There is something quite remarkable about the Land Day commemoration on March 30. It involved all Palestinians, young and old, men and women, Hamas and Fatah, West Bank and Gaza, PNA officials and dissidents. Why does this day in particular draw everyone together, in peace?

Ynet did not invite any supporters of BDS to their Stop the Boycott conference on March 28th. They did invite ambassadors and they said, as diplomats always do, that if Israel ‘solves the Palestinian issue’, BDS will wither away.

Exactly how those who attended Yedioth Ahronoth’s BDS conference this week will ‘Stop BDS’ is unclear. Will they take up Israel Katz’s urging of targeted killings of BDS leaders asks Richard Silverstein. BDS is effective enough to kill for – and attract big names to the conference says +972.

It is unlikely that a loyal Israeli who has always opposed BDS by booking musicians to perform in Tel Aviv would invent a story about Elton John having to sign a loyalty oath, a demand that the Interior Ministry then dropped.

The most hated NGO in Israel is Breaking the Silence. Denunciation by Likud ministers is not working. Spies from the mysterious group Ad Kan have failed to find any evidence of malfeasance. The attacks probably reinforce the spirit of BtS.

Gentiles are allowed to live in Israel. But if the Chief Sephardic Rabbi, son of the previous Chief Sephardic Rabbi, had his way they would be expelled (from the oPt as well) if they didn’t obey the Noahide laws (“If our hand were firm, if we had the power to rule, that’s what we should do”). Unfortunately, not having the power they will have to wait until the Messiah arrives.

On March 28 a conference was held in Jerusalem on “Stop the Boycott”. It was organised by Ynet/Yedioth Ahronoth (Latest News). It chose former comic actor Roseanne Barr as its chief speaker. Lars Faaborg-Andersen represented the EU despite appeals from European Jewish groups, including JfJfP, not to attend. Tzipi Livni was the most prominent speaker to say if the conflict was stopped BDS would be too.

We’re sorry to say that this week, March 21st-27th, 2016, Donald Trump has pushed his way – has been pushed – to the front. He is inescapable. The first to attack is Richard Silverstein who says there was not the promised mass walk-out when he spoke at AIPAC – although there was a noted walk-out […]

This is a withering attack by Glenn Greenwald, interviewed by Democracy Now! on Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy in her years as secretary of state and now as presidential candidate. Her pandering to AIPAC prejudices was demeaning.

There was not the mass walk-out predicted or hoped-for. But there were lively protests and what was called the ‘If Not Now’ demonstration outside. Those cheering him on can form a bloc with the apocalyptic Christians. Trump is a Presbyterian, but pretty apocalyptic.

Some Jews did walk out, and protest outside, when Trump addressed the AIPAC conference. The large majority didn’t. They may have been excessively polite, they may not have wanted to put their attendance at this high profile event at risk. They may have agreed with him. Lisa Goldman sees a schism between them and Liberal Jews.

The stabbings by Palestinians of Israelis are illegal; if they kill the person, they are murder. The stabbers and those suspected of preparing to stab, are invariably shot dead on the street. Unless the shooter is in fear of his life, these killings are also murder and illegal. Here is a video of one such murder.

Mohammad Abu Sakha is a well-known and much-loved circus performer. He teaches his skills to children with learning difficulties. For no known reason he was arrested in December and has been held in administrative detention since then. There is a petition to sign.

It is clear from this account of the UC Board of Regents decision to accept a report eliding “Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination” that the whole confused discussion was aimed at quelling all Palestinian/ Arab/ Muslim protest including BDS. Very illiberal.

One thing Gaza has in plentiful supply is sunlight – but only 5% of the population uses solar power. The panels cost too much, Israel restricts their import, and there isn’t the space in the Strip that solar panels need for large-scale supply.

Naturally, government ministers In Israel appointed themselves spokesmen for the whole of western culture versus Muslim terrorists who ‘seek our utter destruction and their total domination’. How can they not know that ISIL has killed far more Muslims in the Levant than people in ‘our western culture’? In Trump-Cruz terrain there are uncontained attacks on Muslims in general and calls for more torture to get info.

Several sites in the West Bank are holy to both Jews and Muslims (and Christians). Settlers take a particular delight in gathering en masse at these places knowing this will provoke Palestinian anger, IDF intervention and violence.

Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland writes a long piece proving (to himself at least) that Labour has become antisemitic (overnight). He provides no evidence for such a strong charge, just a couple of anecdotes. Readers write in in protest to Indie as well.

Lord Levy comes in a long line of Jewish Labour activists, from the flamboyant Manny Shinwell through past leader Miliband to the illustrious and modest Lord Alfred Dubs. Sadly, he has been seduced by the view that support for Palestinians, or criticism of Israel – where he has many connections – is antisemitic.

The exaggerated fear of terrorism and its partner, ‘hate speech’, in whatever country it occurs, leads, says Suzanne Nossel of Foreign Policy, to “a creeping tolerance for authoritarianism.” We have seen it in Israel. Now in Europe?