Palestinian Elections

Mustafa Barghuti (Middle East Online photo)

'Hamas rules Gaza street'
YNetNews 5/19/2005
Defense officials say Palestinian Authority "no match" for Hamas, believe current escalation due to internal Palestinian politics; rocket attacks in Gaza, Negev continue -- GAZA - As much as Israel is trying to create conditions that will allow the Palestinian Authority to conduct its affairs in an orderly manner to facilitate dialogue with Israel [?], security officials believe it is Hamas that rules the Gaza street. One security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Ynet the current escalation is part of Hamas’ preparation for the upcoming election, and has nothing to do with Israeli actions.

Shin Bet fears Jewish terror
YNetNews 5/17/2005
New security chief says agency has no sense of humor when it comes to threats on Temple Mount; Yuval Diskin also concerned Israel may not be able to target Hamas terrorists should they become political leaders following Palestinian elections -- JERUSALEM - Newly-appointed Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin expressed his concern Tuesday over the danger of terror attacks initiated by Jews. In response to claims made by right-wing Knesset members that Monday's reports of plans to attack the Temple Mount were exaggerated, Diskin told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, "The Shin Bet has no sense of humor regarding anything related to the Temple Mount."

Diplomacy..

EXPECTANT: Palestinians wait outside a polling station in the West Bank town of Jericho during Thursday's municipal elections. Hamas battled Fatah for voter support. MUHAMMED MUHEISEN/AP

Qalqilia Mayor among prisoners slated for release
International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2005
Palestinian sources reported that the recently elected Mayor of Qalqilia Wajeeh Qawwas is among the 400 prisoners slated to be released from Israeli jails. According to the Sharm A-Sheikh summit in February 2005, in which the Palestinians and the Israelis declared truce, Israel was supposed to hand over five Palestinian cities to the Palestinian authority and release 900 prisoners as good will gestures. Qawwas was recently elected Mayor of Qalqilia while in prison and received the highest number of votes, in the local elections held on May 5.

Prime Minister meets Palestinian Authority President Abbas
ReliefWeb/Government of Canada 5/30/2005
27 May 2005 -- Prime Minister Paul Martin welcomed Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to Ottawa today for a working visit, the first since Mr. Abbas' election as President of the PA in January 2005. It was also the first visit to Canada by the head of the PA since 2000. "President Abbas' visit is of great importance and helped strengthen Canada's relations with the Palestinian Authority," said the Prime Minister. "Our discussions reflected how vital it is that both Israel and the Palestinian Authority implement their respective Roadmap obligations and accelerate efforts toward peace..."

Israeli assistance steps and humanitarian measures towards the Palestinians: Following the Palestinian elections and the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit
ReliefWeb/Government of Israel 5/30/2005
Government of Israel, 26 May 2005 -- A. Background:Following the Palestinian elections (January 9, 2005) and the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit (February 8, 2005), Israel has taken a series of measures with the purpose of easing the everyday life of the Palestinian population. These measures are part of a policy aimed at utilizing the "window of opportunity" that was opened after the establishment of the new Palestinian government and renewed cooperation between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel. Their implementation was possible due to the decrease in the number of terrorist attacks against Israelis and the improvement in cooperation between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian security forces.

Latest Israeli Prisoner Release Disappoints Palestinians
New York Times 5/29/2005
JERUSALEM, May 29 - The Israeli cabinet approved today the release of an additional 400 Palestinian prisoners, fulfilling a promise made in early February to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and sparking immediate Palestinian criticism. The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, said in a statement that he recognized the need to support Mr. Abbas and those Palestinians in competition with Hamas, the radical Islamic faction that Israel and the United States consider a terrorist group, and to keep his promises made at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit on Feb. 8, after the death of Yasir Arafat and the election of Mr. Abbas.

