Tag: palestine

The Dwarfs of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is abuzz with brilliant new ideas. The brightest minds of our political establishment are grappling with the problems created by the ongoing Arab revolution that is reshaping the landscape around us. Here is the latest crop of mind-bogglingly innovative ideas: Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has announced that he is going to ask the … Continue reading “The Dwarfs of Jerusalem”

Palestinian Revolution by Default

RAMALLAH – The Egyptian revolution, and the threat to autocratic Arab regimes all over the region, have forced rapid changes on the Palestinian political scene – with major players Hamas and Fatah scrambling to catch up. "We’ve reached the point of no return. A Palestinian state is in the making," Samir Awad, from Birzeit University … Continue reading “Palestinian Revolution by Default”

Dead Peace Process Could be ‘National Suicide’ for Israel

The U.N. Security Council is poised to vote this week on a new resolution condemning Israeli expansion into the Occupied Palestinian Territories and calling for an immediate freeze on settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but the United States has already declared its intention to again deploy its veto power. Backed by 122 … Continue reading “Dead Peace Process Could be ‘National Suicide’ for Israel”

It Could Be Too Late for Two States

RAMALLAH – The credibility of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the Arab street has been further weakened by the release of the "Palestine Papers," but ironically the release of the explosive documents by Al Jazeera could bolster support for the Palestinian cause internationally. The Palestine Papers describe the compromises the Palestinian Authority (PA) was prepared … Continue reading “It Could Be Too Late for Two States”

Palestine Papers Cause More Heartburn in Washington

The exposure by al-Jazeera and London’s Guardian newspaper of a huge cache of documents detailing Palestinian accounts of a decade of peace negotiations with Israel could deal a lethal blow to U.S. efforts to get a credible process back on track, according to experts. By demonstrating how much the Palestine Authority (PA) was willing to … Continue reading “Palestine Papers Cause More Heartburn in Washington”

Oasis of Peace Blossoms in Israel, To An Extent

NEVE SHALOM-WAHT ES-SALAAM, Central Israel – "Once upon a time," the educator tells Jewish and Arab five-year-old children, "a plant laid dormant, holding its life on the darkness around it, beholding the night. Butterflies, flowers and leaves, their caress, were laid to rest. Dewdrop beads, tears in an ocean of hopelessness, enchanted the plant that … Continue reading “Oasis of Peace Blossoms in Israel, To An Extent”

Greybeards Urge US Not to Veto UN Anti-Settlement Resolution 

Some four dozen former top U.S. diplomats and prominent policy analysts are urging President Barack Obama not to veto a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that is expected to reaffirm the illegality of Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories. In a letter released here Wednesday, former U.S. ambassadors to Israel, as well as other former … Continue reading “Greybeards Urge US Not to Veto UN Anti-Settlement Resolution “

Who Lost the Middle East?

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, especially today in the Maghreb and Middle East. For the ouster of Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has sent shock waves from Rabat to Riyadh. Autocrats, emirs, and kings have to be asking themselves: If rioters can bring down Ben Ali with his ruthless security forces, … Continue reading “Who Lost the Middle East?”