Middle East Pundit

The Palestinians cannot form a unity government because they refuse to recognize Israel.
The International community has made this one of their conditions and Hamas will not give in.
And who’s the intransigent one?

Both Ayatollah Khatami of Iran and now Hamas’ Ismail Haniyah have said the U.S.’s financial crisis is divine punishment from Allah.
My question to both of them naturally is this - then what does Iran’s and the Palestinian’s economic crisis stem from? Why is the former punishment from Allah and the latter not? […]

Everyone’s witnessed the spectacle that goes by the name Jimmy Carter these past few weeks. Perhaps in an attempt to redeem his very public and very disastrous track record in the Middle East during his brief tenure in office, Carter has decided to meet with Hamas and Syria, much to the protest of the […]

The BBC has reported two members of Hamas’ military wing were killed at one of their training facilities in the Gaza Strip, and, true to script, Hamas has blamed Israel for their deaths.
Knowing Hamas, they probably died while trying to put together suicide bombs or some other form of explosive device when they met their […]

The NY Time argues the Bush Administration has had a huge policy shift in the Middle East, seeking to facilitate peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, whereas previously the Administration has had a very hands off approach.
The story says,
At President Bush’s first National Security Council meeting in January 2001, he announced that he did […]

Bernard Lewis highlights two very different set of issues for today’s Annapolis summit regarding what he terms “The Jewish Question.”
The first issue involves Israel and physical border disputes with her neighbors - something which can and should be worked on.
However, if the discussion consists of the existence of the state of Israel, then any negotiation […]

You heard it from Hamas - their political platform which calls for Israel’s destruction will NEVER change, regardless of the pressure or the amount of time that transpires.
Hamas’ former Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Zahar said the new unity government and Hamas have different political platforms.
The political platform of the government would only last for three years […]

To say the West has put an economic embargo on the Palestinians is not merely misleading…it’s a flat out lie.
Aid to the Palestinians has increased 200 million in 2006 over aid provided in 2005, going from 1 Billion (U.S. dollars) to 1.2 Billion (U.S. dollars).
Hamas has asked Israel to implore the international community to “end […]

Hamas has recently appeared in the news as making a monumentous peace overture to Israel, which, when Israel rejects it, Hamas will point the finger and say “see, they’re not serious about peace.”
Hamas has said they will offer a full cease fire with Israel, if Israel persuades the international community to recognize the new Palestinian […]

Like the U2 song, Israel cannot live with or without Hamas.
Hamas’ election and Saudi recognition (which has propped up their status internationally) has forced Israel to work with a Hamas government if they’re going to make a peace deal with the slight problem that Hamas wants nothing of it.
Evacuation of West Bank settlements will […]