Since the beginning of the Arab Spring, things have and are changing rapidly and in ways that could not have been expected not so long ago. So, it is not totally unexpected that after many decades of talks and broken treaties, the Palestinians finally have decided their time had come. Read the rest of this entry »

As we already reported on May 26 and on June 15, the Palestinians were planning to seek full recognition of statehood from the United Nations something both the US and Israel were against. Read the rest of this entry »

As we reported on May 26 “the Palestinian unity agreement came as a prelude to the Palestinian plans to seek full recognition of statehood from the United Nations something both the US and Israel are against.” Now trying to avoid a large dispute at the UN in September, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has launched a bold idea. Read the rest of this entry »

The European Union has indicated, despite the US and Israeli opposition, the willingness to work with the new Palestinian unity government. The EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton made the announcement yesterday in a press conference in Brussels. The Palestinian unity agreement came as a prelude to the Palestinian plans to seek full recognition of statehood from the United Nations something both the US and Israel are against. Read the rest of this entry »

It was known since the end of April that the two rival Palestine factions of Fatah and Hamas were to sign a reconciliation pact. Today that reconciliation become real and for many Palestinians a welcomed one after four years of a bitter division. Read the rest of this entry »

With all the turmoil in the Middle East and Africa, Israel has not been much on the news lately. All of a sudden we have heard about new developments that bring it back to our attention. First one is the proposal for a Palestinian state that will include all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The countries leading this proposal, Germany, Britain and France, would call for an Israeli withdrawal for almost all the territories that were captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Read the rest of this entry »

Never mind the moratorium that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on new settlements, construction continues in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Read the rest of this entry »