May 5, 2008

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

The Christian Science Monitor examines growing cultural competition between Fatah and Hamas (2). Sami Abdel-Shafi takes the Guardian’s readers inside the Gaza humanitarian crisis (5). In last week’s Bitter Lemons, Ghassan Khatib called for the U.S. to monitor Israeli roadblocks (9); it seems that someone was listening (4). Political turmoil embroils Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (7, 12). In the Jerusalem Post, David Kimche defends J-Street from charges of anti-Zionism (13)

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Palestinian Festival Of Dance – And Debate

Though they were delayed eight hours at the Israeli border, dancers from Belgium's Les Ballets C. De La. B. company eventually made their way to Ramallah's Al Kasba Theatre where they writhed, staggered, and lunged across the stage.

Abbas Despairs On Foils To Peace

Aides to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that he is "depressed" by the lack of progress in negotiations with Israel and views President Bush's summit with Arab leaders this month as a crucial test for U.S.-brokered peace efforts.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, meanwhile, fought for his political life amid speculation he might be forced to resign. Mr. Olmert, the subject of at least two corruption inquiries, was questioned by police investigators Friday.

U.s. Monitors To Study West Bank Roadblocks

The United States said on Monday it would send monitors to study whether the removal of Israeli roadblocks was making life easier for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Flying home from a two-day trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was confident the two sides were trying hard to resolve their six-decade conflict.

A Strangled People

It is a strange feeling: after working as a productive professional in Gaza for five years, I have become a black market junkie. I make several phone calls a day hunting for fuel for my car, diesel for the electricity generator waiting on standby to power the house, even cigarettes and vitamins. The only way to get hold of these things, to buy life-saving medicines, to purchase the essentials for a life of basic dignity, is through the black market, if at all.

Olmert Probe Clouds Abbas Talks

A corruption investigation by Israeli police is overshadowing a planned meeting between Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister.

The pair are set to meet on Monday amid fears the inquiry into Olmert's conduct while he was finance minister could end hopes of a peace deal by the end of the year. 

Is The Middle East State System About To Disintegrate?

 

President George W. Bush's Middle East policy undeniably managed to achieve one thing: It has thoroughly destabilized the region. Otherwise, the results are not at all what the United States had hoped to accomplish. A democratic, pro-Western Middle East is not in the cards.

Roadmap Needs Serious Us Monitoring

The fifth anniversary of the internationally sponsored roadmap to Palestinian-Israeli peace coincided with an unusual period of intense references to it by politicians and leaders.

During both the visit to Washington of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last week and the current visit to the region of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attention was focused on the details of the roadmap, which, when it was drafted, enjoyed the support of almost every single country in the world.

And yet there is no sign of it being implemented.

Time For National Turning Point

As Israelis finalize preparations for their momentous 60th anniversary - a date marking 10 years of consistent economic growth and industrious expansion - there remains the underlying question that will go unanswered yet another decade: What will be done with the West Bank and Golan Heights? Despite all of its considerable achievements, cross-border violence persists and Israel's existence remains fundamentally insecure.

Don't Brand J-street As Anti-zionist

We tend to make our political calculations based on situations we know, based on the past, and not on changes that are happening before our eyes. Don Rumsfeld once wrote the following delightful truism:

There are known knowns.

There are things we know we know.

We also know there are known unknowns.

That is to say we know there are some things we do not know.

But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know.

It's Time For Livni

As expected, Ehud Olmert stated yesterday at the start of the cabinet meeting that, "I have an agenda as prime minister of Israel, I intend to carry out this agenda, and continue conducting the meetings and performing the tasks I have to do." In other words, he intends to continue the agenda according to which part of his time is spent with investigators and lawyers, and the rest with Mahmoud Abbas and Condoleezza Rice.

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