Topic: Yasser Arafat

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In Pictures: Mubarak's rule
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 11/11
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The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the richest and most prestigious awards in the world. The prize includes a $1.5 million award. But how much do you really know about the Nobel Peace Prize?
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 06/13
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Palestinians mark Nakba Day with slingshots, despite calls for calm

Nakba Day, translated to 'catastrophe day,' marks the day the state of Israel was created and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced.
Is the Palestinian Authority really a 'fig leaf' for Israeli occupation?

That's the charge of Yossi Beilin, Israeli architect of the Oslo accords. In an interview with the Monitor, he defends his recent call for the PA to be dissolved – 19 years after he helped set it up.
Israel-Gaza truce ends worst fighting since 2009 war. Did Iran have a role? (+video)

The Gaza fighting marked the rise of the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian proxy that analysts say could be used to try to divert Israel's focus away from Iran's nuclear program.
Shimon Peres: a dovish voice in Obama's ear

Israeli President Shimon Peres meets with President Obama today. Mr. Peres opposes an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran, adding a dovish voice to deliberations between the US and Israel.
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.
Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah’s Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel

Journalist Nicholas Blanford's comprehensive account of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is well-paced and gripping.
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.
Gilad Shalit prisoner swap: Why Netanyahu agreed to 1,000 Palestinians for one Israeli

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was opposed in principle to the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap. But his willingness to make an unsavory deal in the end highlights his pragmatism.
Palestinian statehood bid brings Abbas a personal victory

Mahmoud Abbas's statehood bid at the United Nations earned him jubilant praise from Palestinians in the West Bank, although Hamas opposition to the bid kept Gaza mostly silent.
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.
Why the US must support bid for Palestinian statehood

Palestinian leaders need equal footing with Israeli leaders – not to mention popular backing – for any peace process to succeed. Statehood sets the stage not only for productive negotiations, but also for lasting regional peace.
Tax VOX
John Boehner’s moment of truth

Will the Speaker of the House be able to take 'yes' for an answer?
Israel's new friend: Why Greece is thwarting Gaza flotilla

Since last year's flotilla debacle killed nine Turkish activists, Israel has cultivated ties with Greece, offering the debt-ridden country generous military aid.
UN tribunal indicts Hezbollah members in Hariri assassination

The highly anticipated indictments could help bring accountability for former prime minister Rafik Hariri's 2005 assassination. But they could also stir sectarian tensions.
Backchannels
Pinkwashing: Another gay Middle Easterner who isn't on the level?

Move over Thomas McMaster. You've got competition from 'Marc,' who claims he's an LGBT activist jilted by the Gaza flotilla.
Terrorism & Security
Israel's Netanyahu primed for a 'collision' with Obama today

President Obama is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has sharply criticized Obama's call for a return to 1967 borders, calling them 'indefensible.'
Backchannels
Lost amid Chávez's rants on Libya, a quieter Latin American foreign policy

Hugo Chávez's offer to mediate between his embattled Libyan friend and rebel factions was quickly dismissed. Meanwhile, other Latin American nations are taking a unified approach to foreign affairs.
In Pictures: Mubarak's rule
Why Palestine papers didn't spark outrage against Abbas's government

But the Palestine papers published by Al Jazeera have further dented Abbas's already low credibility, calling into question his ability to negotiate a lasting peace deal.
How leaked Palestinian documents will affect Abbas, peace process

Al Jazeera has begun to publish 1,300 documents that detail far-reaching Palestinian concessions on Jerusalem and borders. The offers were rebuffed by Israel.
Abbas invites Israeli lawmakers to lunch in Ramallah

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hosted a banquet yesterday to appeal directly to Israelis, the latest move in an attempt to circumvent stymied peace talks.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 11/11
Why Israeli settlement construction must stop

Israel's refusal to freeze construction undermines the entire peace process. And peace must succeed. There are no viable alternatives – for Israelis, Palestinians, or the region.
Palestinians consider Mideast talks trump card: declaring statehood

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu offer to extend the moratorium on settlement construction – but only if the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The Palestinians are mulling counteroffers.
Test your Nobel Peace Prize knowledge. Take our quiz.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the richest and most prestigious awards in the world. The prize includes a $1.5 million award. But how much do you really know about the Nobel Peace Prize?