Welcome to Team Shalom Fry'd Daze. Fry'd Daze was a long running series dedicated to dialogue in the Middle East. For a while I pulled it, but recently was asked to bring it back and decided that I should. These diaries are not intended to be a flame forum, but rather something where community members can meet and exchange ideas about I/P and/or issues that concern the Middle East.
Generally, these diaries take the form of four to five news articles and short commentary selected by the diarist. These stories however, are just a platform to get discussion going. The diaries from now on will publish under the banner of the Team Shalom
What is Team Shalom:
"Team Shalom is Team Peace. We are a group of Kossacks supporting a fair, pragmatic, and realistic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the two-state solution. We support Israel's continued existence as a Jewish and democratic state, with it existing alongside Palestine, a Palestinian and democratic state, as friends and neighbors. We believe this is the only way forward and the only way to achieve an enduring peace. This is the view endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the world's nations, including the Quartet, which consists of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations."
So please participate. The only thing we ask is that you keep comments respectful, reality based and please no use of Anti-Semetic or Anti-Arab memes. Enjoy!
For our first story - it seems that today there were mass disturbances throughout the West Bank as hundreds of Palestinian youths were involved in stone throwing incidentsagainst IDF and Security Forces. I am looking for further info. on this story but right now this is what I have from Haaretz:
Hundreds of Palestinians clashed on Friday with the IDF and security forces in a number of locations in the West Bank.
Around 250 Palestinians demonstrated in the Beit Omar region, throwing stones at security forces. Soldiers and police responded with riot dispersal means, including stun grenades and teargas.
Similar incidents occurred in several other locations.
The article goes on to list other incidents throughout the West Bank. I will be updating this as more info. comes out. Could this be a beginning to a third intifada?
This seems to be happening in the wake of a number of incidents from both sides, some of which were Right Wing settlers burned 20 Olive Trees in Jerusalem and it is claimed that a house near Nablus was firebombed (although that is still under investigation).
Our Second Story involves a back and forth between Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Lieberman has been calling out Abbas as the "greatest obstacle to regional order". Because of that and other choice phrases, the Palestinians sent a letter to the U.N. calling Liebermans language an incitement to violence against Abbas.
Today... Israel fired back with a protest letter of it's own to the U.N. :
Israel sent a letter to the United Nations Thursday slamming Palestinian President Mahmous Abbas for failing to condemn Wednesday's rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.....
The letter echoed recent comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that Abbas is the "greatest obstacle" to regional order, by criticizing the Palestinian Authority.
It acknowledged that "Israel holds the Hamas terrorist organization fully responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza, where it remains in de facto control." However, it took Abbas to task for failing to condemn the attack, alluding that it is testimony to the ineffectiveness of the recent reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah.
"Israel is still waiting to hear President Abbas clearly condemn Hamas for the terror that continues to flow from Gaza," it said.
"The rockets that continue to fly out of the area illustrate a basic truth: the Palestinian Authority has absolutely zero authority in the Gaza Strip. While President Abbas continues his unilateral march for state recognition at the United Nations, the Palestinians are far from meeting the basic criteria for statehood, particularly the test of effective control," said the letter, adding, "So-called Palestinian unity has been – and remains – a virtual reality."
I am not sure how the P.A. has really anything to say regarding Hamas missles and that if they did it would be a good thing. Right now Hamas has seriously increased its prestige in the wake of the Shalit deal. Looking like a "lackey" to Israel by criticizing Hamas who has really not done much to curb it's own extremists and is continuing building in the West Bank will not strengthen Abbas to make peace - it will just weaken him with the populace (something that I am sure Lieberman and his allies would like to see).
Our third and last story (sorry it's a busy workday - so you will have add your own stories) comes from Maan where President Abbas says that he WILL NOT dissolve the Palestinian Authority.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Senior Fatah official Mahmoud al-Aloul told Ma'an on Friday that there is no plan to dismantle the Palestinian Authority.
The central committee member said officials were calling for a definition of the situation of the PA, and discussing plans to return it to its former stature.
"The government is in a bad situation and is looking for solutions, but not to dismantle (the PA)," al-Aloul said.
President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he would address the benefits of continuing the PA in discussions with Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal in early November.
As the article in Maan points out, many in the Palestinian Polity see the P.A. as a body that furthers the Occupation of the West Bank. Further developments will be interesting.
Please participate, engage and have a strong discussion.