Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

(MEMO) – Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative movement, has estimated that Israel has incurred losses of around eight billion dollars due to the boycott campaign against illegal settlements, equivalent to 20 per cent of their GDP.

 
 
by JAMAL KANJ
 
 FOLLOWING serious cajoling by the US, the European Union and arm twisting by Arab governments, the Palestinians entered what was to be nine months of negotiations with Israel. The Palestinians, who had forgone demands for Israel’s compliance with previous signed agreements before starting new negotiations, were promised that this time Israel would enter into serious discussions to reach a final agreement by April 29.

With a little help from the Gray Lady

by Philip Giraldi             Antiwar.com

 
by JONATHAN COOK
The 24-hour visit by German chancellor Angela Merkel to Israel this week came as relations between the two countries hit rock bottom. According to a report in Der Spiegel magazine last week, Merkel and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been drawn into shouting matches when discussing by phone the faltering peace process.

 
(Alalam) –  Jordanian demonstrators have held a protest rally against the Israeli regime and the US-proposed talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

 
by JONATHAN COOK                 Counterpunch
 
(Nazareth) – Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rarely been so politically embattled. His travails indicate the Israeli right’s inability to respond to a shifting political landscape, both in the region and globally.

Image credit: filamagnus.wordpress.com
 
By Ira Chernus
 
As the media spotlight shines on U.S. negotiators talking with Iranians and Syrians, the Israeli-Palestinian talks have faded into the background. They’re still grinding on, slowly, with several contentious issues unresolved.

by Finian Cunningham
A rare public spat between Washington and Israeli in recent days has revealed much about the essential political relationship between the two.
The row began when Israeli minister for military affairs Moshe Ya’alon spoke to local media with vitriolic contempt about America’s top diplomat, John Kerry…

The daylight between Israel and the West

By JAMAL KANJ
THIS week the 5+1 are back negotiating the easing of economic sanctions against Iran and new unprecedented rigid inspection regimen including daily reactor checks to certify compliance.

ISRAELI HAWKS RESISTING DEALS
 
Paul Balles
 
To the Israelis, any deal made between the world powers and Iran would be a bad deal.
It’s obvious from Israeli reactions to the talks in Geneva that the only action acceptable to Israel would be to bomb Iran.
Minister of Military Affairs Moshe Ya’alon describes any agreement with Iran as “a historic mistake”.