Today there have been two major developments in the Middle East conflict, one positive, one negative.
The good news is that there is an ever so slight chance that Hamas and the US government may soon talk to each other. Hopes of a dialogue were raised after Senator John Kerry, chairman of the US senate's Foreign Relations Committee was reported, by the BBC, to have been given a letter by Hamas officials.
If Hamas was able to get access to Kerry on his visit to Gaza, one might suspect that covert talks are already in place. The story seems credible as it originates from Karen Abu Zayd, the UNWRA commissioner-general.
While this potential olive branch for peace was being outstretched in Gaza, a damaging development was occurring in Tel Aviv. The Guardian believes Binyamin Netanyahu is to become the next Prime Minister of Israel. He seems to have been able to create a large enough majority to govern and opponent Tzipi Livni, who's Kadima Party recently won the election against Netanyahu's Likud by one seat, accepted that her party will form the opposition.
Netanyahu has been PM before, when the peace process had reached its most positive stage. The Oslo Accords had been signed. Netanyahu rolled back the agreements and let the peace process stall. He now opposes negotiations with the Palestinians and his government is likely to be heavily dependent on the nationalist and extreme right Yisrael Beiteinu party of Avigdor Lieberman.
The positive development of this is that this government is unlikely to last long. They look as though they will have a slim majority of 5 and they will come under considerable pressure from the increasingly leftist US administration and the relatively liberal regimes in Europe.
One positive thing happens, one negative thing happens.
The good news is that there is an ever so slight chance that Hamas and the US government may soon talk to each other. Hopes of a dialogue were raised after Senator John Kerry, chairman of the US senate's Foreign Relations Committee was reported, by the BBC, to have been given a letter by Hamas officials.
If Hamas was able to get access to Kerry on his visit to Gaza, one might suspect that covert talks are already in place. The story seems credible as it originates from Karen Abu Zayd, the UNWRA commissioner-general.
While this potential olive branch for peace was being outstretched in Gaza, a damaging development was occurring in Tel Aviv. The Guardian believes Binyamin Netanyahu is to become the next Prime Minister of Israel. He seems to have been able to create a large enough majority to govern and opponent Tzipi Livni, who's Kadima Party recently won the election against Netanyahu's Likud by one seat, accepted that her party will form the opposition.
Netanyahu has been PM before, when the peace process had reached its most positive stage. The Oslo Accords had been signed. Netanyahu rolled back the agreements and let the peace process stall. He now opposes negotiations with the Palestinians and his government is likely to be heavily dependent on the nationalist and extreme right Yisrael Beiteinu party of Avigdor Lieberman.
The positive development of this is that this government is unlikely to last long. They look as though they will have a slim majority of 5 and they will come under considerable pressure from the increasingly leftist US administration and the relatively liberal regimes in Europe.
One positive thing happens, one negative thing happens.
