Israeli prosecutors are preparing a $275,000 lawsuit against Bedouin families for the cost of removing them from government land they tried to take over northwest of Beersheba, national media reported March 2. The suit is said to target the sheikh of a Bedouin tribe that has staged 13 attempts to occupy government land near the Bedouin town of Rahat. A Knesset member has also proposed a bill providing for the immediate imposition of a fine against Bedouin who try to grab government land. Officials estimate there are thousands of "illegal" Bedouin settlements, also known as "non-recognized communities," with tens of thousands of illegally constructed buildings, in the Negev.

Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets at protesters in the West Bank city of Hebron Feb. 25, leaving at least nine people injured. Four international activists and two Palestinians were detained, organizers said. The military said that only one person was arrested. The demonstration, which called for the reopening of one of the city's main streets, came on the anniversary of the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinians in Hebron by a Jewish extremist.

Fatah leader Tawfik Tirawi called Feb. 18 for a "day of rage" against the United States next Friday after the Obama administration used its veto power to block a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements on the West Bank. In the previous day's vote, the US directed its UN ambassador to kill the draft resolution even though the 14 other members of the 15-nation Council voted in favor. (Ma'an News Agency, Feb. 19)

Israel's Knesset approved an initial reading of a bill banning boycotts against the state Feb. 16, following a heated debate during which Arab and left-wing MKs walked out. Meanwhile, the Foreign and Justice ministries warned that the bill could harm Israel's relations with other states. The bill was proposed by MK Zeev Elkin (Likud) and 24 other MKs, including some from the Kadima Party. The bill would impose fines on any Israeli calling for or supporting a boycott against Israeli citizens, factories, companies or state agencies. The basic fine is $8,200. Additional fines can be charged if damages are deemed to have been incurred. (YNet, Feb. 15)

A report from Israeli rights organization Yesh Din shows 91% of Palestinian complaints about settler violence on the West Bank end without indictments. Yesh Din has filed such cases of behalf of West Bank Palestinians since 2005. The report shows that 488 of the 539 cases, or 91%, filed by Yesh Din were closed without indictments. In 315 cases, police cited "assailant unknown" as the reason for this and in 33 cases "no criminal culpableness" was found.

Palestinians demonstrating in support of Egyptian anti-government protesters were forcibly disbanded when a few dozen men in plainclothes disrupted the rally in Ramallah Feb. 5. Several hundred protesters carrying the Egyptian and Tunisian flags and chanting "The people want to bring down the regime" were set upon by a gang of men chanting "The people want Mahmoud Abbas!" The two groups clashed before the protesters were dispersed. (CNN, Feb. 5)

On Feb. 2, Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles chapter leader Estee Chandler discovered a "WANTED for treason and incitement against Jews" poster plastered on her front porch. The photo featured her picture, workplace, and most disturbingly, names of nieces and nephew, as well as charges about "anti-Jewish" activity. Jewish Voice for Peace is a national organization with 27 chapters, dedicated to ending Israel’s occupation and promoting a just US foreign policy that recognizes the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip rallied Feb. 3 in solidarity with the uprising in Egypt. Marchers carried banners reading "People want the regime out" and "Down with Hosni Mubarak." A student group distributed a statement calling on the UN to take action against the regime. "The massacre being carried out against protesters in Tahrir square warrants a decisive stance," the statement said. It called on the international community to "respond immediately" to the crisis.