West Bank

Journalist Peter Beinart supports Israel but thinks the Jewish settlements in the West Bank are compromising Israel's commitment to democracy. He has proposed a boycott of goods made in those Jewish settlements.

Peter Beinart's new book, The Crisis of Zionism, argues that Israel cannot be a true democratic state as long as there are settlements in the West Bank and calls for a boycott of goods made in those settlements. Gary Rosenblatt, publisher of The Jewish Weekof New York, disagrees with this argument.

Israel's Supreme Court says an unauthorized West Bank outpost must be dismantled by the beginning of August, but the settlers are warning that they might resist government attempts to remove them.

The Palestinian territory is in the midst of a construction boom, more than three years after a major Israeli assault that left much of the territory in ruins. Since building materials haven't been allowed in legally since 2007, items like cement have been smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt.

An illegal Jewish outpost in the occupied West Bank is at the center of a swirling battle over settlements. The collection of trailers and makeshift buildings is called Migron, and the Israeli Supreme Court has said that it must be dismantled by the end of March. NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reports.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank took to the streets Friday night to celebrate their formal bid for statehood at the United Nations. Watching on large television screens set up in city squares, Palestinians reacted with joy at the uncharacteristically impassioned speech given by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. From Ramallah, NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro talks with host Scott Simon.

Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas were expected to announce a unity government this week, but that's been postponed over disagreements about who should be prime minister. In the city of Hebron, there are similar signs of discord over local matters — like the election of a medical association.

In an interview with Robert Siegel, Hamas' Deputy Foreign Minister Ghazi Hamad said the group had moderated its views and seeks a peaceful solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.