Middle East Notes edition

This issue of the Middle East Notes focuses on the background and implications of the Iran nuclear agreement, including analysis on the ascendancy of Iran towards leadership of the Muslim world; the effect of the agreement on Israel; opposition by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli lobby, and the U.S. Republican party; the choice of diplomacy rather than possible war; and other items of interest.

The six featured articles in this issue of Middle East Notes focus on the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) recent report on last summer’s fighting between Israel and Hamas, along with support and criticism of the report’s allegations, plus news about efforts to raise Israel’s human rights violations at the International Criminal Court, and the release of the U.S. State Department’s 2014 report on human rights.

Topics this issue include both the need for and impossibility of the “two state solution”; the disparity between the so-called two sides, the Israelis and Palestinians, which is made to appear to be in perfect balance, but are not so in fact; the permanent occupation of the West Bank; the Vatican recognition of the State of Palestine and declaration of sainthood for two Palestinian women; the continuing Nakba of 1947-49, 1967 and the present; and other articles of interest.

This issue’s articles focus on concerns such as: the best U.S. response to the Israeli/Palestinian and other Middle East conflicts could be a lessening of involvement, Zionism’s close connection to growing anti-Semitism, increasing threats to the survival of Israel as a Jewish, democratic, and an accepted member of the community of nations due to the current policies of the Israeli government, a shift in U.S. public opinion from blind and unquestioned support of Israel, questions concerning the continuing absolution of Israel from the Deir Yassin and all other massacres, the continuing violation of Palestinian human rights through Israel’s settlement outpost system, and other issues.

This issue’s articles highlight Israeli opposition to the nuclear arrangement being negotiated by the U.S. and European nations with Iran, the underreported continuing repression and oppression of Palestinians, possible actions to be taken by the Palestinian Authority in the International Criminal Court (ICC), the need for Israel to deal with the underlying causes of the Gaza conflicts, or face the prospect of renewed armed conflict, the responsibility to criticize elected leaders of democratic states, and links to many other issues of interest.

Most of this issue’s articles focus on reactions to the reelection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; his present and future relationship with the White House; the possible end of the two-state solution; the reality that Israel seems to have already chosen a one-state solution by expanding its settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; the weakening of unquestioned support of Israeli policies by U.S. Jews and Christian Evangelicals; acknowledgement of Israel’s nuclear weapons; and other issues.

This issue of Middle East Notes (MEN) highlights Hamas’ interest in a long term ceasefire with Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s constant focus on Iran with little mention of the occupation, President Obama’s possible more aggressive attitude on resolution of the Palestinian issue, documents clarifying that Israel knew that Egypt, Syria and Jordan were not planning to attack when beginning the Seven Day war, the impossibility of Israel being both democratic and the nation state of the Jewish people while denying the Palestinians their right to self-determination, settler violence against the Palestinians, and other issues.

The following articles focus on the analysis of and response to Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress, March 3, 2015.

This issue focuses on pre-speech opposition to Netanyahu stating that he speaks for the “entire Jewish people,” initial surprise and dismay by AIPAC leadership to the news of the invitation to speak to Congress, the media drowning out of any news on the Israel/Palestine conflict, the dire situation for the nearly two million people of Gaza living in a “giant prison,” the absence of “symmetry” in the Israeli/Palestinian violence with the overwhelming power on the Israeli side and the majority of victims on the Palestinian side, the stain on the upcoming Israeli elections caused by the land grab through settlements, and other issues.

This issue of Middle East highlights Israeli and U.S. opposition to the speech to Congress by Prime Minister Netanyahu, slated for March 3, the claim by Netanyahu that he speaks for Jews worldwide, (“Israelis in Exile”), the situation in Gaza, U.S. tax exempt funding of settlements, continuing opinion that the “two-state solution” is already impossible, civilian deaths in Gaza, and other issues.

This issue of Middle East Notes focuses on the confusion of the invitation by Speaker John Boehner and acceptance by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of Congress two weeks before the Israeli elections, the large number on non-combatants killed by the IDF during the Gaza disaster, support of the two state solution, Israeli terrorism in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and other issues.

This issue of Middle East Notes focuses on the destruction/non-reconstruction of Gaza, Arab and Israeli responses to the massacre in France, the Palestinian initiative to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), the economics of the Israeli settlements, links to articles on the history and reality of Zionism, calls for Palestinian statehood, Israel’s growing international isolation and other issues of interest.

This issue of Middle East Notes highlights the rejection of the Palestinian resolution to end the Israeli occupation by the UN Security Council at the prompting of the U.S. and Israeli governments, the subsequent Palestinian move to join the International Criminal Court, Israel’s response, growing European recognition of the State of Palestine, the future of the State of Israel, a possible confederated two state solution, settler violence, the isolation and diminishment of the Bethlehem area, and other issues.

This issue of Middle East Notes highlights the controversy concerning the proposed “Jewish state” law, Israel’s diminishing support in Washington, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and many links to articles concerning the upcoming UN vote for recognition of the Palestinian State and it demands, elections in Israel, the death of a Palestinian government minister, and many other items of interest.

This week’s Middle East Notes highlights Israeli/U.S. tensions, the pursuit of civil rights in Israel, the growing “intifada,” the widening division between Jewish and Arab Israelis, increasing international isolation of Israel, terror killings of Palestinians and Israelis, the reality and future conflicts of the present Israeli bi-national state, Palestinian despair responded to by further Israeli repression to acts of despair, and other issues of concern.

This week’s Middle East Notes give information on the “war of words between Israel and Washington, actions by the Israeli Prime Minister to make a Palestinian State impossible, camouflaged methods of expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, violence in Jerusalem, the fear that Washington’s protection at the UN can no longer be taken for granted, fanatics on The Temple Mount/the Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) stirring up conflict, movement of the European Union States towards recognizing the State of Palestine, and other timely issues.