Hakim Zughbor and Falastin Tanani have been unable to find work in a Gaza economy devastated by siege but are not letting that prevent them from beginning their lives together. Hakim and Falastin have started a crowdfunding campaign to raise enough money for their wedding, an unusual step in the Gaza Strip, where tradition and conservatism rule. But in a place where electricity comes on two hours per day and salt water comes out of the sink, Gaza’s residents have turned to unorthodox ways of accomplishing their goals.

As the reality of Israel’s crimes become impossible to hide, our society is redoubling its efforts to defend them as “self defense”. Who on earth would want to save this society if this is what “survival” looks like?

Advocates of boycotting Israel are under attack in California, New York, Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida. Most of the bills under consideration would penalize people or businesses that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel over human rights violations. The New York bill would create a blacklist of people or companies that support BDS–and post that list on a state website.

The Israeli military cynically uses a quote on social media by the poet Maya Angelou to mark Black History Month, perhaps forgetting Angelou honored Rachel Corrie for her work in Gaza.

Many Palestinian officials took part in the funeral Saturday of Haitham Ismail Muhammad al-Baw, 14, who was shot by Israeli forces in the village of Halhul outside Hebron Friday because he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail. Al-Baw is the 170th Palestinian killed since the wave of violence began last October.

The Palestinian journalist Muhammad Al-Qeeq is near death, after entering his 48th day of hunger strike at a hospital in Afula, Israel, according to Amnesty International. His hunger strike against Israeli detention began Nov. 24, 2015, after soldiers blew the front door of his house off and arrested him.

The press has tried to smear as “anti-Semites” hundreds of anti-Zionist protesters who opposed a pro-Israel event at the annual LGBTQ conference in late January, Creating Change. While the pro-Israel event should not have been canceled, even temporarily, the smear of the protesters does far more damage.

Old battles between Israel’s right and left are playing out inside of the government and on the streets of Tel Aviv, amid a Knesset discussion on sanctioning left-wing groups. The NGO transparency bill proposed last November by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked would require organizations that receive funds from foreign donors to disclose the sources on materials presented to the government.

In October 1948, Israeli forces massacred scores of Palestinians in the village of al-Dawayima near Hebron. The case was covered up by the Israeli military, an investigation died out. 68 years later the story is finally emerging in a confessional statement suppressed at the time in which a soldier sought to relieve the weight on his soul.

The Academy Awards are coming on February 28 and although most stories in the lead up to the show have focused on the incredible whiteness of this (and last) year’s acting nominees, there is another issue that has made it’s way into the press — the swag bag. What makes this newsworthy? Well, the contents of each bag is valued at over $230,000. And this year it includes a free trip to Israel.