However, of Drezner’s two viable options, negotiation with the Syrian government is a far better option. Though negotiations would undoubtedly be complicated by the rhetoric of the west in the last few months, it would end the killing quicker – which, I suppose, is what Syrians really want – and would avoid all of the many complications that would arise from a rash policy. … More Arming the FSA in Syria
This is refreshing, right? About 10 days ago, a fish merchant in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda outdoor market noticed a young man with sidelocks and a skullcap trying to determine which of the stalls employ Arabs. The merchant, Saleh, called the police, who detained the man for questioning on suspicion that he was planning a … More Stay Away from the Arabs!
A while back a report came out describing the willingness of several pro-Israel groups in France to travel to the West Bank in order to ‘protect’ illegal Israeli settlements from Palestinians attacks. And the French chapter of the Jewish Defense League did not disappoint: Referring to the current “mission” to Israel and the West Bank, the … More The JDL in the West Bank
A couple a days ago I linked recent settler violence with the IDF plan to train and arm setters – ostensibly to fight against nonviolent protesters. Unsurprisingly, the settlers are back at it. On monday morning, Israeli settlers desecrated and set fire to a mosque in the village of Qusra. Windows were smashed and graffiti was written on the walls, … More No One Saw This Coming? Part II
So there was no mention that these were the same people, but it seems pretty clear that this would/will continue to happen. The IDF has conducted detailed work to determine a “red line” for each settlement in the West Bank, which will determine when soldiers will be ordered to shoot at the feet of Palestinian … More No One Saw This Coming? Really?
Omar Ashour has a nice piece in Foreign Policy about the potential resurgence of jihadists in post-Qaddafi Libya. According to Ashour, there are three possibilities for the jihadists: reintegration, political inclusion, or clash. In the aftermath of Qaddafi, interactions between the National Transitional Council (NTC) and armed Islamist organizations can take three trajectories: reintegration, … More Jihadists in Libya
Akiva Eldar recently wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Haaretz, in which Eldar pushes for the end of the Oslo Accords and all of the false hope that comes with them. The Oslo Accords were signed in 1993 (Oslo 2 was signed in 1995) and a permanent final status agreement was to be agreed upon … More Killing Off a Dead Oslo
I just finished summing up the STL indictment of four men in connection with the 2005 assassination of then Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of Lebanon, noting that the STL may not be finished with its indictments. For now, the situation in Lebanon is truly wait and see. Hezbollah could be simply sacrificing these four men … More The Party of God and Bringing Down Lebanon, Part II
So the big news today is the indictment of four Lebanese men by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) which was set up in 2007 to investigate the murder of then Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. This is big news, of course, because this initial indictment could spread to include senior members of both Hezbollah and … More The Party of God and Bringing Down Lebanon
So the upcoming Flotilla 2 has been in the news a lot recently as it prepares to embark on its mission to break Israel’s siege of Gaza and to deliver aid and letters of support to the beleaguered strip. There has been news that the Irish contribution will not be able to sail after the ship … More Its US vs Them and We Chose Them
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