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February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
May 26, 2006
/ 28 Iyar, 5766
Abbas threatens Hamas with measure implicitly recognizing Israel
By
Dion Nissenbaum
Amazing what international pressure mixed desperation can accomplish Or is it merely a case of "Good terrorist, bad terrorist"?
JewishWorldReview.com |(KRT)
AMALLAH Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a surprise ultimatum to his Hamas rivals yesterday: Break the political stalemate imperiling the Palestinian government within 10 days or he'll ask voters to approve a measure that would implicitly recognize Israel.
Hamas officials appeared caught off-guard by Abbas' threat to hold a referendum in July. Some leaders voiced optimism that they would be able to work out their differences, while others criticized Abbas for trying to bully them.
A referendum accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel would put the issue directly before Palestinian voters for the first time -- and the outcome would be uncertain. While polls have shown broad support among Palestinians for a two-state solution, voters also dumped Abbas' long-dominant Fatah party in favor of the Muslim fundamentalist Hamas in part because of frustration over compromises that Fatah had made in peace talks with Israel.
Speaking at the start of a unity conference, Abbas put Hamas leaders on notice that he's running out of patience with a power struggle that in recent weeks has broken out into confrontations between rival gunmen in Gaza streets.
"Our cause is at stake," Abbas said, in demanding a quick response from Hamas. "We cannot afford the luxury of time."
"There is no need for such threats from the president," said Hamas lawmaker Abdel Jaber Fuqaha. "Let the dialogue take its normal course."
The Palestinian Authority has faced a number of challenges ever since January, when voters catapulted Hamas, a movement formally committed to Israel's destruction, into power over Fatah, which accepts Israel's right to exist.
The United States and Europe have cut off aid, and Israel has been withholding tax receipts it collects on the Palestinians' behalf, creating a financial crisis.
In recent weeks, the factional feud has erupted into near-daily clashes in the Gaza Strip between Hamas militants and Abbas loyalists that have left at least 10 people dead. The latest battle, which left one Palestinian security officer dead, broke out shortly after the unity conference began.
This week's conference was partly a response to a joint political statement issued earlier this month by a group of Palestinian leaders in an Israeli prison. Top Hamas and Fatah members signed the letter, along with leaders of smaller political factions.
The 18-point document calls for the creation of a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on all the land [won] by Israel [after being attacked] in the 1967 Six Day War. It also suggests that Palestinians stop attacking targets in Israel and restrict their actions to targets in the West Bank.
But Hamas' embrace of the document might not go very far toward easing the international pressure on the Palestinian Authority.
The proposal falls short of meeting two critical demands: Explicitly recognizing Israel's right to exist and abandoning violence as a political weapon. And Israel has made it clear that it intends to hold onto major Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
But formal acceptance by Hamas of a Palestinian state in the West Bank could put more pressure on Israel to seek a negotiated settlement instead of pressing ahead with a new plan to ignore the Palestinian leadership and dictate its own borders.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's unilateral proposal got a boost this week during his first official visit to Washington when President Bush praised the idea as a "bold" concept that could lead to peace.
But Bush encouraged Olmert not to move forward with the idea until he tries to reach an agreement with Abbas. But the Israeli prime minister is dubious of working out any deal with Abbas when the government is dominated by Hamas leaders.
Before Abbas issued his vow to put the issue before voters, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh urged the conference to work together to end the internal violence.
"The space of consensus between us is much closer than we imagine," said Haniyeh, who spoke via video link from a simultaneous gathering held in Gaza City for Hamas members who, like the prime minister, are barred by Israel from traveling to the West Bank.
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© 2006, Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
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