really a unique country because usually a country creates diaspora. In case of Israel, diaspora created Israel. They created their own state which existed two thousand years ago. So these are the people who came from very different diasporas. Secondly, our victory over the territorial regime of Soviet Union brought the unique fact that 1 million Jews came from Soviet Union to Israel. Israel at the time was a country of 6 million people. It was a big change. It was very cometitive. People who became professionals, elite in a country of 200 million people, they came to a small country. So suddenly, number of doctors doubled (there were) engineers, 10 times more musicians and so on. So it was difficult. But what was critical was that we understood we had to give voice to new immigrants. That's why we created a party of new immigrants. We entered the Knesset. Many immigrants were not well conversant in Hebrew, but they worked in government, municipalities are were taking decisions along with rest of country. That proved to be the best way of integration. And if you look now, one generation later, (you can see) unbelievable example of successful integration. They are very comfortable in all walks of society. Wion: Moving to Israel now. You became Deputy Prime Minister just after the Camp David peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down - in hindsight, why do you think they broke down? In your books on democracy, you’ve argued that there can never be peace until there are ‘real democratic institutions in Palestinian society’. Do you see signs for optimism today? Sharansky: Well, I definitely see signs of optimism today. And they think that we lost a lot of time trying to build peace process through Oslo agreement. At that moment in 1993 when we signed the Oslo agreement, everybody was happy to see the picture of Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton. Two weeks after this I wrote my first article against this. Why? Because our prime minister said that it was very good that Yasser Arafat was a dictator. Without free press, human rights organisations, supreme court, he will defeat terrorism of Hamas. I wrote in my article that as dictators, these people would need us as their enemies....For Yasser Arafat there will be no other enemy but us. So we have to be insistent that Yasser Arafat has free press, human rights organisations and supreme court (in Palestine). What happened in Oslo brought Yasser Arafat from Tunis to Palestine and it told Palestinians that he was their leader. And he destroyed all beginnings of (establishment of) human rights. And that's why I was very critical. I never believed that this type of process of creating our own, or encouraging our own (principles) among Palestinians would bring peace. I am more optimistic now. Because Abraham Accords between Israel and number of countries are based on people-to-people connections. Public opinion in Egypt continues to be extremely hostile to Israel. Same in Jordan. (But) The leaders are encouraging contact between people, businesses, cultures. It inevitably will also include Palestinians. And then when those Palestinian leaders who will choose to recognise how important it is to use this, to build their own civil institutions, to build joint ventures with Israelis, they will become leaders of future Palestinian state which will make peace with us. Only the state in which people and leaders are interested to make peace can be our partner. So yes I am much more optimistic than I was before. Wion: As a human rights activist, you’ve won numerous awards including, in 2006, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Israel often faces criticism for its human rights record. In your opinion, is this criticism fair? Sharansky: Israel, like every democratic country, should be open to criticism. Israel has a challenge of constantly fighting for its right to exist and also uphold human rights. For example, how to minimise casualties among civilians while fighting terror. Israel surely has this challenge and has more and more reasons to think about it. And as one who has been trying to solve this problem from all sides, I can say that we have this problem and we are dealing with this at least as good if not better than all other democratic countries. Criticism is ok. But when criticism turns into demonisation of Israel, denying right of Israel to exist, applying double standards, that is anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, people in the free world, without realising are helping those who want to destroy us by agreeing with all sorts of extreme demonisation. For example, I hear some respectable western leader who says that I was in a refugee camp of Palestinians. This is the Auschwitz of today. This is typical demonisation. What does a refugee camp have to do with Auschwitz? Anyone who was in Auschwitz knows what a hell it was. It has nothing to do with poor neighbourhoods of Palestinians. This is one of millions of examples of demonisation of Israel. These are clear double standards. China is erasing whole cultures in Tibet and that of Uyghurs. Awful things are happening in Chechenya or in Africa. Amid all this, the only conflict that becomes symbol of human rights (violations) is that between Israel and Palestinians. These are clear double standards. Wion: