Gilad Shalit has probably never heard of Mohamed Bouazizi. He’s probably never heard of the Arab Spring. Nevertheless, the way for the deal to free the Israeli soldier was paved by that same Tunisian street vendor who set himself alight…
Tag: Netanyahu
Obama claims the Arab uprisings for himself
In an exciting and revolutionary speech, US President Barack Obama laid out his Middle East doctrine, claiming the new reality created by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia must be grasped. I did not only support those uprisings, he seemed…
Netanyahu Stonewalls a Changing World
On the evening of Wednesday April 27, immediately after the Fatah-Hamas rapprochement was announced, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a message demanding that the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, choose between “peace with Hamas or peace with…
Is Israel ready for the New Middle East?
It so happens that the week of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia was also a week of internal Israeli shenanigans. Defense Minister Ehud Barak resigned from the Labor Party and established a faction called “Independence,” into which he drew four…
Lieberman’s “Truth”
Asked whether his speech at the UN General Assembly (September 28, 2010) expressed the position of his government or rather the platform of his political party, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman answered: “The speech expressed the truth.” Prime Minister Binyamin…
The Peace Talks: Consensus vs. Consensus
At last it is happening. U.S. President Barack Obama has opened direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians. All American presidents since Carter have tried for peace and failed, each failure resulting in blood. Responsibility is heavy therefore on the shoulders…
The Trouble with the March for Gilad Shalit
The march for the release of Gilad Shalit, which began from his family home in Mizpeh Hila and is destined for the Prime Minister’s house in Jerusalem, is winning public support for the notion that Israel should “pay the price.”…
The Real “Non-starter”: Obama and the Imposed Solution
At a private meeting with Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu on March 25, US President Barack Obama asked for written responses to a series of American demands concerning construction in the West Bank settlements, including East Jerusalem. Since then, Israeli cabinet…
Abu Mazen Throws in the Towel
Sixteen years after signing the Oslo Accords, the Palestinians have concluded that there isn’t any point in continuing the peace process with Israel. That is the only way to understand the declaration by Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) that he won’t…
Settlements First
Ever since the speech by US President Barack Obama at Cairo University on June 4, 2009, construction in the West Bank settlements has become the focus of political attention in both Israel and the world. The clear, even blunt position…