Epstein Secrets

o when it comes to relative power, Israel enjoys an immense edge, which the Israeli government has no intention of surrendering. For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the "peace process" is not a means to settle differences through compromise or give-and-take. It's a mechanism to enshrine hard-earned Israeli adv

ive-and-take. It's a mechanism to enshrine hard-earned Israeli advantages in perpetuity. Several years ago, in outlining his own "vision of peace," Netanyahu spelled out the implications of this approach. "If we get a guarantee of demilitarization," he remarked, "we are ready to agree to a real peace ag

t's commitment to his political line, was not agreed upon, and he alone is responsible for his words. Al-Monitor: How important is the emergence of Mohammed Dahlan as a political actor in the Gaza Strip once again? And what about his public dispute with Abbas concerning the reconciliation decision? Abu Marzou

TA02691166 5 both instances, however, U.S. opposition presented Abbas with an impossible choice, recapitulated starkly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after May 2: "It's either Hamas, or peace with Israel." With Mubarak's Egypt shoring up a still-biting Gaza blockade, meanwhile, and taking Fatah's

he team is doing well, they are glad to join the parade. Democratic lawmakers were happy to stand and cheer a pro-American speech by Prime Minister Netanyahu in Congress. After all, Israel is popular in the U.S. But some Americans EFTA_R1_02032790 EFTA02691173 12 like it more than others. A recent Ga

of renewal. At its sixth party congress in 2009, the most influential movers included party strongman and former PA Gaza Preventive Security Chief Mohammed Dahlan, long considered Abbas's likeliest successor. Since fall 2010, however, Abbas has cut his erstwhile lieutenant down to size, and on May 13 he forma

. The US consideration of a release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, a deeply emotional figure for the Israeli public, may have been enough to keep Netanyahu's coalition members from walking out of the Knesset, as had been threatened, should any additional Palestinian prisoner release deals be signed. Sim

Abbas continues to face an internal political battle, as he struggles to save face among the Palestinian public and fight off Fatah political rival Mohammed Dahlan, who is a Gaza native and Abbas's ex-security chief. Whether or not negotiators are able to agree to overcome this most recent impasse, with little