Egyptian team extends Gaza mission
AlJazeera 5/27/2005
An Egyptian security delegation has extended its mission in the Gaza Strip after failing to resolve a dispute over Palestinian elections, Aljazeera's correspondent in Gaza says. The governing Fatah party and Islamist group Hamas called on Egypt to extend its role in mediating the dialogue between two factions ahead of Palestinian parliamentary elections. The aim of the talks, mediated by Egypt's deputy intelligence chief Mustafa Al-Bouheiri, was to draw a line under a growing dispute over moves to delay parliamentary polls scheduled for 17 July. Aljazeera's Wail al-Dahduh reported that the two factions had asked for a further meeting at the Beach Hotel, in Gaza City.

Abbas to CNN: 'We Have to Work Together' Measures show 'peace is possible between the two sides'
Palestine Media Center 5/26/2005
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday kicked off a visit to Washington that will include his first meeting with President Bush since winning election in January. CNN's John King sat down for an interview with Abbas, through a translator, ahead of his meetings with U.S. officials. KING: You're having meetings with senior U.S. officials -- including the president, the vice president, the secretary of state. We are told that the president will announce several tens of millions of dollars in new direct aid to the Palestinian Authority...

Meeting Abbas, Bush demands Israel end settlement expansion
Ha'aretz 5/26/2005
U.S. President George Bush on Thursday demanded that Israel halt all settlement construction, specifically mentioning Jerusalem in this context, during his first meeting with Mahmoud Abbas since the latter's election as chairman of the Palestinian Authority. Bush also gave American backing to a key Palestinian negotiating demand, declaring at a press conference following their White House meeting that any border deviations from the 1949 armistice lines would have to be by mutual Israeli-Palestinian consent. And he made only vague, general statements about the need to fight terror. Bush, who referred to Abbas consistently as "Mr. President," did not give the Palestinian leader any written pledges, but his speech at the press conference was a clear statement of American policy regarding a final-status agreement - and it delighted his Palestinian guests.

Israel builds ties with Hamas on humanitarian issue: paper
ReliefWeb 5/26/2005
JERUSALEM, May 26, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Interaction between Israel and theIslamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is gathering pace even if Israel formally bans all contacts with the Palestinian militant group, the Jerusalem Post said on Thursday. There has been several cases of close cooperation between Israel's Civil Administration, the military unit that administers the West Bank and Gaza, and Hamas municipal officials in the West Bank after Hamas' success in the May 5 local elections, the newspaper said. Both Hamas and Civil Administration sources said broader liaison is inevitable, especially as newly elected Hamas-run councils set about providing basic services to their constituencies.

U.S. won't demand PA disarm militants until after elections
Ha'aretz 5/26/2005
The Bush administration will not be demanding that the Palestinian Authority disarm the armed groups in the territories, including Hamas, at least until after the Palestinian elections later this year. President George W. Bush may even try to bypass Congress and announce tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Authority during PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' meeting with Bush today. According to sources in Abbas' entourage, an understanding has been reached that the U.S. will make do with a Palestinian commitment to take action against arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Egypt steps in to help defuse Fatah-Hamas strife
Yahoo! News 5/25/2005
GAZA (Reuters) - Egypt has stepped in to defuse a growing crisis over disputed Palestinian election results that threatens to inflame strife between President Mahmoud Abbas's -- Talks between Hamas and mediators led by a senior Egyptian intelligence official in a Gaza seaside hotel ended without a major breakthrough on Wednesday, but Hamas agreed to set up face-to-face talks with Fatah on Thursday. Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction but abiding by a de facto truce, made a strong showing in recent municipal elections only to see victories in three Gaza towns quashed by a court following Fatah allegations of fraud.

Abbas to send election bill back to PLC
International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2005
Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Sha'ath said Wednesday that the PA cannot organize parliamentary election by mid-July, pointing to the unsettled dispute between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah lawmakers. The Central Election Commission (CEC) issued Monday a statement saying it won’t be ready for elections because of the unsettled dispute over the election bill. "After the CEC decision, it will be impossible to hold elections on July 17. President Abbas will send the bill back to parliament [for changes]," Sha'ath told Reuters. "If the elections are postponed a few weeks, it won't be a big deal," he added.

