Jeff Halper's May 2025 Update on The Threat of Normalization
On Monday, 12th May, US President Donald Trump is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia for meetings with it and other Gulf States. His visit to the Middle East will also have him in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
This is a momentous time because the future of Israel/Palestine will be decided as the process towards normalization progresses.
Jeff unpacks Trump's vision of normalization and the two-state solution. However, this solution is a trap for the Palestinians who are being excluded from the discussions. Jeff predicts that the result will be Palestinians locked into a situation of two-state apartheid.
He asks if anyone is taking notice of the map and studying the details because organisations, and even Palestinians, are not picking up on the political implications of what is happening.
Jeff Halper's April 2025 Update - Techno-Fascism in Palestine
This month Jeff Halper defines the situation in Palestine/Israel as a settler-colonial struggle not a conflict between two equal parties.
Jeff notes that there is currently no effective political process going on. We are moving from neo-liberalism into what he describes as ‘techno-fascism’, where everything is transactional, based on deals. This is clearly seen with the current US administration but also in other parts of the world. There are effectively no markets but a corporate state.
This techno-fascism makes it very difficult for the Palestinians, and other oppressed people, to move forward. Trump sees Gaza simply as a piece of real estate to be used for economic gain and is looking for a way to pacify the Palestinian people.
Jeff goes on to look at how we can help Palestinians to move forward politically. He describes how ICAHD is closely aligned with the Palestinian-led One Democratic State Campaign, with equal rights for all people living in Palestine/Israel. Support for One Democratic State is slowly building among Palestinians and international advocacy is important in keeping Palestine on the map, giving time for Palestinians to come together and reinforcing the settler-colonial nature of Zionism.
Jeff stresses that reframing terminology is important. The situation in Palestine/Israel is not a ‘conflict’ between two equal parties but a settler-colonial struggle. Jeff’s book ‘Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine’ looks at this in detail. The way forward is not through conflict but through de-colonisation, creating a new playing field with equal rights for all in Palestine/Israel.
Jeff Halper's March 2025 Update - The Missing Piece of Our Work
Speaking from Jerusalem, Jeff Halper began his March update with a recap of the current situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to continue the war in Gaza, but President Donald Trump is now by-passing him with the US speaking directly to Hamas as a deal is pursued. The Israeli hostage families are well organised and want to move on to Stage 2.
Jeff reviewed the three processes that Israel is using to complete its settler colonial agenda and then he proceeded to spell out the elements needed to mobilize the masses in ways that will provide space for Palestinians to organise so they can develop strategies to lead their struggle for liberation.
Due to severe suppression of the Palestinians both in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and within the state of Israel, Palestinians do not have the space to organise their movement.
Jeff challenges internationals to assist the Palestinian struggle by:
- Calling for enforcement of the ICJ and UN resolutions on Israel’s violations of international law. If they were enforced, the Occupation would immediately collapse.
- Insisting that the UN take over the administration of the Occupied Territory with help from the Palestinian Authority.
- Stipulating that a UN protection force is sent in to protect the Palestinians.
He ended the March update saying that there should be regional coordination committees around the world modelled after what the European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) is doing in Brussels and for the resumption of the international coordinating committee on Palestine that used to be based in Geneva.
Jeff Halper's February 2025 Update - Normalization: the immediate danger facing the Palestinians
In Jeff Halper’s February update he unpacks the meaning of “normalization” in the Zionists’ settler colonial project. Three elements have been required in order for historic Palestine to be transformed into Israel. The first one involved the violent take-over of another people’s country and moving in a population from elsewhere. Secondly, the indigenous population has had to be pacified with the last bastions of resistance eliminated. Thirdly, the situation is “normalized” without the Palestinians involved in negotiations, ending with them locked into just 15% of their original homeland existing under two-state apartheid.
Watch this recording to understand why this is such a perilous time for the Palestinian people and why our solidarity in mobilizing against two-state apartheid is urgently needed.
Jeff Halper's January 2025 Update - The Perilous Phase for Palestinians as Trump Comes into Power
Since Donald Trump won the US election in November 2024, Jeff Halper has spoken about how Trump will seek to “normalize" the situation in the Middle East. That means no more war and the implementation of the Abraham Accords. A Palestinian state will be created but it will be an apartheid state under Israel’s regime that will lock Palestinians into permanent bantustans.
In his January update, Jeff identifies three developments as we enter into next (Trump) phase:
- Fighting in Gaza will end and it will disappear as an issue, reduced to a “humanitarian crisis”
- Ethnic cleansing will be completed in the West Bank, including taking parts of Area B, reducing the size of the Palestinian Bantustan
- The normalization process will be completed, including with Saudi Arabia. The Palestinian issue will be marginalized under two-state apartheid.
