The Middle East mystery

Israel has stated that the Iranian threat must come to an end and that it is impossible to live with the idea of someone like Ahmadinejad - who has said that he is ready to "wipe Israel off the map" - having nuclear weapons. PM Netanyahu recently said that he would take responsibility and prevent anyone from causing the Jewish people another holocaust.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made several important statements regarding the Iranian threat and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Clinton said that the United States and Israel will lose the Arab support in facing Iran if the latter keeps denying the Palestinians' right to their own state. Clinton also stated that the US will not stop its financial support for the Palestinian Authority because of Hamas; according to her, the United States did not stop its financial support to the Lebanese government even though Hizbullah was a part of it. Clinton said that it is in America's interest to keep good relations with the Arabs.

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Is it real silence..or silence before a real storm?

The relative quiet we've seen so far with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems to be coming to an end. The new Israeli government has been formed and the international community wants to see real progress in the negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

During his recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said that the two state solution is the only way to end the conflict. Avigdor Lieberman, the new Israeli foreign minister, stated in the presence of Mitchell that Israel will work to improve the Palestinian economy. The latter responded by saying that the Israeli plan to improve the Palestinian economy must be a part of a complete plan to end the conflict by having two states for the two peoples. 

In a meeting held between White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Jewish leaders in the United States, Rahm stated clearly that the interest of the White House is to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a period of four years with a result that includes two states; one Israeli and one Palestinian.

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Jerusalem, the kingdom of heaven

Israel recently decided to prevent any events in Jerusalem related to festivities surrounding the city's selection by the Arab League as "Capital of Arab Culture 2009." Israeli police were directed in advance to suppress any attempt to hold Palestinian National Authority-sponsored events in the framework of the festivities. The Palestinians refused to heed Israel's decision and continued to hold the activities inside Jerusalem despite all the obstacles. Police canceled some eight planned events, and detained 22 activists for questioning in east Jerusalem and the Old City.

The detainees were all released within 24 hours; one of them, Dahoud Abu Lebdeh, 22, a student at the Hebrew University, said he had been dancing the Dabkah dance in one of east Jerusalem streets and was arrested after getting into an argument with a soldier because the soldier had pushed a young girl who was dancing with him. There were about 10 other dancers. Lebdeh was detained by police for two hours before being released - as no charges can be brought against someone merely for dancing.

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The Art of Conflict

In the 2004 Supreme Court case Beit Sourik vs. The Government of Israel and the Commander of IDF Forces in the West Bank, in which the legality of Israel's decision to erect the separation barrier (and the route of the barrier) was challenged, the IDF claimed to be acting as a belligerent occupier as defined in the Hague Conventions. The Supreme Court agreed this established the normative framework in which to decide the case. 

However, Israel also claims that as the disputed territories were not under sovereign control prior to 1967, international law does not apply insofar as Israel's responsibilities to the Palestinians are concerned - which is the same argument it makes with regard to the lands taken in the 1948 war.

In other words, Israel's justice system is selectively recognizing international law to further its own interests in a manner that has nothing to do with the peace process.

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The Blame Game

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated in one of his farewell speeches that the Palestinians should be blamed for "lacking the courage" to conclude a peace agreement with Israel.  In doing so, Olmert was merely following in the footsteps of Israeli leaders who came before him.

It seems blaming the Palestinians has become something of a ritual which Israeli leaders perform during their last days in office. Ehud Barak blamed Yasser Arafat for not concluding a peace agreement at Camp David - for not being ready to compromise. Although Olmert had said in the past that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was a partner for peace, and had in recent days also said that "unprecedented, dramatic and painful concessions" were necessary to achieve real peace, in the end he laid the blame for the failure to reach an agreement at the door of the Palestinians, just as Barak did

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Left, Right, Left, Right... to where?

The two-state solution, the one-state solution and the no-solution solution. Right, Left, extreme and moderate. These are the terms in which both Israelis and Palestinians currently describe their respective internal situations and their suggestions for ending the conflict.

The two-state solution is now considered by many Israelis, and a good percentage of Palestinians, to be defunct; they believe that the current situation and past experience prove that there will never be two states for two peoples.

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New hope or lost faith?

On Saturday, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad declared his resignation, a move which Palestinian analysts said was aimed at encouraging the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks.

Fayad is considered an important man for the Palestinian Authority; he is trusted by the US and the international community since he is not affiliated with either Fatah or Hamas. There is some fear among Palestinians that his departure could interfere with the transfer of financial aid pledged to the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip.

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The end of the two-state solution?

More than eighty-seven states participated in Monday's Gaza reconstruction conference in Sharm e-Sheikh, and over $4 billion was pledged to support the institutions of the Palestinian Authority and rebuild the Gaza Strip, which was heavily damaged during Israel's 22-day war with Hamas.

However, European and world leaders said the financial support on its own was not enough, since the funds couldn't enter Gaza as long as its borders remained closed. The majority agreed the funds should be channeled through the Palestinian Authority and not through Hamas, which has controlled the coastal territory since 2007. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that America will not cooperate with Hamas unless it recognizes Israel, renounces violence and agrees to abide by previous agreements.

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A policy change strikes the Middle East

Following several key steps made by the new American administration, it seems the US is changing its approach to the Middle East. Last week, Senator John Kerry visited Gaza and met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iranian-American talks are still unclear but seem to be active behind the scenes. President Barack Obama, Middle East envoy George Mitchell, and other American officials are trying for a new strategy and their challenge involves breaking through the Iranian alliance and trying to negotiate with each element separately.

Obama is working on removing all the economic sanctions against Syria because of its ties with Iran and Hizbullah as he recognizes that the Syrians may play an important role in affecting the conflicts in the Middle East through their relations with Lebanon and Hamas. Sen. Kerry stated that he will ask President Assad to invest in changing the situation by applying pressure on Hizbullah and other such elements in the region.

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The real situation in the Middle East

[Likud leader Binyamin]Netanyahu stated yesterday that moderate Palestinians should be strengthened and radicals should be weakened. According to him, under the curent circumstances, the possibility of holding negotiations for a two-state solution is next nothing. Netanyahu stated again that strengthening the Palestinian economy is how he will deal  with the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. 
 
Livni believes that Israel must give up land to remain Jewish and democratic. She adds that no Palestinian refugees should be allowed to return to their lands in Israel because their real national aspirations exist somewhere else; the Palestinian territories. This is not the first time Livni speaks of the importance of keeping Israel a Jewish state.

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