Abbas briefs US lawmakers on reforms
AlJazeera 5/26/2005
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he he has no plans to delay a 17 July parliamentary election "unless there are legal reasons", despite receiving support for a postponement from members of the US Congress. On his first visit to the United States as president of the Palestinian Authority, Abbas on Wednesday met members of Congress and briefed them on security and administrative reforms demanded by a US-backed road map for peace. Abbas asked the US lawmakers to help strengthen the Palestinian Authority's drive to fight corruption and end violence through concrete steps to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians and not just verbal expressions of support.

Abbas to press Bush on settlements
YNetNews 5/25/2005
Palestinian leader expected to ask Bush to push Israel to stop settlement construction, renew peace talks -- Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a meeting with President George W. Bush on Thursday. Abbas is expected to ask Bush to press Israel to implement the U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan and halt all settlement construction in the West Bank. Prior to his visit, Abbas announced that Palestinian regional elections, scheduled for July 17, would be postponed to November, a move that could enflame tensions between his Fatah faction and the terrorist group Hamas, expected to present a serious challenge to Fatah.

Sources: Bush won't pressure PA on armed groups until elections
Ha'aretz 5/26/2005
The Bush administration will not be demanding that the Palestinian Authority disarm the armed groups in the territories, including Hamas, at least until after the Palestinian elections later this year. President George W. Bush may even try to bypass Congress and announce tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Authority during PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' meeting with Bush on Thursday. According to sources in Abbas' entourage, an understanding has been reached that the U.S. will make do with a Palestinian commitment to take action against arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Bush to press Abbas to crack down on terror
Daily Star 5/24/2005
Palestinians may delay parliamentary polls -- President George W. Bush will insist that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismantle all terrorist networks in Palestinian areas when they meet at the White House on Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a speech. Rice added that Bush will push Abbas to meet commitments made. The statement coincided with top Palestinian officials announcing that parliamentary elections must be delayed, fanning a crisis between the up-and-coming Hamas and Palestinian Abbas' ruling Fatah movement, which fears it will get trounced if the vote is held as planned on July 17...In a rousing pro-Israel speech....[Rice] pleased her [AIPAC] audience by suggesting Israel could not be expected to negotiate peace terms if terror and authoritarian rule were not curbed in the Middle East.

No plans to postpone elections, says Palestinian president
ReliefWeb/Deutsche Presse Agentur 5/20/2005
New Delhi (dpa) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on a two-day visit to India, said Friday he had no plans to postpone parliamentary elections set for July 17. "I have no intention to postpone the elections. The parliamentary elections will be on July 17," he told reporters in New Delhi at the end of his visit. Abbas held wide-ranging talks on the latest developments in the Middle East peace process with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ruling Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi and India's Foreign Minister Natwar Singh. He also met Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. No details were given of Abbas' meeting with Singh, but sources said the latter assured him of India's continuing support for the Palestinian cause.

Low Profile Hurting Abbas in Congress
Forward 5/20/2005
The PLO mission to Washington is viewed widely as ineffective -- WASHINGTON — For Senator Joseph Biden, trying to help Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has been a priority — and a frustration — for the past six months. Biden, a Delaware Democrat and arguably his party's most respected voice on foreign affairs, met with Abbas in January, on the eve of the Palestinian presidential election. Biden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pressed Abbas to find out how the United States could help bolster the credibility of his fledgling government. Abbas said he needed both political and financial assistance from Washington, and Biden asked for a list of development projects that could be funded with American dollars. The Palestinian leader promised to get a list to Biden the next day. Five months later the material has not yet reached Biden's desk, despite the senator's many follow-up requests.

Abbas to demand U.S. political and financial support
Ha'aretz 5/21/2005
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday he will demand at an upcoming meeting with President George W. Bush that the United States provide the Palestinians with political and financial support. Abbas is scheduled to meet Bush in the White House on May 26, his first meeting with the U.S. leader since winning a presidential election in January. "We are going to demand two basic things: the first is political support and the second is economic support," Abbas said adding that the U.S. Congress is currently considering a financial aid package for the Palestinians to help bolster their ailing economy and rehabilitate their delinquent security forces.