You were a child chess prodigy, and even beat the world chess champion in 1996! There is another Israeli who is also known to be a master strategist, and that is former PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. A) Would he beat you at chess? And B) Do you think he’ll be able to manoevre his way to becoming prime minister again? Sharansky: First of all, Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) is not a bad chess player. He once drew with me and I don't know which other Israeli politician can do that. He is not oustanding, but by the standards of politicians, he is a good chess player. As to the political chess, Netanyahu is a friend. When I was in prison, he was a young diplomat in Washington. He was very inventive in giving ideas about how our struggle against the Soviet Union can be amplified. And then when I was in government, I could see how he fought for an open Israeli economy, for removal of old socialist restrictions. And at the same time. For 20 years he was a fierce voice, sometimes a lonely one, against Iran. When such a person stays in power for so many years, it appears somehow that for the future of the country this person should stay in power. But let's not bet about democracy let's not bet over a person. So I do reach out to my friend Netanyahu to strengthen his heritage. (But I don't want him to be complacent). Today's political situation is unstable because we have a government that has the majority of 1 vote in the Knesset. This makes it very difficult to take any serious decision. There needs to be effort from both sides to build a government that will have a much broader platform. Wion: Moving to geopolitics. You were born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union…today there is great tension between the Ukraine and Russia. Israel has just celebrated 30 years of ties with the Ukraine, and it also has ties with Russia. How can it continue to balance relations with both Ukraine and Russia going forward? Sharansky: First of all, we have good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. There is no KGB today controlling minds of the people, there are no Gulags with millions of people dying there. Having said this, I feel sorry that President Putin, who has very good relations with Israel, is restricting democracy and freedom in Russia. Russia's annexation of Crimea was a violation of Helsinki agreement that said that borders will not change by way of war. I think this is very unfortunate. I think the free world is right in warning Russia against invading Ukraine. At the same time I understand the difficulty of Israeli leaders who have to lead war against Iran and Iran's presence in Syria. Unfortunately, Syrian airspace and territory is controlled by Russia. Giving away control in Syria, doing nothing when Syria was using chemical weapons and allowing strong Russian presence in Syria was a mistake from President Obama. As a result, when we have to fight Iranian presence in Syria, we have to co-ordinate with Russia. So our leaders, when they are critical of Russia, they have to be cautious in choosing their tone, words and actions Wion: You’re currently chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy – with the pandemic there has been a new trend of Covid-related anti-Semitism. What can you tell us about this, and what is being done to counter it? Sharansky: This is something very new, anti-Semitism and Covid. It is continuation of same policy of anti-Semites for 3000 years. Jews were presented as symbol of the evil, so everything bad was connected with Jews. (It was said that) Jews were responsible for Capitalism and they were also responsible for Marxism. They were held responsible for establishing regimes and destroying regimes. Today we see two types of accusations. First is, Jews are making money through Covid pandemic. Second is, Jews helped China to keep Covid a secret. Jews didn't tell the world because they wanted to do business using pandemic. All of this is nonsense. But when some absolute nonsense is repeated many times on the internet, more and more people start believing it. Only way to fight this is through a fight against demonisation of Jewish people and of Jewish state on all fronts simultaneously, on the left, on the right, religious, secular, everywhere. After all, we are Jews and we are very proud of it. I was very happy when I received the Genesis Prize. I donated the prize amount, one million dollars for fight against Covid. Many Jewish people and organisations are doing excellent work in this field. Wion: You most recently served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which seeks to unite and educate Jews across the world…This is seen as a unifying role, and of course there is one other major unifying role in Israel, and that is the president. Would you like to become President of Israel one day? Sharansky: I am very happy and lucky that I got the opportunity to lead the struggle for Soviet Jews, the struggle to bring down the iron cutrain, the struggle for integration of Soviet Jews and many other good opportunities. But everybody has to know where he can contribute. It is great, the position of president of Israel is noble. But (there are) many speeches, many performances and many receptions every day, I don't think I can be good in it.

