'Just World News' with Helena Cobban

Washington losing struggle for Abu Mazen's soul?

Al-Hayat had an interesting report (in Arabic there) today saying that leadership sources in Hamas confirm that they have reached a "memorandum of understanding" with Fateh in preparation for the...

Olmert pokes finger in Annapolis's eye

In a clear challenge to the agreements reached in Annapolis, the Israeli government yesterday announced its plan to build more than 300 new homes in the east Jerusalem settlement of...

My CSM op-ed on post-Annapolis diplomacy

Today's Christian Science Monitor carries the op-ed I wrote (last Friday morning) about the post-Annapolis diplomacy. The title is For Mideast peace, think bigger; Regional stability involves more than the...

Post-Annapolis score: Israel/Cheney - 1; World - 0?

Yesterday, US Ambassador to the UN Zal Khalilzad was humiliatingly forced by the powers-that-be in Washington to withdraw the text of a draft resolution he had presented to the Security...

Israeli precedent in France/Algeria?

I went to an interesting discussion today. It was led by the Franco-Israeli writer Sylvain Cypel, who was talking about his recent book Walled: Israeli Society at an Impasse. I...

60th anniversary of Palestinian Partition Plan

I was at a fascinating post-Annapolis briefing this afternoon, jointly delievered by two Israeli peaceniks (Daniel Levy and Ori Nir), two Palestinian negotiations officials (Ghaith al-Omary and Greg Khalil) and...

Saudi-Syrian deal gives Lebanon a President?

So it looks as though-- just as Pervez Musharraf has been stripping off his uniform in Pakistan-- in Lebanon Army Chief of Staff Michel Suleiman may be about to move...

After Annapolis: Bring the Syrians back in!

The bicycle is going forward, over rough ground, and very shakily. It might lose momentum at any time. And then, how many of those now perched atop it will tumble...

Golan, the human story

Much of the western media follows the Israeli-initiated habit of thinking and speaking about the issue of Golan only in (very threatening) strategic terms. But Golan is also-- like the...

State Dept spin on Annapolis: Other possible scenarios?

The very well-informed Boston University expert on Lebanon and the Middle East, Dick Norton, had a great catch on his "Speaking Truth to Power" blog yesterday: the text of the...

Annapolis: the Israeli political aspect

Two interesting articles in Monday's HaAretz. This one is headed Rightists target mainstream to fight concessions at Annapolis, and tells us the following: On the eve of the Annapolis peace...

Golan: Getting it straight

Whoa there, AP! The generally well-regarded US newswire is putting out an extremely tendentious little "fact-box" today, on the situation in the Israeli-occupied Golan. Tendentious and, need I add, one-sided....

Annapolis: Saudi and Palestinian dimensions

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said today in Cairo that he will attend the Annapolis meeting. I think this is a good decision. It will allow him to give the...

Annapolis guessing game, prospects

The current guessing game in the US and Israel is over "which of the Arab states will participate, and at which level." Actually, for many ardent pro-Israelis inside and outside...

Any hope for Annapolis?

I would be so happy if the planned Annapolis meeting between Israel and the Palestinians succeeded. But succeeded at what? At orchestrating a pretty photo-opportunity? No, that would be no...