Abbas looks for India's support
BBC 5/20/2005
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders in the Indian capital Delhi. Mr Abbas is in India as part of an Asian tour which has already taken him to Japan, China and Pakistan. On Thursday, he asked Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to use his close ties with the West to help to resolve the Middle East conflict. It is Mr Abbas' first tour of the region since his election in January. An Indian spokesman said that Delhi had extended consistent and unwavering support to the Palestinian cause.

UN's top political official warns of increase in Israeli-Palestinian violence
Ha'aretz 5/19/2005
UNITED NATIONS - The UN's top political official warned Wednesday of steadily increasing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Kieran Prendergast, the undersecretary-general for political affairs, urged Israel and the Palestinians to meet on a continuing basis to address the rising violence which is "compounding a corresponding deterioration in trust and confidence between the two sides." Prendergast also called for an end to bombings and acts of intimidation as Lebanon prepares for parliamentary elections starting May 29. The elections are happening under a new government that was installed following the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Abbas affirms holding elections on time, asks Japan for support
International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2005
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who arrived Sunday in Tokyo for a three-day visit, said Monday, ahead of meeting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Tokyo, that the Palestinian parliament election would take place at appointed time. Abbas called for strong Japanese backing to Palestinians politically and financially. "I hold expectations that Japan will continue its support for Palestine, not only financially, but also politically by playing a role that would contribute to the Middle East peace process," Abbas was quoted as saying.

Hamas denies coordination with Israeli security
International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2005
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) dismissed Monday Israeli media reports on ongoing coordination between Hamas-affiliates who won in the recent local elections and Israeli security and army officials. Dr. Mahmoud Zahar, a prominent Hamas Gaza leader, said that the reports were straight lies, explaining that Hamas bars any connection with Israelis. Israeli media sources quoted a senior army official as saying that Palestinian local council’ leaders, who are affiliated with Hamas, are coordinating with army and Israeli security forces issues related to civil affairs in their towns.

Human Rights..

On January 9, 2005 Palestinians living in the occupied territories will elect a president of the Palestinian Authority and new members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the second general elections in nearly eight years. (Helga Tawil photo)

PCHR Honors Observers of the Second Phase of Local Elections
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 5/19/2005
On 5 May 2005, PCHR monitored the second stage of local elections which included 8 local councils in the Gaza Strip.110 observers, including 41 women, observed the elections on behalf of PCHR.PCHR had extensively trained the observers on monitoring all stages of the electoral process including election campaigning, polling and counting of votes. During the past two days, PCHR has honoured the critical contribution of the election observers who guarded Palestinian democracy during the local election process.

People..

Yossi Beillin and Yasser Abed Rabbo, leaders of the so-called Geneva Accord

International..

Maliki allies triumph in Iraq provincial polls
Middle East Online 2/19/2009
BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s allies triumphed in the January 31 provincial polls, final results showed on Thursday, boosting his position in war-battered Iraq after fiercely contested elections. Candidates backed by Maliki dominated in Baghdad and also won a majority in all nine of Iraq’s Shiite provinces, in a huge vote of confidence for the premier whose standing has grown steadily at home and abroad in the past year. Just over half of Iraqis voted in the largely trouble-free elections, which were seen as a vital test of the country’s progress since the US-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein from power almost six years ago. Maliki, a Shiite, did not stand in the provincial council polls but threw his backing behind State of Law Coalition candidates. The polls held in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces were seen as a referendum on Maliki’s performance.

Mohammad Khatami criticizes rival Ahmadinejad over Iran’s isolation
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 2/12/2009
The top reformist candidate in Iran’s presidential race has criticized hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the country’s international isolation. The comments were the first by Mohammad Khatami about the president since Khatami entered the race last weekend. They signaled that his campaign will likely focus on Iranians’ worries that Ahmadinejad’s fiery anti-Western rhetoric has worsened the country’s status in the world at a time when Iran is suffering economic woes. Khatami, a liberal cleric who was president from 1997-2005, told a group of his supporters that the current situation in the country is not desirable, according to Khatami’s Web site. Khatami warned at the meeting late Wednesday that if the situation continues, the country’s social capital and international reputation will be damaged even more.

