The latest Fatah-Hamas Summit and the ongoing fighting
February 7, 2007 | AIJAC staff
PA President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Mecca overnight for a scheduled Summit with Hamas’ external head, Khaled Meshal. They will talk both about ending the ongoing Hamas-Fatah street battles, and make another attempt, after months of trying, to agree on a national unity government.
Is Israel the Problem?/ The Return of al-Qaeda
February 2, 2007 | AIJAC staff
Today’s Update features two pieces, both from non-Israeli Middle Eastern sources, correcting the patently incorrect but often heard claim that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the central issue in the Middle East.
The Turbulent Territories
February 1, 2007 | AIJAC staff
This Update focuses on the lessons of the Eilat suicide bombing in which a terrorist from the Gaza Strip killed three civilians when he blew himself up in a bakery and explodes one of the new myths about Palestinian suffering – that the international blockade is reducing them to poverty.
Israel and the Iranian Nuclear Threat
January 31, 2007 | AIJAC staff
Last week, the annual Herzliya Conference was held in Israel. The Conference is an important event in the political calendar, where all major leaders generally speak, and major initiatives are often announced.
Lebanon Crisis Re-ignites/ Aid to the Palestinians
January 25, 2007 | AIJAC staff
This Update is devoted primarily to the crisis in Lebanon on Tuesday, when Hezbollah and its allies launched a general strike in an effort to overthrow the anti-Syrian Siniora government…
Counter-insurgency and the planned troop “surge” in Iraq
January 19, 2007 | AIJAC staff
This update features pieces with a focus on how the planned troop surge in Iraq, announced by US President Bush last week, relates to the theory and practice of counter-insurgency.
Iran and the great Shiite-Sunni divide in the Mideast
January 17, 2007 | AIJAC staff
This Update deals with the growing importance of the divide in the Middle East between the aggressive Shi’ite block – Iran, Syria, and their non-state allies – and the majority of Sunni Arab states.
Issues for Rice’s Middle East trip
January 16, 2007 | AIJAC staff
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was just in Israel as part of a Middle East tour. The primary purpose of her trip is to explore regional support for US efforts to stabilise Iraq, but she will also be seeking to revitalise diplomatic efforts on the Israeli-Palestinian front.
US President Bush’s call for a troop surge in Iraq
January 12, 2007 | AIJAC staff
As readers are probably aware, US President Bush yesterday gave an important speech Wednesday night Washington time, setting out a new strategy for Iraq, one that has been anticipated for a number of weeks by Washington watchers.
