I just finished listening to Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the UNGA and I have to say that I was very impressed. God knows I am no supporter of Abbas, but listening to him the thought crossed my mind that maybe the old man decided to redeem himself as much as possible at the 11th hour of his career? I am under no illusion about what this speech can or cannot
It is only proper that UNSCR 1860 and Mahmoud Abbas would vanish into nothingness on the same day: UNSCR 1860 was rejected by both Israel and Hamas, and Abbas’ term as President of the Palestinan Authority expired today. This is all good news, really. Now that these irrelevancies have been set aside the clock will be ticking louder and louder for the Israeli war on Gaza and each passing day
By Neta Golan and Mohammed Khatib Next month the US plans to host a regional meeting to discuss peace in the Middle East, or at least peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The maneuvering, deal making and negotiating about what will be on the table has been going on for some time. But the details of the agreement being discussed have been a well-guarded secret but for the steady flow
by Osamah Khalil, The Electronic Intifada Over the past two months a coalition has formed around Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in an attempt to bolster his rule. Desperate to maintain his hold on power, Abbas has chosen to forgo national unity and rely on support from the U.S. and Israel to tighten his hold on the West Bank and target Gaza. Abbas and his benefactors have made it clear to
On Tony Karon’s excellent blog Mark Perry offers 10 reasons why Hamas, rather than Abu Mazen and his U.S. backers will prevail in the struggle for Palestinian hearts and minds. The Islamists today represent the Palestinian mainstream, while Fatah is broken from top to bottom. Even more importantly, Abbas is increasingly isolated within his own organization, most of whose grassroots and mid-level leadership want nothing to do with the U.S.
Saudi king snubs Abbas Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has snubbed the Palestinian president, skipping a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas on a visit to Jordan. An Abbas official said “the meeting was postponed due to lack of time as both leaders had busy schedules”, but Al Jazeera’s David Chater, reporting from Jordan, said it was a deliberate and undiplomatic snub. Abbas was kept waiting at a palace room for a telephone
Ma’an News Agency report: Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Brigades refuse to dissolve or to disarm and reject the truce in the West Bank Bethlehem – Ma’an Exclusive – The Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Brigades have announced that they have rejected the presidential decree regarding the disbanding of militia in the occupied Palestinian territories. The spokesman of the brigades, Abu Oday, told Ma’an that, following consultations with the brigades’ leaders in the West
Here is what Olmert announced at the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting: “As a gesture of goodwill towards the Palestinians, I will bring before the Israeli cabinet a proposal to free 250 Fatah prisoners who do not have blood on their hands.” Again, besides the recurring and bizzare Israeli obsession about “blood” (more on that in a previous post), what is really important here is that Olmert will not release Barghouti. Considering
by Khaled Abu Toameh, for THE JERUSALEM POSTPalestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to demand the release of hundreds of Fatah prisoners from Israeli jails during Monday’s summit in Sharm e-Sheikh, PA officials said. The officials also said Abbas would call for supplying the Fatah-controlled security forces with more weapons to thwart attempts by Hamas to try to take over the West Bank. “We want thousands of rifles, hundreds
GAZA, June 24 – Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-led government rejected a summit planned for Egypt with Israeli and Arab leaders, saying only “resistance” would produce results for his people. He called any hopes generated by the summit a “mirage” and “illusions.” Haniyeh accused Abbas, the Western-Israel backed Fatah leader, of violating Palestinian law by dismissing his government and then appointing an emergency administration in the occupied West
Press Release: Palestinian Information Center GAZA, (PIC)– The Hamas Movement on Tuesday renewed invitation to Fatah faction to initiate joint dialogue to solve pending problems before it is too late. MP Khalil Al-Hayya, one of the Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, told a press conference in Ramattan news agency that what happened in the Strip was not pre-planned but rather was in response to crimes committed by the mutiny
There is no better source of information about Palestine than the excellent blog of the Palestinian Pundit. His recent posts outline a systematic plan for the invasion of the Gaza sector, the repression of its main democratically elected political party, Hamas, and the total destruction of that party throughout Palestine (at least that’s the plan, whether it will work is a different issue). First, the Empire is sending a poodle
Mahmoud Abbas is a fiction by Israel Harel George W. Bush and Ehud Olmert looked pathetic giving their “full backing” to the broken-down crutch that is Mahmoud Abbas. Contrary to the talk in Washington, nothing has changed to open a new opportunity for negotiations over a final settlement. It is impossible to hold talks with Abbas, just like it was impossible to hold talks in the past on any kind
No, this is not a joke. The BBC just reported that Abbas appointed a new prime minister, Salam Fayyad, as Prime Minister of Fatah-controlled Palestine. The BBC helpfully adds that “a former World Bank executive, Mr Fayyad is a well-respected figure internationally” thereby using the code words indicating that this appointment has received the approval of Abbas’ bosses in the Imperial High Command. Wikipedia says that “he is seen as
