Will Israel attack? asks Ya Libnan. Maybe. Maybe not. But everybody in Lebanon is preparing.
Feb 07
Land swap dreams
Israel, Middle East, Palestinian Territories
Comments Off
Ghassan Khatib points out another reason why the two-state solution is going aglimmering.
Nov 18
Why Israel will come around
Iran, Israel, Middle East
Comments Off
“Netanyahu is preparing for war against Iran and Hezbollah in the coming spring, when the snows melt and the clouds clear. Evidence of this is the additional defense budget and the home front’s preparations for a confrontation. And even if in the end Netanyahu doesn’t strike, he must be ready. It is better for Israel to fight on fewer fronts and neutralize enemies through diplomacy.”
–Aluf Benn in Haaretz.
Nov 04
Obama’s getting off on the wrong foot, says Rami Khouri of Beiruit’s Daily Star. First, Obama tried to kill the Goldstone report on Israeli and Palestinian war crimes in Gaza. Then a huge (non-binding) majority of the U.S. Congress rejected Goldstone’s findings without refuting any of his facts. Then Hillary Clinton bowed to Israel’s rejection of a freeze on new Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory.
These three moves by the US are more about domestic politics than Middle East diplomacy, but they augur badly for peace-making prospects if they point the way to future American positions.
