Wednesday, May 20Wednesday, May 20Israeli Officials and ICC Arrest Warrants The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reportedly sought arrest warrants for multiple Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich confirmed the ICC’s confidential request for his arrest, alleging charges related to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including apartheid. In response, he vowed to retaliate by escalating actions against the Palestinian Authority, including ordering the evacuation of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank. Smotrich is the third Israeli official targeted by the ICC in connection with the Gaza conflict .
Sally Rooney’s Hebrew Translation and BDS Movement Irish author Sally Rooney will publish a Hebrew translation of her latest novel, *Intermezzo*, through November Books, an Israeli publisher deemed compliant with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. This decision follows her 2022 refusal to allow a Hebrew translation of an earlier work by a publisher with ties to the Israeli military, citing her support for BDS. Rooney and activist Samir Eskanda discussed the role of artists in the boycott movement, emphasizing the Israeli cultural sector’s complicity in apartheid. The translation is a collaboration with independent media outlets +972 Magazine and Local Call .
Israeli-Palestinian Violence and Diplomatic Tensions Recent weeks have seen heightened violence, including a far-right Israeli march in Jerusalem’s Old City where participants chanted "death to Arabs." Meanwhile, Israel killed a Hamas military chief in Gaza. The UN is reviewing Israel’s plan to convert a former UN agency headquarters in East Jerusalem into a military compound, further straining relations. Additionally, Israel intercepted 41 of 51 boats in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla near Cyprus, with foreign ministers from 10 countries condemning the action as a violation of international law .
Israeli-Palestinian Authors Advocate for Peace Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon, both of whom lost family members in the conflict, co-authored *The Future of Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land*. Abu Sarah’s brother was killed by the Israeli military, while Inon’s parents were killed by Hamas in October 2023. Their book, now available in French, promotes breaking the cycle of violence through dialogue .
Sally Rooney on a new Hebrew translation of Intermezzo: The Israeli culture sector is complicit in apartheid Four years after Rooney cited BDS in declining a different Israeli publisher, she speaks with activist Samir Eskanda about the artists role in the boycott movementSally Rooney to publish Hebrew translation of novel with BDS-compliant publisherIntermezzo, the most recent book by Irish novelist Sally Rooney, will be published in Hebrew this month by the Israeli publisher November Books, in collaboration with +972 Magazine and Local Call. The announcement comes more than four years after Rooney, citing the global boycott movement against Israel, turned down a translation offer by a different Israeli publisher for an earlier book.Below, Rooney talks to Irish Palestinian activist Samir Eskanda about her decision to work with November Books, which has been deemed to be in compliance with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. They discuss what first brought her to the boycott, the movements aims and targets and the role of the artist in bringing about radical change. Continue reading...
theguardian · 1 day ago
Far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich says ICC is seeking his arrest Smotrich vows to retaliate by waging war on Palestinian Authority and orders evacuation of a West Bank villageMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsraels far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has said the international criminal court (ICC) prosecutor has sought a confidential arrest warrant against him, and promised to retaliate by waging a war on the Palestinian Authority.He said he had ordered the evacuation of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as part of measures against the authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank under agreements with Israel. Continue reading...
theguardian · 1 day ago
Sally Rooney to publish Hebrew translation of novel with BDS-compliant publisher Irish novelist will publish Intermezzo through November Books after rejecting translation offer from publisher with ties to Israeli militarySally Rooney on a new Hebrew translation of Intermezzo: The Israeli culture sector is complicit in apartheidThe Irish novelist Sally Rooney is releasing a Hebrew translation of her latest novel more than four years after she turned down a translation of an earlier novel, citing her support for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.Rooney is publishing her bestselling 2024 novel, Intermezzo, through November Books, an independent Israeli publisher that supports Palestinian rights, with +972 Magazine and Local Call, two independent media outlets in Israel and Palestine. Continue reading...
theguardian · 1 day ago
Israeli-Palestinian author duo: We must break the cycle of violence A Palestinian and Israeli who have both lost family members in the conflict in the Middle East spoke to Perspective about their message of hope for the world. Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian whose brother was killed by the Israeli military, and Maoz Inon an Israeli whose parents were killed by Hamas in October of 2023. It was after their deaths, that Aziz reached out to Maoz, and from that moment grew their book The future of Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land, which is also now being launched in French as La Paix est notre Avenir.
france24 · 1 day ago
UN considers response to Israeli move to build a military compound on site of relief agency The United Nations is reviewing Israels plan to turn a former U.N. agency headquarters in east Jerusalem into a military complex
independent · 1 day ago
Israeli far-right minister Smotrich says ICC seeks his arrest Smotrich is the third Israeli official targeted by the ICC, after Netanyahu and Gallant, for war crimes in Gaza.
aljazeera · 1 day ago
Gaza aid flotilla organisers say 41 boats intercepted, 10 still sailing Foreign ministers of 10 countries say Israels storming of the aid flotilla is a blatant violation of international law.
aljazeera · 1 day ago
Middle East Eye: ICC could seek arrest warrant for Israels Bezalel Smotrich PRESS REVIEW - Tuesday, May 19: The pan-Arab publication Middle East Eye brings an exclusive report on an arrest warrant application for Israels Bezalel Smotrich on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, including apartheid. Donald Trump drops his lawsuit against the IRS in return for the creation of a nearly $2 billion slush fund. And David Beckham, Kate Moss and King Charles visit Londons Chelsea Flower show as it kicks off today.
france24 · 1 day ago
Musa Abu Zaid Musa Abu Zaid (موسى أبو زيد), born in 1962, was elected to Fatahs Central Committee in May 2026. He has been the head of the Palestinian Authoritys General Personnel Council. He is also chairman of the Palestinian National School of Administration.
european council · 1 day ago
Report: Israeli military halts most of Gaza aid flotilla near Cyprus
news.yahoo.com · 1 day ago
Adnan Ghaith Adnan Ghaith (عدنان غيث) has been a member of Fatahs Central Committee since May 2026, and the Palestinian Authoritys Jerusalem Governor since August 2018. He has been a life-long Fatah activist and lives in Jerusalems Silwan neighbourhood. Ghaith was the Fatah movements secretary in Silwan and one of the leaders of the Peoples Committee in […]
european council · 1 day ago
Palestine weekly wrap: Jerusalem Day, Nakba mark week of surging attacks Far-right marchers in the Old City chant death to Arabs while Israel kills Hamas military chief in Gaza.
aljazeera · 1 day ago