World is right to warn Russia over Ukraine issue: Former deputy PM of Israel

A few days after a Palestinian family was forcefully evicted from their home by Israeli police in the sensitive east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Protests have now broken out in the area, with Palestinians and human rights activists demonstrating.

Protests over Jerusalem house demolition days after Palestinian family evicted by Israeli police

Just before dawn, a Palestinian family was forcefully evicted from their home by the Israeli police in the sensitive east Jerusalem neighborhood of sheikh jarrah. The police raid was carried out two days after a member of the family climbed to the roof of the house and threatened to blow it up with gas canisters if they were forced out.

Israel police evicts Palestinian family, raids home before dawn

Supermodel Bella Hadid turned heads recently not for her fashion choices but for one of her accessories. The model was spotted inWest Hollywood with her brother Anwar and some friends, wearing white knee-high boots, a brown plunging neckline high low halter dress. But what caught everyone's attention was the subtle political statement she made as she wore a necklace that read 'Palestine' in addition to a necklace that had her full name on it, `Isabella`.&nbsp; 
 
This isn't the first time that Hadid, whose father is Mohamed Hadid, a Palestinian real estate developer, has spoken out in favour of the Palestinian people. 
 
In May 2021, amid heightened violence taking place in Israel and the Gaza Strip, the supermodel took to her Instagram to share a collection of photos and videos showing her walking down the streets of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn with demonstrators holding pro-Palestinian flags. Hadid presence was criticised by several Israeli groups.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bella-hadid-marches-in-pro-palestine-protest-on-new-yorks-streets-385403">Bella Hadid marches in pro-Palestine protest on New York's streets</a> 
 
"The way my heart feels ... To be around this many beautiful, smart, respectful, loving, kind and generous Palestinians all in one place ... it feels whole! We are a rare breed!!" the model wrote at the time. "It's free Palestine til Palestine is free!!!" she added. 
 
Her presence at the demonstration came hours after she shared a different post on Instagram of her grandparents on their wedding day in 1941, along with an image of her father as a child next to his seven siblings and their mom. 
The star noted that the siblings were "taken out of their homes in Palestine in 1948, becoming refugees in Syria, then Lebanon, then Tunisia."I love my family, I love my Heritage, I love Palestine," she wrote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bella-hadid-slammed-by-israel-for-joining-pro-palestinian-march-385575">Bella Hadid slammed by Israel for joining&nbsp;pro-Palestinian march&nbsp;</a> 
 
The dual posts also came hours after another post that Hadid shared drew accusations of anti-Semitism. That post was highly critical of Israel, calling it a land settled by colonizers that practice "ethnic cleansing, military occupation and apartheid over the Palestinian people." Many Instagram users pointed out inaccuracies in Hadid`s posts, with some accusing her of perpetuating anti-Semitic tropes.

Supermodel Bella Hadid turned heads recently not for her fashion choices but for one of her accessories. The model was spotted inWest Hollywood with her brother Anwar and some friends, wearing white knee-high boots, a brown plunging neckline high low halter dress.

Supermodel Bella Hadid turned heads recently not for her fashion choices but for one of her accessories. The model was spotted inWest Hollywood with her brother Anwar and some friends, wearing white knee-high boots, a brown plunging neckline high low halter dress. But what caught everyone's attention was the subtle political statement she made as she wore a necklace that read 'Palestine' in addition to a necklace that had her full name on it, `Isabella`. This isn't the first time that Hadid, whose father is Mohamed Hadid, a Palestinian real estate developer, has spoken out in favour of the Palestinian people. In May 2021, amid heightened violence taking place in Israel and the Gaza Strip, the supermodel took to her Instagram to share a collection of photos and videos showing her walking down the streets of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn with demonstrators holding pro-Palestinian flags. Hadid presence was criticised by several Israeli groups. Bella Hadid marches in pro-Palestine protest on New York's streets "The way my heart feels ... To be around this many beautiful, smart, respectful, loving, kind and generous Palestinians all in one place ... it feels whole! We are a rare breed!!" the model wrote at the time. "It's free Palestine til Palestine is free!!!" she added. Her presence at the demonstration came hours after she shared a different post on Instagram of her grandparents on their wedding day in 1941, along with an image of her father as a child next to his seven siblings and their mom. The star noted that the siblings were "taken out of their homes in Palestine in 1948, becoming refugees in Syria, then Lebanon, then Tunisia."I love my family, I love my Heritage, I love Palestine," she wrote. Bella Hadid slammed by Israel for joining pro-Palestinian march The dual posts also came hours after another post that Hadid shared drew accusations of anti-Semitism. That post was highly critical of Israel, calling it a land settled by colonizers that practice "ethnic cleansing, military occupation and apartheid over the Palestinian people." Many Instagram users pointed out inaccuracies in Hadid`s posts, with some accusing her of perpetuating anti-Semitic tropes.

Bella Hadid spotted wearing 'Palestine' jewellery during an outing with friends

Palestine's Hisham Abu Hawash has ended a hunger strike that lasted nearly five months after Israel agreed on his release. On The West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis tells you how hunger strikes have become a way of resistance in Palestine.

The West Asia Post | Palestinian prisoner ends 141-day hunger strike

Emma Watson's recent Instagram post has drawn criticism from Israel's former ambassador to the UN. The 'Harry Potter' star posted an image showing a photograph of a pro-Palestinian protest with a banner that reads "Solidarity is a Verb". The photo was accompanied by a quote about the meaning of solidarity from the intersectional feminist scholar Sara Ahmed.

Emma Watson's pro-Palestine post draws criticism from Israeli ministers

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held talks with Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz in his first official visit to Israel since 2010. The talks took place at Gantz's home in the town of Rosh Haayin, said Israeli media.

