Palestinian officials confirmed that the reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas will resume April 26. The dialogue will focus on three core issues dividing the two groups- elections, the government, and the PLO and security. The discussions, to be held in Cairo, mark the third round of talks toward a unity government. According to some reports, the government submitted its resignation to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, although he rejected the offer, stating that the government would remain in place until the completion of negotiations with Hamas. However, some PA officials flatly denied that any governmental resignation occurred.
Meanwhile, Hamas officials rejected the assertion that a new prison being built in Gaza would only house political prisoners and collaborators. Instead, the officials claim that both regular criminals as well as security threats would occupy the new institution. the Hamas government in Gaza began building the compound following Israel’s recent strike on the Strip that damaged the current prison.
JStreet’s , the new pro-Israel pro-peace lobby, executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami wrote an op-ed in today’s New York Times urging American Jews to reject the new right-wing Israeli government. Notably, he writes:
“Jewish Americans — who remain deeply loyal to Israel and staunch defenders of its right to exist — now face conflicting winds blowing on two continents. An overwhelming majority share the politics and worldview of President Barack Obama and have rejected the Bush-Cheney neoconservatism that framed Middle East conflict in simplistic black and white. They recognize, as the new president said in Ankara this week, that security requires peace and that peace begins by “learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes to see through their eyes.”
Yet leaders of the American Jewish community demand unquestioning loyalty to an Israeli government that has made Avigdor Lieberman its face to the world. This is a man whose platform called for loyalty oaths, whose words verge on racism and whose worldview is based on the very “us-versus-them” mentality so thoroughly discredited over the past eight years. “
President Obama intends to announce the nomination of Jeffrey Feltman, acting assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, to permanently fill the position. The nomination of Feltman, a well respected career diplomat who recently traveled to Syria to discuss regional security issues, comes as no surprise in Washington. Similarly, Frederick Hof will serve as deputy to State Department Envoy George Mitchell.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
