Palestine

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Pope Arrives in Uneasy Mideast
 Pope Arrives in Uneasy Mideast 

Pope Arrives in Uneasy Mideast

(Newser) - Pope Benedict landed in Jordan today to begin what could be a tense Middle East tour, the New York Times reports. Next week the pope will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories, delivering 32 speeches at some of the world’s holiest sites for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But with...

Palestinians Suffer Behind Bethlehem Barrier: UN

Residents can only access 13% of the area: report

(Newser) - Palestinians have access to just 13% of the land around Bethlehem due to Israeli military zones, a barrier, and settlements, a UN report charges just days before Pope Benedict is due to visit the holy city. “Bethlehem’s potential for residential and industrial expansion and development has been reduced,...

Hamas: We've Stopped Rocket Attacks on Israel

Boss pledges to be 'part of the solution' in NYT interview

(Newser) - Hamas has stopped firing rockets at Israel for the time being, its head told the New York Times in a lengthy interview in which he discussed the militant Palestinian group’s goals. “I promise the American administration and the international community that we will be part of the solution,...

Israel Finds No War Crimes in Gaza Attacks

Officials say civilian deaths isolated, unintentional

(Newser) - An Israel Defense Forces probe has found that no Gaza civilians were intentionally harmed in Israel’s recent incursion into the region, Haaretz reports. IDF colonels who weren’t involved in the fighting found that the IDF “adhered to international law and maintained a high level of professionalism and...

Ahmadinejad Speech Sparks UN Walkout

(Newser) - Delegates stormed out of the United Nations conference on racism today in Geneva, protesting a speech by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the New York Times reports. The Iranian president used his speech to criticize Israel for leaving “an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering,” in an effort...

Despite 'Skepticism,' Blair Nudges Netanyahu on Talks

Urges negotiations for two-state solution, more freedom for Palestinians

(Newser) - Though “there is a great deal of skepticism out there” about the motivation of Israel’s new prime minister, Middle East envoy Tony Blair today encouraged Benjamin Netanyahu to resume Palestinian peace talks amid efforts to improve the West Bank’s economy, Reuters reports. A “credible political negotiation...

Israeli Teen Killed in Ax Attack

(Newser) - An ax-wielding Palestinian went on a rampage in a Jewish West Bank settlement today, killing an Israeli teenager and wounding a young boy before fleeing the area, the AP reports. Security guards shot and wounded the assailant before he could escape, and police are now hunting for him.

Prepare for War: New Israeli Foreign Minister

Lieberman douses Palestinian peace hopes in debut speech

(Newser) - Israel’s new foreign minister, a renowned hawk, wasted no time in drumming up war rhetoric. On his first day on the job, Avigdor Lieberman said, “Those who want peace should prepare for war,” as he dismissed his predecessor’s negotiations with the Palestinians, the New York Times...

Palestinian PM Steps Down to Pave Way for Power Share

Move aimed at easing Palestinian reconciliation

(Newser) - Palestine’s prime minister submitted his resignation today, a move that could help pave the way for an elusive power-sharing deal between Fatah moderates and Hamas militants. Salam Fayyad's decision was meant to build confidence before Palestinian reconciliation talks resume Tuesday in Cairo. He was appointed by Western-backed Palestinian President...

Clinton Visits West Bank, Names Syrian Envoys

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton met separately with the Palestinian president and prime minister in the West Bank today, after sitting down with Israeli leaders yesterday, and announcing the appointment of two senior envoys to Syria. Palestinian leaders implored Clinton to push for a freeze on expanding Israeli West Bank settlements, and open...

In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles
In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles
ANALYSIS

In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles

Netanyahu, Hamas complicate Hillary's already difficult mission

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton arrived in Egypt last night, beginning her trip to the Middle East at a conference aimed at raising reconstruction money for Gaza. The secretary of state has enlisted a team of diplomats with long experience in Mideast negotiations, led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. But as...

Netanyahu Promises He's a Pragmatist
Netanyahu Promises He's
a Pragmatist
analysis

Netanyahu Promises He's a Pragmatist

But new Israeli PM may be hamstrung by right-wing coalition

(Newser) - Benjamin Netanyahu's reputation is one of a hawkish hard-liner, but he views himself differently. “You and I have a lot in common,” he once told then-candidate Obama. “We are both pragmatists who like to get things done.” It’s telling that Israel’s next prime minister...

Why the Israeli Election Doesn't Matter
Why the
Israeli Election
Doesn't Matter
OPINION

Why the Israeli Election Doesn't Matter

Only Obama, not today's winner, can save country: Rachman

(Newser) - Whoever prevails in Israel's surprisingly tight election today, one thing is sure, writes Gideon Rachman: The country is moving to the right. That means that Benjamin Netanyahu or Tzipi Livni will lead a coalition that will "opt for the status quo" of occupying the West Bank, expanding settlements, and...

Israel Pounds Gaza Targets
 Israel Pounds 
 Gaza Targets 

Israel Pounds Gaza Targets

Attacks follow militant fire in heaviest exchange since truce

(Newser) - Israeli aircraft pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip late last night after militants there unleashed 10 rounds of rocket and mortar fire on Israel. It's the region's heaviest exchange since a ceasefire began two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Times reports. Six explosions rocked Rafah, a border town near...

Israel, Palestine Need Outside Support for Lasting Fix

Neighbors must be involved: Friedman

(Newser) - The dominant theory holds that the two-state solution is the answer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the war in Gaza has pushed tensions past the point where an equitable sharing of geography is enough, argues New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. He wants a "five-state solution—Palestine, Egypt, Jordan,...

Carter: Only a Free Palestine Can Stop Israeli 'Catastrophe'

Former prez advocates a two-state solution

(Newser) - Israel faces "catastrophe" unless it revives the peace process and works toward the establishment of an independent Palestine, says Jimmy Carter. In an interview with the AP, the former president and Nobel laureate says the growing number of Arabs in the Holy Land means that only a two-state solution...

BBC Refusal to Air Gaza Appeal Sparks Uproar

Network fears appearance of bias in charged issue

(Newser) - The BBC has been lambasted by politicians, religious leaders and its own staff for the network's refusal to broadcast an appeal for Gaza aid, the Guardian reports. Executives of the publicly funded network say they must adhere to a strict code of impartiality, and that airing the appeal could be...

New Mideast Envoy Is Old Hand at Peacemaking
New Mideast Envoy Is
Old Hand at Peacemaking
analysis

New Mideast Envoy Is Old Hand at Peacemaking

Israel-Palestine negotiations just 'another assignment' for Mitchell

(Newser) - As the Obama administration’s new Middle East envoy, former Sen. George Mitchell has  the toughest of diplomatic tasks on his hands: negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. But “if anyone can succeed in this difficult endeavor," it's Mitchell, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Mitchell...

Mitchell, Holbrooke Named Special Envoys

Former senator gets Mideast portfolio; ex-ambassador Afghanistan and Pakistan

(Newser) - President Obama and newly minted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton moved quickly today to build the administration’s diplomatic efforts, naming George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke special envoys, Reuters reports; both appointments were expected. Former Sen. Mitchell will focus on facilitating peace talks between Israel and Palestine, while ex-UN ambassador...

Israel Completes Gaza Withdrawal

(Newser) - The last Israeli troops left the Gaza Strip before dawn today, the military said, as Israel dispatched its foreign minister to Europe in a bid to rally international support to end arms smuggling into the Hamas-ruled territory. The timing of the pullout reflected Israeli hopes to defuse the Gaza crisis...

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