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Newer Articles: Since January 1, 2008
Israel says it opposes Russian plans for Moscow peace summit
Dec. 20, 2007 - Israeli authorities voiced opposition to a follow-up peace conference in Moscow in the next few months.
- In explaining their reservations, government officials in Jerusalem cite the need to focus on bilateral talks with the Palestinians "and not be dragged onto a slippery slope of opening negotiations on other issues like Syria and Lebanon during the present time."
- Source:Ha'Aretz
In first talks since 2001, PA blasts Israel for J'lem construction
Dec. 12, 2007 - Following the Annapolis Peace Conference, Israel and the Palestinian Authority held their first formal peace talks in seven years Wednesday. Talks were hindered by PA reaction to new Israeli construction plans to build more than 300 apartments in the Har Homa neighborhood in disputed East Jerusalem. The meeting ended after 90 minutes with an agreement to meet again soon.
- Source:Ha'Aretz
U.S. withdraws UN Annapolis resolution after Israel objects
Dec. 1, 2007 - Following the Annapolis Conference, the U.S. introduced a United Nations resolution that would endorse the agreement by Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Israel objected to the action because it does not consider most of the nations represented by the Security Council to be friendly toward them. For this reason, the U.S. withdrew the resolution.
- Source: Ha'Aretz
Day after Annapolis:
Palestinian Authority TV shows "Palestine" map erasing Israel
Nov. 28, 2008 - Even after the Annapolis Conference, the Palestinian Authority televised
a map in which Israel is painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag. This symbolizes their systematic educational approach to their desire for Israel to be eliminated.
- Source: Palestinian Media Watch
'We laid cornerstone to peace in Annapolis'
Nov. 28, 2007 - Israeli delegates to the Annapolis Conference said they felt good about the event. It introduced an encouraging joint statement by Israel and the Palestinians. Attendance at the conference had exceptionally good, with 47 nations and major international organizations represented. The speeches by President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas were all well received.
- "And everyone, excluding the Syrian deputy foreign minister, applauded the prime minister's speech. Even the Saudi foreign minister clapped. That is something we're very excited about."
The hard work is still ahead - bi-weekly meetings by delegates from Israel and the Palestinians will begin to resolve details, starting on Dec. 12.
- Source: YNet
- The Devil is in The Details - Chuck Missler
- Another Side To A "Very Dangerous" Summit - Editor Kaye Corbett of the Jerusalem Sun
- Evangelicals Blast Any Jerusalem Division - Jerusalem Post
Bush: Time is Right to Relaunch Middle East Peace Talks
Nov. 27, 2007 - President Bush told representatives from nearly 50 countries and international organizations that their common goal is to have Israel and a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security.
- He said the time is right to relaunch Middle East peace talks, but acknowledged the path to peace would be difficult.
- Source:Voice of America
- Burning Indignation - Stan Goodenough's sobering commentary on the Annapolis conference.
- Bush launches peace talks - JTA
- 'Difficult issues' loom at Mideast summit - USA Today
- Israelis take to streets to protest Annapolis
- WorldNetDaily
- Coverage and Commentary About The Annapolis Conference - Ha'Aretz
- Non-invitees loom large at peace talks - MSNBC
- In The Mideast, Giving Peace (Another) Chance - Newsweek
Peace Summit:
Bush to Meet Abbas, Olmert Ahead of Mideast Conference
Nov. 26, 2007 - The long-awaited Annapolis Mideast conference begins with a dinner tonight at the State Department. A full day of talks will follow on Tuesday on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. This will be the first time Israelis and representatives of 16 Arab nations and the Arab League have met together in more than a decade. Saudi Arabia and Syria will be present, even though neither country has recognized Israel's right to exist.
- Source: Voice of America
- Bush lends clout to Mideast peace talks - Yahoo
- Bush: I remain personally committed to two state solution - Jerusalem Post
- Haniyeh: Annapolis deal won't be binding - Jerusalem Post
- Jerusalem sources: PM to call for road map implementation in Annapolis - Ha'Aretz
- Syria to Be at Summit to Begin Monday - MyWay
- Saudis calling shots at Annapolis peace conference? - WorldNetDaily
Arab Foreign Ministers Deciding Whether or Not to Participate in Annapolis Summit
Nov. 23, 2007 - Arab foreign ministers will meet today in Cairo to help each other decide whether or not to attend the US-sponsored Annapolis summit. Palestinian President Mahmoud will explain the progress made by his meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. However, since the Palestinians and the Israelis have not yet reached a joint document on the key issues, some of the Arab leaders say they will refuse to participate in the conference.
- Source: Turkish Weekly
More than 40 nations invited to Annapolis
Nov. 21, 2007 - There is still no published agenda for the Annapolis peace talks scheduled to start on Nov. 27th. There is also doubt that the meeting will result in an immediate solution to the problem. But the U.S. has issued formal invitations to more than 40 nations and organizations to participate in the event. At the top of the list are Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
- The list of confirmed invitees also includes the Arab League and Arab countries such as Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq, Libya, Mauritania, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
The so-called "quartet" that has been trying to bring peace to the region recently (US, EU, Russia,and the UN) have been invited. Mideast envoy Tony Blair is also included, and
Members of the international diplomatic quartet have also been given invitations. These include the UN, The EU, Russia, and .