Iraq’s Parliament fails to elect new House speaker
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 2/9/2009
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Parliament remained deadlocked on the election of a new speaker on Sunday, just two days after US Vice President Joe Biden said Iraq needed to push ahead with political reform. The failure is a blow to the fledgling democracy, which without a speaker cannot debate or approve a new budget and oil laws deemed crucial to the reconstruction of the country. There are five candidates vying for the post, but rival Sunni politicians cannot agree on who should get the job. "A group of parties left the hall today and there were not enough MPs to choose a new speaker," said Jamal al-Butikh, chief of the National Iraqi List, the parliamentary group headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Outspoken Mahmoud Mashhadani quit as speaker on December 23, triggering political wrangling over a replacement. He resigned after Kurdish and Shiite MPs clamored for him to go because. . .

Iraq’s Sadrists complain of vote fraud
Middle East Online 2/7/2009
BAGHDAD - Iraqi politicians backed by the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday said they would lodge an official complaint about votes being excluded during last weekend’s provincial elections. Allies of Sadr said that preliminary results declared by election authorities were markedly different from estimates compiled by the party’s observers during the hotly-contested vote. "There is a big difference in some provinces between the figures we have, through our agents and observers, and those that were declared," said Amir al-Kinani, secretary general of the Free Independent Movement, backed by Sadr. "We will submit the appeal in the results of a number of Baghdad areas and other provinces, including Najaf, Maysan, and Diwaniyah," he said. The Free Independent Movement finished second in the capital Baghdad with nine percent of the vote, which left them 29 percent behind candidates backed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Israel, Iran, Pakistan world’s least popular nations - poll
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, Daily Star 2/7/2009
WASHINGTON: Israel, Iran, North Korea and Pakistan are widely seen as exerting the most negative influence on world affairs, according to the latest in a series of annual global surveys by the BBC’s World Service on popular perceptions of the world’s most powerful or newsworthy nations. The survey, which questioned some 13,500 respondents in 21 countries around the world, found that perceptions of Russian and Chinese influence also became considerably more negative during 2008. At the same time, views of the United States, which rivaled those of Israel and Iran just two years ago, continued improving modestly last year but remained predominantly negative despite the victory of Barack Obama in the November 2008 presidential elections. "Though BBC polls have shown that most people around the world are hopeful that Barack Obama will improve US relations with the. . . "

Maliki: Iraq elections ’changed political map’
Middle East Online 2/6/2009
BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Friday that Iraq’s provincial elections had "changed the political map" and were a success for the country’s citizens. "It is a success for all Iraqis," he told reporters in Baghdad, in his first comments since results showed on Thursday that candidates backed by him had triumphed in fiercely contested polls held six days ago. "Sure, there are changes to the political map, because the citizens voted to see the changes," said the Shiite premier, who has adopted a notably secular political outlook. "Iraqis voted based on the programme presented by candidates and not on a sectarian affiliation," he said. "I am more happy for that than the fact that our list topped the vote. " Maliki did not stand in last Saturday’s elections but campaigned vigorously for candidates in the State of Law Coalition, who swept the poll in Baghdad and in eight of Iraq’s nine Shiite provinces.

Initial results indicate triumph for Maliki in provincial polls
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 2/6/2009
BAGHDAD: Iraqi Premier Nuri al-Maliki’s allies triumphed in weekend elections, preliminary results showed Thursday, delivering him a popular mandate after fiercely contested polls in the war-torn nation. Candidates backed by Maliki took the biggest vote in Baghdad and eight of the country’s nine Shiite provinces, in a huge vote of confidence for the premier, whose standing has steadily grown at home and abroad in the past year. Just over half of Iraqis voted on Saturday in the election, which was seen as a vital test of the country’s progress since a US-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein from power almost six years ago. Maliki, a Shiite, did not stand in the election but threw his backing behind candidates from the country’s State of Law Coalition. The preliminary tally released by the Iraqi High Electoral Commission showed that the coalition had a resounding success in Baghdad, achieving 38 percent of the vote.