Jeff lists these three political challenges as we move ahead the Palestinian issue:
- Alliance of two settler colonial states against Palestinians: US & Israel
- Transactional international system immune to pressures
- The wider rise of racism and fascism, especially against Arabs/Palestinians
He ended by listing the four things we must do at this perilous time:
- Establish a UN protection force for Palestinians
- Launch a Campaign Against Two-State Apartheid
- Replace the Palestinian Authority (PA) with a new PLO and leadership
- Work to make Democratic Party in US an anti-transactional political force
Jeff Halper's December 2024 Update - Trump, Israel and Saudi Arabia normalization
Donald Trump’s election is devastating for the Palestinians. As he takes office, he will seek to “normalize" the situation in the Middle East. That means no more war and the implementation of the Abraham Accords. A Palestinian state will be created but it will be an apartheid state under Israel’s regime that will lock Palestinians into permanent bantustans. We must know the details of what is expected and be the watchdogs to help prevent this disaster.
Jeff Halper's November 2024 Update - What does the election of Donald Trump mean for the Palestinians?
Donald Trump will return to the role of US president with absolute power to push through his ultimate deals as he puts America first.
He represents “transactionalism” which is all to do with deals and is the opposite of a rules-based moral order. It holds no values, no ideology – just winning deals – and Israel has much to offer like with security surveillance, military armaments, control of vital geographic Middle East regions.
Trump wants to complete the Abrahamic Accords, with Saudi Arabiya as the “jewel in the crown”, that will “normalize” Israel on all of historic Palestine.
View the recording to find out how we can push-back against this to stop the elimination of the Palestinian people.
Jeff Halper's October 2024 Update - Speaking from the UK
Jeff Halper has just arrived in the UK where he is embarking on an extensive programme over the next three weeks. In the recording, Jeff sits with Linda Ramsden, ICAHD UK’s Director, who outlines his activities while here and how important it is to be part of strategic campaigns that will help to bring peace of the Middle East.
Jeff goes on to mention how “global Palestine” means more than Palestine itself. This is about the struggle of the people of the Middle East to free themselves from imperial powers and neo-liberal imperialism.
This is an historical moment which has Israel on the cusp of normalizing its routine over the Palestinians. International civil society must facilitate ways to help bring Palestinians together so they can lead the way in their liberation.
Jeff Halper's September 2024 Update - Israel's genocide is no longer central
Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues however it is no longer the central issue in the news. Focus has shifted to the six Israeli hostages that were found dead in Gaza (on 1st September) and the huge demonstrations within Israel that have happened since then that call for the release of all the remaining hostages. Seventy percent of the Jewish Israeli population support what Israel continues to do in Gaza even though the army does not want to be there and says that it accomplished its military objectives there months ago. Our job is to re-focus attention to the genocide and what is happening in the West Bank. A re-framing is needed because this is not about Israel’s need to defend itself. This is Israel pursuing its settler colonial agenda. Under international law, Palestinians have every right to defend themselves as they fight for their own rights.
Jeff Halper's August 2024 Update - At this time of waiting, what is the international agenda?
For the last couple of weeks, Jeff, like the rest of the world, has been waiting to see whether there would be retaliation from Iran over Israel’s assassination of Ismail Haniyah in Tehran and of Fuad Shukr in Beirut which Hezbollah says it will avenge.
Jeff reckons that this has not yet happened because Iran and Hezbollah want to support Hamas as a peace deal is agreed so they do not want to mess things up for Hamas.
Meanwhile the genocide in Gaza continues with no let-up despite the Israeli army (Gallant) saying that the military objectives have been achieved.
Jeff goes on to speak about Netanyahu’s personal objectives and that according to the speech given by Kamala Harris at the Democratic convention, there is no change in US policy.
Even though the hollowness of the world that we live in has been exposed, we continue to drift without direction. However, what is strong is the arms industry which is worth more than a trillion dollars a year.
Jeff Halper's July 2024 Update
For July’s monthly update, ICAHD’s Jeff Halper speaks to us from northern Minnesota where he is completing a speaking tour to cities in parts of Canada and Minnesota. He has been encouraged by the interest in Palestine that there is from the crowds of people who have come to hear him speak. Many of the meetings have been in churches but also at universities where there are still encampments.
Jeff spoke not only about Gaza but also of the suppression of the Palestinians living in the West Bank as well as within the state of Israel itself where their voices are also being silenced.
Palestinians living in the diaspora remain connected to their families on the ground however there is detachment and no united Palestinian voice who can join them together presenting a political programme to harness the great support from the world community to the Palestinian cause for justice and liberation.
The work of the Palestine Youth Movement (PYM) is trying to connect the Palestinians from the diaspora with Palestinians on the ground. Jeff brainstormed with PYM representatives on ideas for mobilization. One idea is to get a nucleus of Palestinians from around the world to come together for a week to get to know each other and to talk together on strategic ways to advance the Palestinian struggle.