Other countries who may attend the conference are France, Germany, Britain, Canada, Japan, Italy, China, Norway, Turkey, Vatican, Brazil and Australia.
- Source: YNet News
- Olmert: Agreement can be reached in 2008 - YNet News
- Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians Meet Ahead of US-Sponsored Peace Conference - Voice of America
Will Annapolis fail like all the others?
Nov. 20, 2007 - Paul Reynolds, World affairs correspondent for the BBC News website, offers little hope that next week's peace talks in Annapolis will succeed while numerous other attempts have failed. He argues that the basic issues have not improved. These include:
- The borders of Israel and a state of Palestine
- The future of Jerusalem
- The question of Israeli settlements on the land Israel captured in the war of 1967
- The claimed "right of return" of Palestinian refugees
Reynolds does think that the delegates will try to make progress for two reasons: The fear of something worse [Something desperately needs to be done], and the lesson learned from former attempts, that the final agreement- the ultimate outcome- must be addressed now instead of delayed for future talks.
- Source: BBC
Israel to release 450 prisoners
Nov. 19, 2007 - In preparation for the Annapolis Middle East peace meeting next week, Israel is making several good-will gestures. They will release 450 Palestinian detainees, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert renewed his pledge to freeze new settlements in the occupied West Bank, and he plans to meet Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday.
- Source: BBC
Abbas to Peres: Israel can live in sea of peace
Nov. 13, 2007 - At a meeting in Ankra, Turkey, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promised "If peace comes and the occupation comes to an end, Israel will live in a sea of peace." Israeli President, Shimon Peres, offered encouragements at the same meeting.
- Peres also sounded optimistic regarding the prospects for peace, stating his belief that peace with the Palestinians and all interested countries was a definite possibility, but warned that peacemaking is a slow, cautious process.
- Source: YNet News
Deadly clash at Arafat Gaza rally
Nov. 12, 2007 - A Palestinian rally in Gaza City was organized by the secular nationalist Fatah party to commemorate the third anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. Hundreds of thousands of Fatah supporters attended the rally, carrying pictures of Arafat. During the rally security forces from the radical Islamist group Hamas opened fire at crowds. At least 6 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded.
- Hamas has banned opposition rallies since its takeover of Gaza, and its security personnel were out in force at the edge of Monday's massive gathering.
- Source: BBC
Hamas: Terrible surprises await IDF should they invade Gaza
Nov. 10, 2007 - A spokesman for Hamas told an Israeli-Arab weekly that Hamas was eagerly awaiting a wide-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces. He said Hamas has many terrible surprises in their arsenal.
- Source: Jerusalem Post
'Mideast atomic programs apocalyptic'
Nov. 9, 2007 - While Iran is boasting about operating 3,000 centrifuges to further its nuclear program, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have also signaled their intentions to begin or revive nuclear production in their own countries. Because of this, Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said:
- "If Egypt and Saudi Arabia begin nuclear programs, this can bring an apocalyptic scenario upon us... Their intentions should be taken seriously..."
He added that Pakistan is a serious threat because of their instability and their well-known nuclear capabilities. And he said that Mohamed ElBaradei, the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency chief, is helping Iran stall for time instead of supporting sanctions from the West.
- Source: Jerusalem Post
- Israel calls for sacking of IAEA's ElBaradei - The Telegraph - UK
Mideast Peace Before Bush Leaves Office?
Nov. 5, 2007 - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have both said that real peace between Israel and the Palestinians could be achieved before President Bush leaves office at the end of 2008. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also positive about the peace process.
- "I'm quite confident that the will is there on both sides that people want to end this conflict," an upbeat Rice said. Israel and the Palestinians were "moving toward an understanding" that a U.S.-sponsored conference can be a forum to restart long-stalled peace talks, she said.
- Source:Yahoo
- Rice aims to wrap up peace deal before end of Bush administration - Jerusalem Post
- Palestinian officials say they are easing demands for U.S. Mideast conference - International Herald Tribune
Jordan's King Abdullah Backs Mideast Peace Talks After Meeting Rice
Oct. 18, 2007 - Jordan's King Abdullah told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that he was encouraged by the progress during her visit with other Mideast leaders, and that he would support the upcoming U.S.-sponsored peace conference.
- Rice said earlier that she was also encouraged by talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, despite tensions between the two sides.
- Source: Voice of America
Jerusalem Emerges as Stumbling Block in Mideast Peace Talks
Oct. 11, 2007 - Now that Israel has offered to grant parts of East Jerusalem to a proposed Palestinian state, demands from the Palestinians have increased.
- A senior Palestinian official has thrown a wrench into peace talks by saying that the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, the holiest place in Judaism, belongs to Islam and the Palestinians.
