Homeland Security Portal
Palestinian Affairs
The “War of Many Rounds” in Gaza: Hamas/Islamic Jihad vs. Israel
Since the end of the 2014 Gaza war, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza have launched rockets against Israeli civilian targets and provoked Israeli air strikes in retaliation in eight rounds of escalation that are part of one long war. Palestinians in Gaza truly desire and deserve to live better lives. Regrettably, they and their leadership do not see this goal as more vital than the struggle against the State of Israel. Read More »
Bethlehem after Oslo: Terror Spiked in Israel’s Absence
After handing over Bethlehem to Palestinian rule in 1995, waves of terror ensued which killed and wounded hundreds of Israelis. This reflects a larger trend which shows that IDF and ISA physical presence in an area decreased terror and reliance upon the Palestinian Authority increased terror. Read More »
The Many Ways Palestinians Violate International Law
After the UN General Assembly on June 14, 2018, voted to condemn Israel for its handling of the Gaza border fence violence, it is all the more curious to observe the deliberate disregard of the serious and flagrant international humanitarian, environmental, and ecological crimes committed by Hamas and the Palestinians. The international community must hold the Palestinian leadership to their commitments and not ignore their violations of the most fundamental norms and principles of international law. Read More »
Did Israel Use “Disproportionate Force” to Protect the Gaza Fence?
Accusing Israel of committing war crimes, massacres, and violations of international humanitarian law, as well as invoking criteria and norms – including the customary international law rule of proportionality – characteristic of situations of armed conflict, has no relevance vis-à-vis the situation along the delimiting fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Read More »
Hamas’ Warfare Tactics in the “Great Return March”
The tactics used by the Palestinians during the events surrounding the “Great Return March” pose a direct threat to IDF forces and civilians in the vicinity of the border fence between Israel and Gaza. Hamas’ “Great Return March” is an assault on Israel’s border, and its vow to “return” is nothing less than promising to replace Israel and its citizens. Read More »
The Hamas Gimmick that Failed
The "Friday of Tires" protest failed to impede the actions of IDF marksmen on Israel's border with Gaza and the Palestinians did not manage to infiltrate the territory of Israel in vast numbers. The IDF forces at the Gaza border were prepared for the burning of thousands of tires. Hamas tried to boost participation by promising financial incentives to those who took part in the "return" campaign and to those who were injured. Read More »
Back to Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations? – Some Basic Truths
In order for a successful peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians, many of the existing factors that lead to an atmosphere of hatred, distrust, and suspicion must be corrected. The Palestinian Authority’s denial of Jewish historical connection to the land of Israel, “denormalization policy,” diplomatic offensive against Israel, and BDS are all barriers to peace that must be overcome. Read More »
Iran and Hamas Reconnect
With an eye to Syria's postwar period, Iran is working to unite the ranks of the "resistance camp" to continue the struggle against Israel and deepen the dissension in the Arab world. Iran views Hamas, despite its independent path, as an important element of this camp that challenges not only Israel but also the main members of the "moderate" Arab camp. Read More »
The Temple Mount Affair: What Has Changed?
The events at the Temple Mount revealed not only how much Palestinians believe in the "Al-Aqsa is in danger" libel, but also how this belief affects young Palestinians' preparedness to commit terror attacks amid incessant incitement on the Al-Aqsa issue across the Palestinian political spectrum. Israel has also recognized the status of the PA and Jordan as actors capable of deploying popular demonstrations in the streets in a controlled, competent fashion, meaning Israel must consult with them in advance before making any move that affects the Mount. Read More »
Recognizing a Palestinian State before a Peace Agreement with Israel Undermines the International Rule of Law
Those who advocate immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, without a peace agreement with Israel, show cavalier disregard for well-established legal principles for the creation of states and their recognition. There is no reasonable prospect for the foreseeable future of any government being formed which would exercise effective control over both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Recognition of a Palestinian state at the present time would also contravene the internationally recognized and witnessed Oslo Accords between the Palestinians and Israel. Read More »
New Palestinian Attempt at UNESCO to Claim Hebron and the Patriarch’s Tomb as a Palestinian Site
Palestinians deny Jewish connection to the Old City of Hebron by requesting that it be registered to the “State of Palestine” at the July 2017 UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow. This action displays a lack of commitment to creating peace with Israel by using UNESCO as a political weapon and contradicting the 1997 Hebron Protocol. Read More »
Investigating the Psychological Profile of the Palestinian “Lone Wolf” Terrorist: Preliminary Findings
Profiling past “lone wolf” Palestinian Arab terrorists and identifying potential threats is imperative to the security of Israeli citizens. Researchers identified a psychological profile of a potential “lone wolf” and surveyed diverse parts of the Palestinian population on their views of how “lone wolves” would see themselves, which led to much more complex results than the simple explanation that ideological indoctrination leads to radicalization and subsequential terrorism. Read More »
A Proposal for a Trump Initiative for Palestinian Economic Development
In order for the economic development of the West Bank and Gaza to improve, the Trump administration has a responsibility to propose an economic recovery plan focused on infrastructure enhancement for the Palestinians in order to foster a cooperative relationship between Palestinians and Israelis that may lead to a peace agreement. This plan should focus on improving Palestinian roads and railways, electricity, port and airport, housing, water supply, sewage treatment, healthcare, and tourism. Read More »
The Palestinian Authority’s Succession Struggle Continues
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas made new appointments to the Fatah leadership on February 15, 2017, and also named a deputy chairman of the movement. He did not, however, solve the problem of the Palestinian succession struggle for the chairmanship. Read More »