The abduction of the three Israeli youths was the sign, and Israel’s media took up the call. Thus began the familiar routine of nonstop broadcasts, interrupted only for the World Cup. In this way a suitable atmosphere was created, and…
Tag: Hamas
Abu Mazen shuffles the deck
For one short moment, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has managed to bring everyone together – not merely reconciling Fatah and Hamas, but completely uniting the Israeli government which, many thought, was on the verge of collapse. People still…
When will this become an Intifada?
The history of Palestinian political prisoners is replete with struggles that have claimed many victims but that have always had two characteristics: first, they expressed a collective decision, and second, their demands were focused on improving prison conditions. In these…
November 29 at the UN: A warning to Israeli society
On November 29, the UN will recognize a Palestinian state for the second time. Once again this will be recognition on paper alone – a forlorn effort to bring an end to this tragedy. In light of the results of…
Another Round in Gaza
Another round of violence between Israel and Gaza is coming to a close. Gazans count 25 dead so far, while Israel counts the number of rockets that the Iron Dome missile defense system shot down successfully. Both sides, Israel and…
The Doha Declaration has no future
In trying to explain the significance of the agreement reached at Doha between Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshal, many Palestinians are a little perplexed. Is this a genuine agreement that can be implemented? Or is it merely a publicity stunt…
Requiem for the Palestinian Authority
The Israeli government decided in mid-November 2011 to continue delaying the transfer of $100 million in tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The pleas of Defense Minister Ehud Barak and senior IDF officers didn’t help, even though they explained…
Shukran, Mohamed Bouazizi, for the Gilad Shalit deal
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…
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…
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.”…