Middle East Notes edition

The six featured articles and the many related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on the suffering of the Palestinian people due to the Israeli occupation; two book recommendations; one stating that the U.S. has undermined peace in the Middle East, and the other describing the path of an Israeli Jew to belief in peace between two peoples in the same land; Israeli rejection of the French initiative to convene an international peace conference, ahead of a foreign ministers’ summit France has initiated and planned for May 30 in Paris; conflicting reports about the killing of a pregnant Palestinian young woman and her brother as they walked the wrong route while heading to the Qalandia terminal, and links to other articles of interest.

Please note: Opinions expressed in the following articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. Read previous weeks’ Middle East Notes  Read this week’s Middle East Notes in PDF format The six featured articles and the many related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on…

The six featured articles and the many related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on Israel’s influence on the United States, call for boycott of illegal settlements in Palestine, and much more.

Read the latest articles on the state of Palestinian children, criticism of AIPAC and the speeches of presidential candidates to AIPAC members, the need for President Obama to outline a path to peace, the need to lift the siege of Gaza, and the recent Pew Research Center poll of Israel citizens’ attitudes.

The six featured articles and the many related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes highlight increasing criticism of and disillusionment with the Israeli leadership’s repressive policies towards the Palestinians by both younger and older U.S. Jews, questions about U.S. military aid being used for settlements, greater involvement of European countries in the two-state process, Israeli response to deepening despair in Gaza with indication of approaching violence, and other important issues.

This issue of the Middle East Notes focuses on the continued occupation/annexation/settlement expansion of and in land that would have been a future Palestinian state, the violent response of Palestinian youth, the apartheid “citizen rights” of Palestinians, the sabotaging of the peace process, the unnecessary U.S. multi-billion dollar support of a wealthy Israel, and the inevitability of another Gaza Hamas Israel war.

The six featured articles and the many related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on the increasing civilian suffering due to the Gaza blockade, Ban Ki-moon for his criticism of Israeli occupation and settlement-building, the failure yet the continuing need of the two-state solution or something like it, the hopelessness effect of military rule on Palestinian youth, and other issues.

The six featured articles and the many related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on the growing involvement of the European Union in resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the execution of teenagers with knives or scissors without trial or discussion, unchecked Israeli vigilantism on the West Bank, the silence of U.S. Jewish organizations on Israeli “il-liberalism,” the growing de-legitimization of Israel due to the occupation and apartheid policies, and Israeli government attempts to silence internal and external opposition to the occupation.

Please note: Opinions expressed in the following articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. Read previous weeks’ Middle East Notes  Read PDF version This issue of the Middle East Notes highlights the continuing violence disrupting the lives of Israeli and Palestinian people with growing fear for the former…

This issue of Middle East Notes highlights the challenge of Jewish extremists to the future of Israel, the continuing support of Israel by the U.S. despite fears of its becoming a “unitary state” impossible to function, deteriorating global support for and criticism of occupation actions, reactions to the “breaking the silence” movement, and signs of weakening support of the occupation by some U.S. evangelical Christians.

This issue of the Middle East Notes focuses on Secretary of State John Kerry’s critical words at the Saban Forum in Washington, D.C., that Israel moving towards a one State reality, the impression of other Obama administration officials that the Democratic Party and Israel are pulling further apart, calls that Israel be recognized as a de facto bi-national State since it is the only sovereign between the river and the sea, negative and positive responses to the present “knife intifada.”

This week’s featured articles and links to other articles give information and background on the meeting of President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on November 9, the violence experienced especially by Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the rage and frustration of Palestinian youth, as well as reflections on the long lasting results of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, calls for Israel boycott, and the destructive effect of the prolonged occupation on Israeli society.

This week’s featured articles and links to other articles refer to the current spontaneous strife, particularly in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount/al-Aqsa compound, and efforts to calm this strife, as well as the oppressive policies of the present right wing government of Israel, the reality of a permanent occupation, and the de-facto existence of One State for all Israelis and Palestinians between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River.

The principal articles of this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on the possible beginnings of another intifada, increasing Palestinian and Israeli violence in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, Palestinian frustration on the continuing occupation, a call on the United Nations to put the Palestine territory occupied by Israel in 1967 under the international protection of the United Nations the non-implementation of the Oslo Accords, the possible resignation of Mamoud Abbas, and other issues.

The six featured articles of this issue of Middle East Notes cover a number of concerns: President Obama and the leaders of the European Union, with the Iran Nuclear deal now a fact, possibly refocusing on the Israel/Palestine conflict; Israel’s persistent assaults and escalating incursions and violence on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound; the challenges posed by the continuing decrease of secular Jews in Israel; the weakening of AIPAC; and the unrealism of a “One State Solution.”