Palestine Center Brief No. 310 (February 9, 2018)
Mahmoud Abbas
What’s next for Middle East peace?
US Secretary of State John Kerry came back from his recent trip to Jerusalem and Ramallah on Nov. 24 empty-handed and, for the first time for this extreme optimist, completely disillusioned with the stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He found Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even more rejectionist than before, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas weaker and more depressed. A senior US State Department official dealing with the Middle East described to Al-Monitor the current situation in very bleak terms.
When all was ‘calm’: a typical month for Palestinians under Israeli occupation
When US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the Middle East last week, for meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the senior diplomat had one clear stated goal: to restore ‘calm’ after several weeks of violence.
Palestinians Are Fighting for Their Lives; Israel Is Fighting for the Occupation
Yes, this is a war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with his mandate from the people, has ordered its intensification. He does not listen to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ messages of conciliation and acceptance in calmer times, why should he listen to them now?
Palestinian officials to discuss formation of new government
PA spokesman Ihab Bseiso told Ma’an that the national unity government has not yet resigned and will continue for another week until PLO Executive Committee members complete consultations with PLO factions concerning the structure of the new unity government.
Israeli Election Results 2015: What Does This Mean?
By Palestine Center
Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party won Tuesday’s parliamentary elections, scoring 30 seats in the Knesset, compared to the Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog, which gained 24 seats, and the Joint List (an Arab Israeli coalition of parties) which gained 14 seats. Many were not expecting the Likud party to win again and have described the right-wing victory as an upset. This win solidifies Netanyahu’s fourth term as prime minister; he will soon make history as the longest-serving prime minister of Israel since David Ben-Gurion.
