In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in Hebron at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm and in Hebron in the morning, in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron at night. (PCHR 3/6)
Israeli PM Netanyahu gives a speech to the collected 14,000 attendees of the annual American Israel Public Affairs Cmte. (AIPAC) conference in Washington. He urges PA Pres. Abbas to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and “abandon the fantasy” of the Palestinian refugees’ returning to modern day Israel. Netanyahu also makes an oblique reference to potential future arrangements in the Jordan Valley, rejecting the use of “foreign peace-keeping forces” as a means of securing Israel. The Israeli PM also condemns the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign, claiming that anyone supporting a boycott should be “treated exactly as we treat any anti-Semite or bigot.” Addressing the question of Iran, Netanyahu reiterates his belief that pressure on Tehran should be intensified, not decreased. In response, senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath says that the speech is tantamount to “an official announcement of a unilateral end to negotiations.” PA spokesperson Rudayna says that the demand for recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is intended “to waste time and avoid reaching a true, just and viable peace agreement.” (AFP, FT, HA, REU 3/4)
In Egypt, Cairo’s Court of Urgent Matters bans Hamas from operating in Egypt, seizing the organization’s assets. Hamas official Bassem Naim tells AFP that the group has no properties to be seized in Egypt, and denounces the court decision as serving the Israeli occupation. (AFP, REU 3/4)