David Pollock of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy released on Friday an analysis of recent Palestinian public opinion polls, which held some surprising conclusions with important implications for the region. Pollock notes that despite the apparent contradiction, most Palestinians favor a unity government between Fatah and Hamas, while at the...

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The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday that a former senior American government official said that Hamas must not be allowed to participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections. Former National Security Adviser Samuel “Sandy” Berger addressed his remarks to this week’s annual Herzliya Conference sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Center. Hamas should not be allowed...

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In an editorial Friday, the New York Times acknowledged that “some skepticism is warranted” about last week’s announced Fatah-Hamas unity government. The editorial noted: Mr. Netanyahu is correct that Hamas, the Iran-backed group that took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, is a violent, extremist organization committed to Israel’s...

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set up a ministerial committee to decide  how Jerusalem should deal with the new Palestinian government that was jointly appointed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the terrorist organization Hamas. The first meeting on preparing plans on how to deal with the diplomatic and...

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A former Hamas official wrote on his Facebook page Sunday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was “lying” to the Americans. Palestinian Media Watch translated Ihab al-Ghussein’s comments: “You know what Mahmoud Abbas says behind closed doors?? He says: ‘Guys, let me [continue] saying what I say to the media. Those...

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The Times of Israel reported Tuesday that the mother-in-law of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was admitted for treatment in an Israeli hospital. Maj. Guy Inbar, an Israeli spokesman, said the 68-year-old woman was allowed to enter from the Gaza Strip on Monday to receive cancer treatment at a Jerusalem hospital....

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An Israeli firm, Mapal Green Energy, just landed its third contract with a British water utility, according to a report Thursday in the Times of Israel. David Shamah, the Times of Israel’s technology correspondent, reported: United Utilities, the UK’s largest listed water company, is the latest water utility to sign a...

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Veteran Israeli military analyst Amos Harel on Thursday assessed that a future war between Israel and Hezbollah seems increasingly likely and that Hezbollah may use the deterioration to launch a spectacular ground operation against Israel: While a balance of mutual deterrence has prevailed since the end of the Second Lebanon War nearly...

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The Australian government announced Thursday that it would no longer use the word “occupied” to describe East Jerusalem. The Times of Israel reported: Attorney General George Brandis explained Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s position that using the word “occupied” was judgmental and does not contribute to the dialogue about the...

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The Rolling Stones made sure boycott advocates got “no satisfaction” with their concert last night in Tel Aviv. Fifty thousand fans attended one of the most anticipated concerts in Israel in years, with the legendary rock band explicitly rejecting the request made by Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters that the Stones avoid playing in Israel in solidarity with the anti-Israel boycott movement....

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