· To mark the International Human Rights Defenders Day on 9 December, several organizations including Al-Haq, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) issued a joint statement calling for protection of human rights defenders working on issues related to Palestine.

· To promote understanding of the current situation in Gaza and the impact of the blockade, on 8 December, Gisha-Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement announced a new site featuring a photo visit to Gaza entitled “Gaza Up Close”.

· On 5 December, World Council of Churches (WCC) Associate Secretary-General Isabel Phiri from Malawi was interrogated and deported upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. The only member to be denied entry, Prof. Phiri was part of a WCC delegation travelling to Jerusalem for consultations about its Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). According to media, Israeli authorities cited support of BDS and anti-Israeli activities by EAPPI volunteers as reasons for the refusal.

· On 5 December, B’Tselem launched a new report entitled “Expel and Exploit. The Israeli Practice of Taking over Rural Palestinian Land”.

· On 3 December, Addameer and other Palestinian organizations released a joint report providing statistics on arrests carried out by Israeli forces in the OPT during November and setting out concerns regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees. In addition, a new video released by the NGO on the arrest and detention of minors from East Jerusalem can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uDPeeD_RPk.

· On 7 December, the Electronic Intifada reported that, citing freedom of speech, the Dutch government had rejected calls to cease funding organizations supporting BDS.

· On 1 December, Jewish Voice for Peace, Palestine Legal and the Friends Committee on National Legislation expressed concern about a new bill (Anti-Semitism Awareness Act) passed in the U.S. Senate, claiming it threatened free speech with regard to criticism of Israeli policies on college campuses.

· On 1 December, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) launched a letter writing campaign calling members to ask their representatives in Congress to tell U.S. President Obama to support a UN Security Council resolution confirming the illegality of settlements.

· In December, UN Women released a new report examining socio-political factors impacting the access of Palestinian women to justice in East Jerusalem (“In the Absence of Justice: Embodiment and the Politics of Militarized Dismemberment in Occupied East Jerusalem”).