Here’s another kickass video of the signing at BBC
The deal was signed in Doha, Qatar, by Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who said last month he plans to step down from his post.
“The Palestinian reconciliation is no longer a Palestinian interest but also an Arab interest,” Abbas said.
“Both parties are serious in moving forward to fold the page of strife between both parties and to strengthen the Palestinian national unity government,” according to Meshaal.
We knew this was coming. Abbas waited till after the Jan 26 Quartet deadline, and then said he was consulting with Arab leaders Feb 4. Palestinians are likely moving forward with their UN bid. Netanyahu is using this as an excuse to say that the unity deal will halt Israeli/Palestinian options, but there were never any options coming from Israel.
His move was welcomed cautiously by a broad range of Palestinians who are fed up with the brutal split at the heart of their national movement. It promised to upend Israeli-Palestinian relations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Mr. Abbas that he could have peace with Israel or unity with Hamas, but not both.
Ira Glunts points readers to the caption on the New York Times photograph of eight Palestinian men playing cards in Ramallah as news of the deal showed on a television overhead:
News of a Palestinian unity deal played for otherwise occupied viewers in Ramallah, West Bank.
You do not see the words “occupation” or “occupied” in the New York Times a whole lot, especially accompanying an article by its pro-Israel Jerusalem bureau chief, Ethan Bronner. Maybe some clever AP caption writer succeeded in sneaking this double entendre by the Times editors. My guess is that it was written unwittingly and overlooked by those responsible for putting the paper together. (The word occupied does not appear anywhere else in the article. Nor does occupation.)
Serious movement
“but there were never any options coming from Israel.”
Annie did you hear Noura Erakat speak on one of the panels? Heard her at the Move over Aipac conference last year. She is so clear, articulate, fact based.
Heads up
Hope folks go listen to MSNBC’s Hardball host Chris Matthews segment on Syria and Iran last night. It was absurd
He said that the “Un guys playing games” on Syria As if US administrations have not played very serious games at the UN.
Secretary of State Clinton calling the situation in Syria a “tragedy” . That warmonger is almost as guilty as those in the Bush administration who lied this nation into Iraq based on a “pack of lies” Clinton is covered with the Iraqi people and American soldiers blood.
He ends the segment by saying “is there something worse than Iran having nuclear weapons”. Think about that. If there isn’t anything worse. Strike them.”
Sure hope he does not try to spin this promotion for an attack on Iran after the fact like he did on the Iraq invasion. He has tried to pretend that he asked responsible and indepth and challenging questions before the invasion of Iraq. Sure he will try to do the same thing after an attack on Iran. That he played hardball by asking tough, challenging questions of those who repeat unsubstantiated claims about Iran. That he had experts like former Bush administration officials Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett on his program to discuss the situatin with Iran. Chris Matthews is being complicit by promoting a strike on Iran. And as Dr. Zbig recently said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and NPR’s Diane Rehm show “the American public is woefully ignorant about US foreign policy” Yep and Chris Matthews doing his part to keep the public “woefully ignorant”
Sunday Chris Hayes had Amy Goodman on his round table. She added another dimension to that show. They discussed the I/P issue. Anne Marie Slaughter kept repeating that Israel and the US national security are one and the same. Goodman of course differed. Worth the watch. Lots of material there
.
I read about this yesterday, and how Netanyahu says that they must choose between “peace with Israel and Peace with Hamas”
If I am not mistaken, is this not opposite of one of the arguments Israel used before, that since there was no unity it would be impossible to negotiate for peace. Someone correct me if I am wrong
Well in October 2011, it was:
“Israel says it will only enter negotiations with the Palestinians if there are no preconditions set”
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1026/What-are-the-Israeli-Palestinian-peace-talk-preconditions/Israel-No-preconditions
Annie Chris Matthews (have been begging over there)had Dr Zbig on last week to talk about the situation with Iran. Also Richard Engel. Engel was more fair than I expected. Engel even said that Israel has nukes. Matthews quickly said “we know that” and of course did not get into the absurdities and double standards. Dr. Zbig was as brilliant and sensible as usual. Addressing the dangerous and potential cost to the US if Israel does this. And how ultimately an attack on Iran by Israel is extremely dangerous for Israel.
When Dr. Zbig talked about what could be done through negotiations he failed to bring up that Iran has the right to enrich uranium under the NPT. Going back to listen again because although Chris Matthews did a fair job on this and celebrate that he had Dr. Zbig on I think he opened the segment by referring to Iran’s
“nuclear weapons program” as if they have a “nuclear weapons program”. Going over to listen again. It is a must listen if folks are interested in how the MSM is opening up a bit on reporting about this issue more accurately.
Now if only Chris Matthews and the rest would have experts Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett on their programs to discuss Iran and help educate the public instead of after an attack.
Anyone hear anything about the Hamas Fatah agreement on MSNBC ? As Annie has pointed out made it on CNN and BBC. But hearing much about this anywhere else