- Source: Voice of America
- Peres: Government has no intention of dividing Jerusalem - Ha'Aretz
Abbas lays out land demands
Oct. 10, 2007 - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says a Palestinian state should include all territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.
- The Palestinian demands include all of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, east Jerusalem and small areas along the West Bank frontier that were considered no-man's land before the 1967 war.
- Source:YNet News
Olmert and Abbas begin negotiations on critical issues
Oct. 10, 2007 - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met in private on Monday to work out details for a November summit meeting.
- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is reportedly proposing to cede nearly all of Judea and Samaria and some Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority, and is considering allowing the Muslim holy sites of Jerusalem to be administered by Jordan.
- Source: Israel Insider
Israel May Approve a Divided Jerusalem
Oct. 8, 2007 - According to Israeli Deputy Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon, two central parties in the government have agreed to support a division of Jerusalem in order to facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian declaration that is expected to emerge from a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference next month. The plan would turn over part of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. About 170,000 Palestinians live in this area. The Palestinians would be permitted to establish their capital there.
- In return, Israel would receive the recognition of the international community, including Arab states, of its sovereignty over Jewish neighborhoods and the existence of its capital there, Ramon said.
- Source: Fox
- PM Olmert denies report that Jordan will have custody of Temple Mt. - Jerusalem Post
Olmert Says Israel Not Interested in War With Syria
Oct. 4, 2007 - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a closed meeting with the the country's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel is monitoring Syrian troop movements, but is not interested in violent conflict with Syria.
- Source:Fox
Rare opportunity for peace
Sept. 27, 2007 - In this opinion piece, Majdi Halabi, an Arab journalist in Israel, encourages consideration of a peace plan that would produce recognition of Israel by all Arab countries.
- Last month, Jordan's Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib and his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Abul Gheit, presented to our prime minister and political leaders the details of the Arab initiative ratified in Saudi Arabia.
Israel would be obligated to withdraw from the occupied territories and grant the Palestinians an independent state whose capital is east Jerusalem. The plan supposedly allows flexibility on details. The appeal of the initiative is the agreement of all Arab states to accept any solution worked out by the parties, as long as it constitutes an end to the conflict.
- Source:YNet News
Barak: Gaza operation near
Sept. 27, 2007 - It is apparently inevitable that Israel will conduct a significant military operation in the Gaza Strip.
- "We will use all our diplomatic means to weaken the Hamas leadership and its effectiveness, but the truth must be told, we are nearing an extensive operation in Gaza," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told army radio Wednesday morning.
- Source:YNet News
Israelis declare Gaza 'hostile'
Sept. 19, 2007 - Because of frequent rocket attacks against Israel from the area, Israel had declared the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity." This could lead to cutting off vital water, fuel or electricity supplies to the area. Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, said they would consider such action a declaration of war.
- In Jerusalem, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also said the US considered Hamas a "hostile entity". But she added that the US "would not abandon the innocent Palestinians" of Gaza.
- Source:BBC
Israelis ‘blew apart Syrian nuclear cache’
Sept. 16, 2007 - Officially, Israel and Syria are saying nothing about last week's bombing raid in Syria, but fascinating information has been given by unnamed Israeli officials. According to them, Israel has known since late spring that Syria was planning to receive nuclear equipment from North Korea. Israeli ground troops infiltrated Syria and used lasers to guide Israeli bombers to destroy the offensive materials.
Several possible reasons for the Korean shipments have been suggested. Syria could be hiding equipment for North Korea, so that Kim Jong-il could pretend to be giving up his nuclear plans. The materials could be headed for Iran to bolster their nuclear ambitions. But Syria itself has been trying to buy a nuclear device from North Korea. Such a device could be installed on North-Korean-made Scud-C missiles.
- “This was supposed to be a devastating Syrian surprise for Israel,” said an Israeli source. “We’ve known for a long time that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can’t live with a nuclear warhead.”
- Source:Times Online
- Netanyahu 'admits Israeli strike' - BBC (Sept. 21, 2007)
- Report: Israel hit Syria nuclear reactor - Yahoo (Oct. 15, 2007)
Israel raid on Syria triggered by arms fears, officials say
September 12, 2007 - Israeli warplanes flew over Syria and apparently dropped bombs. Israel is not talking about the event. Some of the ideas that have been proposed by experts are fascinating. Syria may be building nuclear arms. North Korea may be cooperating with Syria's nuclear ambition. Israel needed to test new Syrian air defences. Israel wanted to stop Iranian weapons from reaching Hezbollah. Ground troops may also have been involved.
- Source: Reuters
Israel warns against travel in Mideast
Aug. 7, 2007 -
-
- Source: Yahoo
Rice: Mideast Conference to Focus on Creating Palestinian State
Aug. 2, 2007 - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told Palestinian leaders that this fall Mideast peace conference could succeed because Israel is ready now to discuss fundamental issues.
- Rice met with Abbas at his headquarters and signed an agreement granting the Palestinians $80 million for reform of their security services. She said she's likely be back in the region before this fall's international conference, which is being promoted by the U.S. administration.
- Source: Fox
Older Articles: Before August 1, 2007
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