By Gwynne Dyer - Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, said something cryptic last Friday, shortly after the Israelis began their latest round of attacks on the Gaza Strip. Condemning Hamas’ conditions for accepting a ceasefire as “exaggerated and unnecessary,” he offered his condolences “ to the families of the martyrs in Gaza who are fuel to those who trade in war. I oppose these traders, on both sides.”
The United States secretary of state has said the deal reached on Sunday over Iran's nuclear program will make Israel and the Middle East a safer place. John Kerry was speaking after Iran agreed to curb some of its nuclear activities in return for about 7bn dollars in sanctions relief. However, Israel has described the agreement as a historic mistake.
Six people were killed in a bomb attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at a Bulgarian airport on Wednesday and Israel accused Tehran of carrying out the attack, promising a strong response to Iranian terror.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas repeated his refusal to talk with Israel without a settlement freeze after international mediators, responding to his United Nations bid for statehood, urged negotiations within a month.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he expected the Security Council to finish debating his nation's application for full UN membership within weeks, not months.
The Quartet of Middle East negotiators urged Israel and the Palestinians on Friday to resume peace talks within one month and aim for a deal by the end of 2012.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Barack Obama vision of a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 could leave the Jewish state indefensible.
Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera visited both sides of the hotly contested Israeli- Palestine border this weekend. He reasserted his support for an independent Palestinian state, but fell short of formally recognizing the pre-1967 borders.