Tag: palestine

Egypt Takes Sweet Time Opening Promised Rafah Crossing

RAFAH – Many hoping to find free movement between Egypt and Gaza have found the border gates at the Rafah crossing closed. Egyptian officials closed the gates on Saturday, according to Palestinian officials. Ayyoub Abu Shaar, the official who usually communicates with the Egyptian side is no longer able to reach his counterpart. A number … Continue reading “Egypt Takes Sweet Time Opening Promised Rafah Crossing”

Time Running Out for Two-State Solution

RAMALLAH – Time is of the essence if the implementation of a two-state solution to end the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to succeed. Changing demographics both within Israeli and Palestinian society could render this impossible, with a one-state solution the only feasible outcome. An eventual one-state solution, however, would lead to two possible scenarios. Either … Continue reading “Time Running Out for Two-State Solution”

Worse by the Day in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM – As thousands of right-wing Israeli settlers descended on Jerusalem to celebrate the so-called unification of the city this week, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem were confronted by extreme provocations and the stark reality that their city remains very much divided. "My shop was broken into a couple of times, a few times, when … Continue reading “Worse by the Day in Jerusalem”

Undefeated, Gaza’s Freedom Flotillas Expand 

GAZA CITY — A gleaming new memorial towers in the center of Gaza City’s battered port. Flanked by flags of various nations whose citizens have sailed to the Gaza Strip to highlight the all-out siege on Gaza, the memorial’s inscription bears the names of the Turkish solidarity activists who died one year ago when Israeli … Continue reading “Undefeated, Gaza’s Freedom Flotillas Expand “

Israel and the Palestinians Through the Looking Glass

It’s been like dueling banjos in Washington this week.  President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu each got to say the same thing at length and at least twice.  Last Thursday, the president gave his "Arab Spring" speech in which — after a reportedly "furious phone call" between Netanyahu and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — he … Continue reading “Israel and the Palestinians Through the Looking Glass”

UN Recognition of Palestinians Still Far Off

UNITED NATIONS – Despite massive support from the international community, the Palestinian quest for recognition as an independent and sovereign nation is unlikely to materialize soon, say political observers and diplomats here. “That is not going to happen,” an African diplomat who has spent more than a decade at the U.N. as an ambassador told … Continue reading “UN Recognition of Palestinians Still Far Off”