After the talks, Israel Israel unveiled a package of "confidence-building measures" for the occupied West Bank on Wednesday

"We discussed the implementation of economic and civilian measures, and emphasised the importance of deepening security coordination and preventing terror and violence -- for the well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians," Gantz said after the meeting on Tuesday evening.

The "confidence-building measures" included a $32 million (100 million shekel) advance payment to the PA in taxes collected on its behalf by Israel, and the granting of 600 extra permits allowing Palestinian businessmen to cross into Israel.

It also announced the regularisation of 6,000 more Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, which has been under Israeli control since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Israel had already announced in October -- for the first time since 2009 -- the regularisation of the status of 4,000 Palestinians living in the large swathe of the West Bank known as Area C, where Israel exercises civilian as well as military control.

'Courageous effort'

Palestinian civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the meeting with Gantz, saying it had been a "serious and courageous effort" towards a "political" solution.

"The meeting dealt with the importance of creating a political horizon that leads to a political solution, in accordance with international resolutions," Sheikh said.

After Israel's coalition government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was formed in June, Gantz had visited the Palestinian Authority's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah in August for talks with Abbas, the first official meeting at such a level for several years.

But after those talks, hawkish Bennett, the former head of a settler lobby group who opposes Palestinian statehood, underlined that there was no peace process under way with the Palestinians, "and there won't be one".

Right-winger Bennett leads a motley coalition of parties ranging from the Jewish nationalist right to the centre and left.

Israel's right-wing opposition Likud party condemned the latest meeting, saying that "concessions dangerous for Israel's security are only a matter of time".

(With inputs from agencies)

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held talks with Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz in his first official visit to Israel since 2010. The talks took place at Gantz's home in the town of Rosh Haayin, said Israeli media.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held talks with Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz in his first official visit to Israel since 2010. The talks took place at Gantz's home in the town of Rosh Haayin, said Israeli media. After the talks, Israel Israel unveiled a package of "confidence-building measures" for the occupied West Bank on Wednesday "We discussed the implementation of economic and civilian measures, and emphasised the importance of deepening security coordination and preventing terror and violence -- for the well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians," Gantz said after the meeting on Tuesday evening. The "confidence-building measures" included a $32 million (100 million shekel) advance payment to the PA in taxes collected on its behalf by Israel, and the granting of 600 extra permits allowing Palestinian businessmen to cross into Israel. It also announced the regularisation of 6,000 more Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, which has been under Israeli control since the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel had already announced in October -- for the first time since 2009 -- the regularisation of the status of 4,000 Palestinians living in the large swathe of the West Bank known as Area C, where Israel exercises civilian as well as military control. 'Courageous effort' Palestinian civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the meeting with Gantz, saying it had been a "serious and courageous effort" towards a "political" solution. "The meeting dealt with the importance of creating a political horizon that leads to a political solution, in accordance with international resolutions," Sheikh said. After Israel's coalition government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was formed in June, Gantz had visited the Palestinian Authority's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah in August for talks with Abbas, the first official meeting at such a level for several years. But after those talks, hawkish Bennett, the former head of a settler lobby group who opposes Palestinian statehood, underlined that there was no peace process under way with the Palestinians, "and there won't be one". Right-winger Bennett leads a motley coalition of parties ranging from the Jewish nationalist right to the centre and left. Israel's right-wing opposition Likud party condemned the latest meeting, saying that "concessions dangerous for Israel's security are only a matter of time". (With inputs from agencies)

Palestinian president Abbas makes a rare visit to Israel

TS Tirumurti, the permanent representative of India to the United Nations during a UNSC meeting on Palestine, advocated for the resumption of talks between Israel and Palestine to resolve issues.

India at UNSC meeting says it supports a dialogue between Israel & Palestine for peaceful resolution

India at UNSC meeting says it supports direct negotiations between Israel & Palestine

India at UNSC meeting agrees to support direct talks between Israel & Palestine to resolve issues

Israel has arrested four Palestinians suspected of shooting of an Israeli man in the West Bank earlier this week, here we bring in all the latest.

Israeli troops arrests four Palestinians, suspected of killing an Israeli man

A shooting took place in Lebanon at a Palestine refugee camp where a funeral procession of a Hamas member was taking place. Three people were reported dead, along with several injured.

3 people killed at the funeral procession of a Hamas member in Lebanon's Palestine refugee camp

Three members of Hamas have died when shooting erupted at the funeral procession for a member of the Islamist movement in a south Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp.

3 killed in shooting during funeral of Hamas member at Lebanon's Palestine refugee camp

A shooting incident at a Palestine refugee camp in Lebanon during a funeral procession of a Hamas member resulted in the death of 3 people while several others were injured.

