President Obama and the Middle East
January 23, 2009 | AIJAC staff
With new US President Obama now safely ensconced in the White House, it is appropriate to again look at the Middle East challenges he is likely to face.
The Good, the Bad, the Very Ugly
January 23, 2009 | Jamie Hyams
In a truly disgusting piece in the Business section of the January 17 Age, for which the paper subsequently apologised, Michael Backman ludicrously claimed that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is “at the nub” of the 9/11, Bali and London terror attacks and solely responsible for Muslim enmity for Israel.
Gaza ceasefire and after
January 20, 2009 | AIJAC staff
As readers will probably be aware, on Saturday Israel announced a unilateral ceasefire coming into effect on Sunday. Hamas initially swore to fight on before announcing it would also implement a one-week ceasefire. Israel has now begun pulling many of its troops out of Gaza.
Israeli operations in Gaza continue
January 16, 2009 | AIJAC staff
This Update continues this week’s focus on various important aspects of the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas. First up is David Schenker, Arab politics expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
The Regional Context of the Gaza Conflict
January 14, 2009 | AIJAC staff
Today’s Update focuses on the wider regional factors and implications for the current conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The Gaza Crisis
January 12, 2009 | AIJAC staff
Today’s Update is concerned with the ongoing violence in and around the Gaza Strip. There are ongoing, intensive diplomatic engagements in Egypt, trying to thrash out a ceasefire agreement that would prove lasting.
Ceasefire terms, and regional context for the Gaza conflict
January 9, 2009 | AIJAC staff
The UN Security Council has just passed a somewhat ambiguous call for a Gaza ceasefire, which is supposed to be “immediate” and “durable”. The Israeli papers largely agree that Israeli forces have now reached a decision point – will they go into Gaza’s cities and engage in house to house fighting with Hamas forces or accept the ceasefire and talks proposed by Egypt and France
Jabaliya School Tragedy/ “Proportionality”, International Law, and Gaza
January 8, 2009 | AIJAC staff
As readers will probably be aware, Tuesday night saw tragic news that more than 30 people were killed at the Fakhura UNWRA school in Jabaliya after it was struck by Israeli counter-fire responding to Hamas mortar attacks from the school grounds. The official Israeli Foreign Ministry statement on this terrible incident is here.
The Goals of Operation “Cast Lead”
January 5, 2009 | AIJAC staff
There is a great deal of significant information, analysis and opinion available on the current Israel-Hamas military clashes in and around Gaza, and unfortunately, not all of it can appear in this Update. So, as a starting point, this Update will focus on the goals of Israel’s military offensive, codenamed “Cast Lead”
