Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reiterated on Tuesday his nation’s grim warning that Israel will hold all of Lebanon accountable for the actions of Hizballah. The statement came the day before the newly formed Lebanese cabinet was to make an announcment regarding the government’s official stance on Hizballah’s weapons. On Wednesday, it was declared by […]
The Israeli government approved a 10-month settlement freeze tonight, with U.S. officials relatively tepid on the proposal that also drew criticism from Palestinians for failing to end settlement construction outside Jerusalem. U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell echoed concerns of the effort for neglecting to freeze Israeli expansion around Jerusalem. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement saying: “Today’s announcement […]
In an interview with Middle East Progress, Quartet Envoy Tony Blair provides his input on the “institution building” debate currently undergoing in the Palestinian Authority and the peace process with Israel, urging for political -and not just economic- reconciliation first. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called on Palestinians to begin developing the economic, security, and state building […]
A short British film attempts to recreate Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank by using London as an analogy. The film is worth watching but should be viewed with a pound of salt because it is rife with bias and shares only a small sliver of the truth. Nonetheless, check it out:
A three year saga may finally be over. Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit may finally return home in exchange for hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians. After years of negotiations over the individuals on the exchange list and the terms for the release of some of the prisoners, such as whether they should be exiled, news reports […]
CNN’s Christiana Amanpour interviewed “pro Israel, pro peace” lobby J Street’s Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami and American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris. J Street recently held a controversial conference in DC that had unexpectedly high turnout. However, critics of the group contend J Street’s agenda and supporters do not have Israel’s best interests in […]
For once in discussions on the Middle East, ‘rats’ actually refer to rodents, or more specifically, hamsters and similar species. A new study finds Israeli rats are more cautious than their Jordanian cohorts. Even though rats can freely cross the border between Israel and Jordan (humans are limited to three border crossings and Israelis can actually use […]
He announced he’s quitting. He halted the peace process. He condemned Israel for not stopping settlement activity. He criticized Hamas for not using popular resistance. He wants to unilaterally declare statehood. He still says he wants peace. He kind of backtracked on quitting. He rejected a U.S. peace negotiations effort. That’s right, Palestinian President Mahmoud […]
The Washington Post’s David Ignatius casts another vote in support of Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad’s institution building plan. While nothing new, Ignatius’ op-ed provides some interesting context of the state building initiative and distinguishes it greatly from the unilateral declaration of Palestinian independence currently being floated by some PLO members. Ignatius concludes: “Don’t get […]
A new British documentary on the pro-Israel lobby in England should re-title itself to “This Is How Lobby’s Work.” The documentary, aired on the Dispatches program, explores the use of money and luncheons to gain influence in British politics. Well, I hate to break it the show’s producers, but that’s what lobbies do. The Israel […]
The week-old Lebanese government has made it clear that it has no intention of taking up the subject of Hizballah’s arms until the distant future. For now, the matter has been relegated to the abstract and ambiguous category as being part of the “national dialogue”. This is a polite way for the new Hariri government […]
Here is a quick analysis presented by the Link TV on the growing tensions between Iran and Saudia Arabia over Yemen’s conflict between the government forces (backed by the Saudis) and the Houthi rebels (supported by Iran). The report also answers questions like why did Arab satellites carriers drop Iranian Al Alam TV? And will […]
The row between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government and the Obama Administration flared up again today, as the Israeli government approved a plan to build 900 homes in Gilo, a disputed Jewish settlement outside Jerusalem on the Palestinian side of the Green Line. Increased settlements in Gilo serve two functions detrimental to the peace […]
Today, on your local PBS channel, Frontline will have a documentary investigating Iran’s controversial election and how Neda Agha Soltan became a potent symbol for the reform movement. Frontline has a press release that provides more detail on this documentary: FRONTLINE INVESTIGATES THE CONTROVERSIAL IRANIAN ELECTION AND THE DEATH OF ONE YOUNG PROTESTER SEEN AROUND […]
As debate swirls on the ramifications and reality of a unilateral declaration of independence by the Palestinians, speculation and analysis revolves around how the United States should react to the move. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly expressed support for a Palestinian state through negotiations, and not unilateral declarations. He said: “We support the creation of a Palestinian […]