Topic: Salam Fayyad

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Will Netanyahu stay obsessed with Iran or use his new coalition to help Israel?

Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy has been dangerously transfixed on Iran, neglecting the myriad other issues threatening Israel and Middle East stability. The new coalition government sets up a rare opportunity to reshape Israel’s domestic institutions and strengthen its regional standing.
Backchannels
Israel legalizes three more West Bank settlement outposts

The decision, which is part of a broader settlement expansion, could pave the way for similar legalizations. Prospects for meaningful peace talks just grew dimmer.
No explanation given: Palestinian PM skips Netanyahu meeting

Looking ahead, Palestinian leaders face few appealing options for advancing their agenda, which has been sidelined by Iran and the US elections.
Restart of talks uncertain as Palestinian prime minister skips Israeli meeting

Salam Fayyad did not attend a scheduled meeting Tuesday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other senior Palestinian officials delivered a letter to Netanyahu with a list of demands before talks can resume.
Hebron settlers threaten retaliation after Israeli police evict them

The tensions in Hebron, a mainly Arab city that's holy to both Muslims and Jews, test Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to expand settlement in the West Bank.
France school shooter planned another attack, says Sarkozy

French President Sarkozy told Jewish leaders that the Toulouse gunman planned another attack Wednesday. The Toulouse gunman is still surrounded by police.
Hamas and Fatah overcome key roadblock to reconciliation (+video)

Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshal agreed in Qatar today that Mr. Abbas would lead an interim powersharing government.
The man Israel didn't release from prison: Marwan Barghouti

Palestinians originally hoped that Marwan Barghouti, compared by some to former South African prisoner-turned-president Nelson Mandela, would be included in a prisoner swap finalized today.
The Vote
With an eye toward the Jewish vote, Newt Gingrich disses Palestinians

In an interview on the Jewish Channel cable network, GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said Palestinians are an “invented” people. He also said he might grant clemency to Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard.
Israel blames Abbas for choosing Hamas over peace. Is he?

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas vowed today to accelerate reconciliation with Hamas, a sworn enemy of Israel, with elections to be held in May.
Palestinian statehood bid adds urgency for Israeli-Palestinian peace

Quartet envoy Tony Blair held talks today to prod Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table amid concern about a looming UN vote on Palestinian statehood.
Gilad Shalit deal boosts Hamas in West Bank as Fatah clings to support

Palestinian prisoners released in the Gilad Shalit deal were welcomed home in Ramallah amid an unusual display of support for Hamas.
Leon Panetta in Israel: Will his urgent messages bring action?

Amid US concerns over Israel's growing isolation from its Mideast neighbors, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has an urgent message for the country's leaders: Re-engage in the peace process.
Palestinian statehood bid wins broad support in Gaza, West Bank (video)

Everyone from Hamas supporters to shopkeepers in Ramallah have backed the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN, but some warn that failure could lead to a third intifada.
Palestinian statehood bid: Why Hamas has stayed on sidelines

Hamas has yet to officially declare its stance on the Palestinian statehood bid, to be launched at the UN this week. If the bid fails, the Islamist movement could expand its power in the West Bank.
Global News Blog
Good Reads: Is the Palestinians' quest for statehood doomed? (video)

Mahmoud Abbas says he will seek the UN Security Council and General Assembly's recognition for a Palestinian state, despite opposition from the US – and the doubts of some Palestinians.
Palestinians forge ahead with UN statehood push. Are they ready?

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas yesterday confirmed a push to seek full membership at the UN as a sovereign state. But despite support for recent Palestinian Authority reforms, the UN move could backfire.
Palestinians' gambit for UN recognition wobbles

Even as the Arab League threw its weight behind the Palestinian Authority's bid for UN recognition of a Palestinian state, officials are having second thoughts.
Terrorism & Security
Fatah-Hamas leadership dispute could jeopardize Palestinian statehood campaign

Fatah and Hamas are meeting in Cairo today to choose the leader of the Palestinian unity government. But strong disagreements could derail their reconciliation pact.
Terrorism & Security
Palestinian 'nakba' protests turn deadly. Israel sees Iran's 'fingerprints.'

Eight people were reportedly killed in separate incidents along Israel's borders with both Syria and Lebanon – and dozens were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza – during the Palestinians' annual 'nakba' protest against Israel.
Palestinians optimistic on Hamas-Fatah unity deal

Palestinians see the Hamas-Fatah unity deal to be signed in Cairo today as strengthening their push for statehood. But they say that reconciliation will be a year-long project at least.
Israel's wall cements psychological divide between Arab, Jew

Many Jews and Arabs miss the daily interactions they had, whether at farm stands or in antique shops, before Israel's security barrier was erected.
Palestinians build support for statehood at Brussels meeting

The Palestinian Authority has gained a crucial boost from the IMF and World Bank ahead of a possible UN vote on statehood in September, as Arab unrest adds urgency to their cause.
After Egypt uprising, Israel can't afford to ignore nonviolent Palestinian protesters

As protests shake much of the Middle East, Israel should be less concerned with nonviolent Palestinian resistance movements than with what it would mean for them to fail. Israel should engage, not sideline, these groups. The alternatives for such a frustrated people aren't peaceful.
Terrorism & Security
Palestinian PM announces full cabinet overhaul

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced the dissolution of the cabinet Monday, ceding to demands for reform in what may be an effort to stave off protests.