Arabs heed Obama’s call for change
Alaa Bayoumi, Al Jazeera 2/4/2008
If it were not for Barack Obama, many Arabs would not even bother to follow the results of the US presidential race on Super Tuesday. Such gloomy views could be attributed to Arabs’ negative attitudes toward governments and politics in general. Arabs have been living under authoritarian governments, many of them US allies, for decades. And the US’s traditional support for Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land, coupled with the war on Iraq, has meant Arab mistrust of the US has dipped to new lows in recent years. Against this backdrop, it is easy to see why many Arabs will not be following the latest news from the US presidential primary elections. ’Offensive’ rhetoric Many do not see any serious differences between the Republican and Democratic candidates who are taking part in the race.

Ahmadinejad battles on the home front
Khody Akhavi, Asia Times 2/5/2008
WASHINGTON - Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has garnered headlines around the world for his defiance of Washington, as well as his rhetorical grandstanding on Palestinian issues, Israel and his government’s alleged support of Shi’ite militias in Iraq. Still, it appears that Iran’s parliamentary elections in March will be determined less by debates over the country’s foreign policy than by rising criticism of incompetence and economic mismanagement of conservatives and hardliners in the legislature and in Ahmadinejad’s office." Ahmadinejad is in trouble, not only because his economic policies have not worked; he has managed to antagonize almost the entire Iranian elite because of his exclusivist management style," said Farideh Farhi, an independent researcher on Iran and political scientist at the University of Hawaii.

IRAN: Ahmadinejad Caught Between Reformists and Hardliners
Khody Akhavi, Inter Press Service 1/28/2008
WASHINGTON, Jan 28(IPS) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has garnered headlines around the world for his defiance of Washington, as well as his rhetorical grandstanding on Palestinian issues, the existence of Israel, and his government’s alleged support of Shiite militias in Iraq. Still, it appears that Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections in March will be determined less by debates over the country’s foreign policy than by rising criticism of incompetence and economic mismanagement of conservatives and hardliners in the legislature and in the office of the president. "Ahmadinejad is in trouble, not only because his economic policies have not worked; he has managed to antagonise almost the entire Iranian elite because of his exclusivist management style," said Farideh Farhi, an independent researcher on Iran and political scientist at the University of Hawaii.

Mideast press urges action on Gaza
BBC Online 6/14/2007
The Palestinian press makes an urgent appeal for action to prevent the violence in Gaza from turning into a full-blown civil war, urging President Abbas to call a state of emergency and ask for intervention from the region’s Arab states. Papers in the wider Middle East blame the violence on Palestinian leaders and demand fresh elections to resolve the power struggle between the Hamas and Fatah factions. In Israel, commentators ponder how the country should react to the Palestinian infighting, with one advocating a total withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers from the occupied territories. - Palestinian AL-QUDS -- It seems we have reached the point of no return in this infighting and are witnessing the beginnings of civil war.

Lebanon factions resume talks
AlJazeera 3/22/2006
Leaders of Lebanon's rival factions have resumed talks on the fate of the country's pro-Syrian president and a UN call for the disarmament of the Hizb Allah group. The talks come amid signs that an agreement remains elusive on the two issues that threaten to destabilise the country. The discussions, which began on 2 March, have focused on a 2004 UN Security Council resolution that calls for disarming Hizb Allah and Palestinian fighters. The resolution also urged new presidential elections. It was passed in September 2004, days before Lebanese legislators extended Emile Lahoud's term for three years.

Chirac vows 'voice of reason' on Iran
Daily Star 3/6/2006
French president labels cartoon row a 'clash of ignorance' -- RIYADH: French President Jacques Chirac said Sunday the West would still reach out to Iran for a deal on its disputed nuclear file, in the first address to the Saudi consultative council by a foreign leader. The president's wide-ranging speech in Riyadh also covered Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian elections, reform in the conservative monarchy and the "clash of civilizations" between the West and Islam. "In Iran, the voice of reason that France, the United Kingdom and Germany wanted to be heard on the nuclear file has not been heard, for the time being," Chirac told the appointed advisory council, an all-male body of 150 members.

