State Department drops ‘occupied’ from West Bank description

For years, the international community and the U.S. government have described the West Bank in Israel as “occupied.”  That is, governed by Israel even though Palestinians claim ownership. But just days ago, the U.S. State Department discontinued that description. The agency’s new “Country Reports on Human

Rights Practices for 2017, released Friday, assesses human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories. “These reports are required by U.S. law and are used by a variety of actors including the U.S. Congress, the executive branch, and the judicial branch as a factual resource for decision making in matters ranging from assistance to asylum,” the department said. READ MORE