Jeff Halper's June 2024 Update
In Jeff Halper’s June video update, he speaks about Israel’s rescue of the hostages that happened on 8th June and the nature of what is going on in Gaza.
Jeff explains that under international law, it is illegal to hold civilian captives however under the laws of war, it is permitted to hold soldiers. Attention is not given to the hundreds of Palestinians, including children, that Israel is holding hostage under administrative detention without charge.
The rescue of the four Israeli hostages was planned months in advance and within Israel is portrayed as a historic event. Israel knew that Hamas would not expect an attack in the middle of the day within a busy market in the middle of a crowded refugee camp. Israel knew that there would be massive destruction and that Palestinian civilians would be killed and injured in the process. However, this operation was a war crime and should be recognized as such.
Historically, Israel itself created conditions in Gaza where Palestinians would have to resist but now Gazans are conflicted about whether the Hamas resistance is worth the price that they are having to pay. The choice is to resist permanent apartheid, oppression and genocide or preserving your family, home and community.
We must understand that genocide is built into any settler colonial agenda. Israel has long de-humanized the Palestinians and criminalizes their resistance. Therefore, we must explain the logic of Palestinian resistance.
Jeff Halper's May 2024 Update
In his May update, Jeff Halper considers the beginning of the Israeli invasion of Rafah which has led to the renewed displacement of some 350,000 Palestinians. This has resulted in an increase in protests, particularly amoung young people, with student protests streading from the United States into Europe, Latin America and the Arab world. Some of the protests have been met with violent actions by law enforcement, becoming a focus to shift public opinion and subsequently, potential government shifts as well.
In the short- to medium-term, the major issue facing us is normalisation of relationships between Israel and the international community as soon as the fighting ends, a process in which the Palestinians will be sacrificed. Jeff discusses the large-scale geopolitical situation. Normalisation leads to the international acceptance of the Israeli aparthed state with Palestinians limited to small 'islands' in Areas A and B and in Gaza, the latter being essentially uninhabitable. Biden has already announced that the Palestinian Authority will receive $26 billlion and other sweeteners if they sign off on this 'deal', allowing normalisation to continue, which, Jeff argies, is the death knell for the Palestinians. There will be an apartheid two party state with Palestinians locked into small bantustans.
This has to come into our calculations in terms of protest and speaking out, Jeff ending by considering the possible response of the international activist community.
Details are availlble here - Watch the video here
Jeff Halper's April 2024 Update
It’s a time of chaos; everything has turned over in the wake of the Gaza war; Israel can’t be “put back together again”. These are just some of the comments from Jeff Halper in his April update.
Jeff says that Israel’s invasion of Gaza has gone out of control and he doubts that this time even the international donors will rush to rebuild it again for fear of yet more Israeli demolitions in the future.
Israel won’t be able to destroy Hamas which is now more popular than Fatah within the West Bank because what Hamas did on 7th October was to put the Palestinians back on the agenda after Netanyahu, Biden and western hegemony tried to erase them.
This and much more is addressed by ICAHD's Jeff Halper.
Details are availlble here - Watch the video here
Jeff Halper's January 2024 Update on the Geneva Convention
A written summary of this update is available here.
Jeff Halper's November 2023 Update
In Jeff Halper’s November update, he says that while the world’s eyes are on the violent atrocities in Gaza, ICAHD is also watching what is currently happening within the West Bank and asking what it means. ICAHD believes that what Israel is pursuing there is even more important politically as we believe this ethnic cleansing of Area C is its final battle in Israel consolidating its apartheid regime.
Jeff believes that the international community has approved of the matrix that Israel has imposed over the Palestinian people and this what will be accepted as the new Palestinian state when Biden convenes an international conference to impose the two-state solution. The “pesky” Palestinians can’t be allowed to interfere with the new Nato of the Middle East.
The November recording ends with a warning of in the guise of humanitarian aid, countries call for Gazans to be re-housed in countries around the world. However this would in fact be another Nakba for the Palestinian people. That proposed by the One Democratic State Campaign is the only just way forward
ICAHD Statement calling on Israel to stop its genocide against the Palestinian people - Jeff Halper
Statement issued by ICAHD on 2 November 2023.
Jeff Halper's October 2023 Update
Jeff Halper’s monthly update on events and political developments in Palestine/Israel. While we at ICAHD place great importance on critical analysis in finally reaching a just and inclusive political settlement, Jeff has asked us to acknowledge that his remarks are being made at a moment when Palestinians in Gaza face what may well become a genocidal Israeli invasion, and that we at ICAHD extend our solidarity to them, together with keeping them constantly in our thoughts.
See ICAHD’s statement on these events on our website -