Palestinian Americans Push Religious Pluralism in P.A.
Forward 2/17/2006
WASHINGTON — Palestinian American activists are vowing to lobby Hamas against turning the West Bank and Gaza into an Islamic theocracy. Anxious about the victory of the Islamic fundamentalist group in last month's Palestinian parliamentary elections, Palestinian American leaders say that they will push for laws favoring American-style church-state separation, pluralism, equality and inclusiveness. "We are at the time when defining decisions may very well be made in Palestine," said Ziad Asali, president of the American Task Force on Palestine. The task force is a prominent pro-Palestinian advocacy group in Washington.

Disagreement With Gaza Disengagement Sours Orthodox on Bush
Forward 6/24/2005
As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week, cracks were emerging in the coalition of Jewish conservatives that rallied this past November around the claim that President Bush was "the best friend Israel ever had in Washington." Many influential Republican loyalists and non-Orthodox hawks appear to be remaining firm in their support of Bush. But a growing number of Orthodox activists who were avidly courted by Bush in the 2004 election are feeling distinctly dismayed as the administration embraces Israel's Gaza disengagement plan and presses for more aid to the Palestinians.

Elections give hope to Palestinian refugees
Daily Star 6/7/2005
BEIRUT: Palestinian refugees living in squalid and overcrowded camps dare to hope the legislative elections will directly improve their lives. "I have been monitoring the elections to see if they will bring change," said Mohammad al-Daoud, 21, outside Beirut's Chatilla camp where portraits of candidates jostle those of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Some 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in 12 refugee compounds in South Lebanon, where conditions are often harsh and permanent citizenship is denied to all. Fouad Abed, 36, complained that the candidate he was rooting for lost in the first part of the four-stage elections that took place May 29.

El Salvador group opens park in honor of late Palestinian leader Arafat
Ha'aretz 5/25/2005
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - A new plaza on Jerusalem Avenue was inaugurated Wednesday in honor of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, despite criticism from the Israeli Embassy in El Salvador. "We are making a monument to the maximum leader of the struggle for the liberation of Palestine," said one of the promoters, businessman John Nasser, as the square with a large bust of Arafat was inaugurated. Migrants from Palestine flowed to El Salvador for decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and several families became prominent in business and politics. Both President Tony Saca and his rival in last year's election, Schafik Handal, are sons of families that migrated from the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.

AIPAC Losing this Fight
Electronic Intifada 3/7/2005
Press Release, Council for the National Interest -- AIPAC has been taken aback by new Mideast resolutions. Last month the House and the Senate each passed their own resolutions expressing support for the Palestinian Authority in the wake of their successful presidential elections. The Washington Jewish Week reported that many on the Hill feel the Israel lobby was caught asleep on this one. The problem for the lobby was simple: popular support and optimism after the Palestinian presidential elections took the wind out of any possible grounds for raising opposition to the resolutions.

Arabs warmly welcome Abbas election
Middle East Online 1/10/2005
Analysts, officials hail election of Mahmud Abbas as Palestinian leader, pay tribute to strong voter turnout. -- Arabs gave a warm welcome Monday to the election of Mahmud Abbas as Palestinian leader, admiring a successful exercise in Arab democracy and hoping that a strong voter turnout will bolster his position. Analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah of Cairo's Al Ahram Center of Strategic Studies said the high turnout and the strong result for Mahmud Abbas "gives him the necessary legitimacy for his plans to resolve the conflict" with Israel.

Press Review: 'The hour of truth has arrived'
The Guardian 1/11/2005
Mahmoud Abbas wins but how will events now develop? -- Times, Editorial, January 10 - "After [Sunday's] election ... there was a palpable feeling that something had changed ... Mahmoud Abbas, the pragmatist favoured by Israel and the outside world ... won a triumphant victory ... to succeed the late ... Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority ...

Economy..