Middle East

J Street says ‘Palestinian papers’ prove U.S. should step up Mideast peace efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C — J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement in response to the release of over 1,600 internal documents from the last decade of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations: How many more signs are needed before the White House recognizes the need for a serious Presidential initiative to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before […]

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Middle East

Palestinian papers published by Al Jazeera apparently a hoax

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — The “Palestine Papers” hoax is (or, more accurately, should be) turning into the most teachable moment about the Israel-Palestinian conflict in modern history. At least, everyone has reversed what happened: The compromise position was offered by Israel; the Palestinians rejected peace. Are we going to see this story corrected? The “Palestine

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Middle East

Turkel Commission finds Israel acted lawfully in countering ‘Gaza Flotilla’

JERUSALEM (WJC)–Israel’s Public Commission for Examining the Naval Incident of 31 May 2010, otherwise known as the Turkel Commission, has published the first part of its report on the May 2010 flotilla raid. It found that the actions of the IDF soldiers were “lawful and pursuant to the rules of international law,” although it alluded

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Middle East

Al Jazeera documents purport to show Palestinian concessions on Jerusalem, West Bank

JERUSALEM (WJC)–During the 2008 peace talks with the Olmert government, Palestinian negotiators were willing to leave most parts of eastern Jerusalem to Israeli control under a final peace deal, according to secret Palestinian documents leaked to the Arab TV channel ‘al-Jazeera’. Minutes detailing the concessions offered came from a meeting in Jerusalem in June 2008

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Middle East

Al Jazeera publishes leaked Palestinian documents on Israel negotiations

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM —  Wikileaks is infectious. Al-Jazeera has caught the bug, and released some 1,600 secret Palestinian documents, said to represent Palestinian-Israeli negotiations over more than a decade of on-again off-again talks.   Some of the details suggest far reaching Palestinian concessions, but others indicate that they were not far reaching enough for

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

The Labor party, which founded Israel, splinters into irrelevance

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — A pivotal moment in Israeli political history. The Labor Party, the founding political organization of the state, ruler of the country for its first 29 years, and perennial member of government coalitions has splintered like an undercooked felafel, that is, very messily. Defense Minister and Labor party leader Ehud

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Middle East

Poll indicates Barak would be big loser in new Israeli election

By Dow Marmur JERUSALEM– If you can’t wait for Israel to get a different government, please think again. Whether or not your hope is legitimate, the evidence is that it won’t be realized. The most up-to-date poll published in Friday’s Ha’aretz suggests that had new elections been held now, the outcome would be more or less

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Middle East

ZOA condemns Fatah’s continued support for violence against Israel

NEW YORK (Press Release)– Fatah Central Committee member and former PA foreign minister Nabil Shaath, is one of a number of senior PA figures who in recent days have frankly endorsed the “right” of Palestinians to use terrorism against Israel. In the PA-controlled mouthpiece, Al Hayat al-Jadida, Shaath falsely said, “Nineteen years of negotiations and

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Middle East

Canada stands up to Iran on showing of film on Iran’s nuclear threat

{Update of story below:  By Barry Rubin Well, that’s more like it! The Canadian government orders the showing of a film on Iran’s nuclear program previously cancelled due to threats. The Canadian government even sent a diplomatic note to Tehran saying that Canada is a free country and that freedom of expression is a core value

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International, Middle East