Palestinian Authority president stealing millions in aid, Middle East experts say

http://freebeacon.com/lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-palestinian/ Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has allegedly deposited nearly $13 million in U.S. taxpayer aid into a secret bank account, and routinely uses his political connections to profit from the stagnant peace process, according...

The End of the Beginning in Syria: The Obstacles to Reaching a Negotiated Settlement

http://www.inss.org.il/publications.php?cat=21&incat=&read=6845 Following the recent downing of a Turkish reconnaissance jet by Syrian anti-aircraft, the international community, this time through NATO, is once again debating what course of action should be taken with respect to Syria....

The Role of Iranian Security Forces in the Syrian Bloodshed

http://jcpa.org/article/the-role-iranian-security-forces-syrian-bloodshed-2/ Amid the intensifying crisis in Syria, which in recent weeks has seen massacres of the civilian population in various parts of the country, Iranian military, propaganda, and economic assistance keeps flowing in, and its...

So you thought Netanyahu is tough on terrorism? Not exactly

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/so-you-thought-pm-netanyahu-is-tough-on-terrorism-not-exactly/ Last week, our government sent my daughter’s murderer, Ahlam Tamimi, a pre-wedding gift. Tamimi, the woman who engineered the 2001 massacre in Jerusalem’s Sbarro restaurant, was released from prison by the Israeli government in October...

Fatah and Hamas Lie to Their People

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3072/fatah-hamas-lie Over the past five years, Hamas and Fatah have lied many times to their people about ending their power struggle, which has resulted in the creation of two separate Palestinian entities in the West...

NGO: UN renews rights chief Pillay without consultations on her record

http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2012/05/15/ngo-un-renews-rights-chief-pillay-without-consultations-on-her-record/ After Ban Ki-moon’s announcement today that he supports a two-year extension for rights commissioner Navi Pillay, a non-governmental watchdog group says that the decision was made - pending the UNGA’s rubber stamp -...

How Egypt’s Presidential Election Will Change the Middle East and the World

http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-egypts-presidential-election-will.html What might well be the most significant election in Middle East history is about to happen yet the situation and its implications are simply not understood abroad. On May 23-24, with a probable run-off...

The Iraqi Model: As Good As It Gets

http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2012/04/iraqi-model-as-good-as-it-gets.html Iraq is in a mess. Violence continues. Factionalism leads to endless bickering. Corruption is at high levels. Christians live in fear or flee altogether. Islamism is constantly creeping forward. Yet I would suggest that...

Smugglers’ tunnels are Hamas’ lifeblood

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/27/smugglers_tunnels_are_hamas_lifeblood/singleton/ A Palestinian sits in a smuggling tunnel beneath the Egyptian-Gaza border in Rafah. (Credit: Reuters//Ibraheem Abu Mustafa) RAFAH, Gaza Strip - The first things you notice are the trucks, entering Rafah’s dusty main thoroughfare from small...

Hamas and Fatah Want a New Intifada

http://www.stonegateinstitute.org/2887/hamas-fatah-intifada Hamas and Fatah have lately ratcheted up their rhetoric against Israel in a clear bid to distract attention from their failure to end their power struggle. By backing a "popular resistance" against Israel, Hamas and...