That’s because while Israel proper – the area defined by 1949 cease-fire lines that ended the war surrounding Israel’s establishment – has roughly 6.3 million Jews and 1.7 million Palestinian citizens of Israel. Rock throwing has become a common form of attack by Palestinians intent on targeting Israeli officers and civilians.
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The consignment of dolls arrived in the thick of a wave of violence which has seen 21 people killed and 215 people wounded by Palestinian terrorists in the space of three months.
In the latest violence, a Palestinian official said a Palestinian youth was shot and killed early Tuesday in clashes with Israeli soldiers at the Deheishe refugee camp in the West Bank.
Young Palestinians have grown frustrated with Israel’s occupation and the complete lack of progress in peace efforts in addition to their own fractured leadership. Israeli forces have killed 104 Palestinians, of whom 65 were identified by Israel as assailants or caught on camera carrying out assaults. Palestinians say it is rooted in frustration over years of failed talks and lack of hope of gaining statehood.
He said a two-state solution is possible only if both sides want peace.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted angrily on Sunday, telling his Cabinet that “Israel will not be a binational state” and blaming the Palestinians for the failure of peace efforts. Almost 600,000 Jewish settlers live in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The tax deductible status of the settlement donations is raising some eyebrows, since the settlements themselves are illegal under worldwide law, and not recognized as legitimate under USA law either.
The Haaretz investigation found that some of the money sent by American donors has gone toward providing legal aid to extremist Jews through an Israeli group called Honenu.
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The dolls also carry banners in traditional Palestinian colors that say “Jerusalem is ours” and “Jerusalem we are coming”. Between 2009 and 2013, the previous year for which there is extensive data, these organizations reported combined revenues of more than $281 million (over one billion shekels).