Shooting at a funeral procession of a Hamas member results in 3 dead & several injured in Lebanon

Israeli security forces shot dead a Palestinian man outside the Old City in Jerusalem on Saturday after he stabbed an Israeli civilian and tried to attack police, Israeli police and Palestinian medics said.

The assailant stabbed a man near the city's Damascus Gate and then "attempted to stab a border police officer," police said in a statement.

"Police neutralised the stabber," it added.&nbsp;

A spokeswoman for the Palestinian Red Crescent said police killed the Palestinian assailant.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said the stabbing victim was a 20-year-old religious Jewish man who was taken to hospital in "moderate to severe condition".

Official Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the assailant as Mohammad Shawkat Ahmed Salima, 25, from the northern West Bank town of Salfit.

Video released by police showed Salima tackling a man in ultra-Orthodox garb, then running to attack a police officer before he was shot.

Footage filmed by a bystander near the Damascus Gate and widely shared on social media showed the assailant lying prone on a sidewalk as police continued to fire shots.&nbsp;

Border Police Commander Amir Cohen said he "fully backed" the forces who "responded as needed to the incident" to prevent additional harm.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praised police for acting "quickly and decisively... against a terrorist who tried to murder an Israeli citizen".

The Palestinian foreign ministry called the shooting a "field execution".

Mohammed Hamadeh, Jerusalem spokesman for Islamist group Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip, decried the "deliberate shooting of a wounded young man lying on the ground".

The police response also drew criticism from some Israeli politicians and rights groups.

"The execution of a person who no longer poses a threat is a horrible and terrible crime," Arab-Israeli lawmaker Aida Touma-Sliman said on Twitter.

Rights group B'Tselem tweeted, "the assailant wasn't 'neutralized'. He was summarily executed."

Police fired tear gas as Palestinians faced off with security forces near the Damascus Gate after the shooting.&nbsp;

The Red Crescent said three Palestinians were hospitalised during the confrontation.&nbsp;

Saturday's incident came after a Hamas-affiliated gunman fatally shot a Jewish tour guide in Jerusalem's Old City before police killed him last month.

Days before that, security forces shot dead a 16-year-old assailant in the Old City who they said stabbed two police officers.

The Old City is located in east Jerusalem, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and which Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state.

Israeli security forces shot dead a Palestinian man outside the Old City in Jerusalem on Saturday after he stabbed an Israeli civilian and tried to attack police, Israeli police and Palestinian medics said.

Israeli security forces shot dead a Palestinian man outside the Old City in Jerusalem on Saturday after he stabbed an Israeli civilian and tried to attack police, Israeli police and Palestinian medics said. The assailant stabbed a man near the city's Damascus Gate and then "attempted to stab a border police officer," police said in a statement. "Police neutralised the stabber," it added. A spokeswoman for the Palestinian Red Crescent said police killed the Palestinian assailant. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said the stabbing victim was a 20-year-old religious Jewish man who was taken to hospital in "moderate to severe condition". Official Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the assailant as Mohammad Shawkat Ahmed Salima, 25, from the northern West Bank town of Salfit. Video released by police showed Salima tackling a man in ultra-Orthodox garb, then running to attack a police officer before he was shot. Footage filmed by a bystander near the Damascus Gate and widely shared on social media showed the assailant lying prone on a sidewalk as police continued to fire shots. Border Police Commander Amir Cohen said he "fully backed" the forces who "responded as needed to the incident" to prevent additional harm. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praised police for acting "quickly and decisively... against a terrorist who tried to murder an Israeli citizen". The Palestinian foreign ministry called the shooting a "field execution". Mohammed Hamadeh, Jerusalem spokesman for Islamist group Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip, decried the "deliberate shooting of a wounded young man lying on the ground". The police response also drew criticism from some Israeli politicians and rights groups. "The execution of a person who no longer poses a threat is a horrible and terrible crime," Arab-Israeli lawmaker Aida Touma-Sliman said on Twitter. Rights group B'Tselem tweeted, "the assailant wasn't 'neutralized'. He was summarily executed." Police fired tear gas as Palestinians faced off with security forces near the Damascus Gate after the shooting. The Red Crescent said three Palestinians were hospitalised during the confrontation. Saturday's incident came after a Hamas-affiliated gunman fatally shot a Jewish tour guide in Jerusalem's Old City before police killed him last month. Days before that, security forces shot dead a 16-year-old assailant in the Old City who they said stabbed two police officers. The Old City is located in east Jerusalem, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and which Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state.

Israeli police kill Palestinian assailant in Jerusalem stabbing

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