Tag: palestinians

The State of Blah-Blah-Blah

Will Germany enact a law that demands that every Turk aspiring to citizenship swear allegiance to the “German Federal Republic, the Nation-State of the German People”? Sounds like a ridiculous idea. Will the U.S. Senate adopt a law that would compel every candidate for citizenship to swear allegiance to “The United States of America, the … Continue reading “The State of Blah-Blah-Blah”

His Father’s Boy

Which is the real Netanyahu? Bibi the weakling, the invertebrate, who always gives in to pressure, who zigzags to the left and to the right, depending whether the pressure comes from the U.S. or from his coalition partners?The tricky Likud chief, who is afraid that Avigdor Ivett Lieberman might succeed in pushing him toward the … Continue reading “His Father’s Boy”

Israeli Police Given Protection for Killing

SHUAFAT, Occupied East Jerusalem – A peaceful morning is interrupted by the sounds of an Israeli helicopter circling overhead – often a sign of trouble on the ground. Later Sunday the news broke: a Palestinian man was shot dead in the village of Issawiya by Israeli paramilitary border police as he tried to enter Israel … Continue reading “Israeli Police Given Protection for Killing”

US Scrambles to Save Peace Talks

With a key Arab League meeting delayed until Friday, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is scrambling to keep one-month-old direct Israeli- Palestinian peace talks alive. The stakes are high. If the talks fall apart, a number of observers believe a third intifada could break out on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem … Continue reading “US Scrambles to Save Peace Talks”

Obama Letter Suggests US Not Honest Broker

The disclosure of the details of a letter reportedly sent by President Barack Obama last week to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will cause Palestinians to be even more skeptical about U.S. and Israeli roles in the current peace talks. According to the leak, Obama made a series of extraordinarily generous offers to Israel, … Continue reading “Obama Letter Suggests US Not Honest Broker”

Israel’s Arab Citizens Are Not a Negotiating Chip

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has insisted from the launch of the current peace talks that the Palestinians set no preconditions, while making his own precondition the centerpiece of negotiations. Netanyahu has said talks are futile unless the Palestinians and their leader, Mahmoud Abbas, first recognize Israel as a Jewish state. “I recognized the Palestinians’ … Continue reading “Israel’s Arab Citizens Are Not a Negotiating Chip”

Olmert’s Fingertips

Ehud Olmert raised his hands before his face, two fingertips almost touching: “We were that close!” He was talking about the negotiation he had conducted personally with Mahmoud Abbas, just before he himself was forced to vacate the prime minister’s office. That was the climax of the speech he made last week at a meeting … Continue reading “Olmert’s Fingertips”

Israel’s Reasoning Against Peace

With the resumption of settlement construction in the West Bank Monday, Israel’s powerful settler movement hopes that it has scuttled peace talks with the Palestinians. It would be misleading, however, to assume that the only major obstacle to the success of the negotiations is the right-wing political ideology the settler movement represents. Equally important are … Continue reading “Israel’s Reasoning Against Peace”

Riots Grip East Jerusalem

SILWAN, Occupied East Jerusalem – Tension, the twisted carcasses of gutted vehicles, buses with smashed windows, smoldering dumpsters, streets riddled with rubber-coated steel bullets and empty cartridge cases, tear gas, and air thickened with black soot from burning tires marked the beginning of the fifth day of continuous rioting in East Jerusalem Monday. A Palestinian … Continue reading “Riots Grip East Jerusalem”

Gandhi’s Wisdom

Surfing the television channels, I came across an interview with the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi on an American network (Fox – would you believe it?). “My grandfather told us to love the enemy even while fighting him,” he said, “he fought against the British resolutely, but loved the British.” (I quote from memory.) My immediate … Continue reading “Gandhi’s Wisdom”