Gaza and Palestine, by Ema Abu Shtayyeh Antoun Issa Posted: 08/25/2014 The resumption of fighting between Israel and Hamas can be largely attributed to Egypt's failure to broker a fair, enduring cease-fire. Egypt's cease-fire proposal, as outlined in 11 points, was effectively a call for a return to the status quo: a besieged Gaza Strip with token, unspecified assistance to help it rebuild - the third reconstruction Gaza will have to undergo in less than seven years.
ARGUMENT As Israel and the Palestinians struggle to reach yet another cease-fire, the mediators in Cairo are making the conflict worse -- and empowering radicals in the process. BY MICHELE DUNNE , NATHAN J. BROWN AUGUST 18, 2014 As negotiations on a lasting cease-fire in Gaza grind on in Cairo, it's not only the animosity between Israel and Hamas that is complicating the talks -- it's also Egypt's role as mediator.
Posted by Baheyya 12 Aug 2014 01:28 PM PDT In the old days, when the Israeli military bombed and shelled Palestinians and sought to destroy their society, Hosni Mubarak used a well-worn formula, fully abetting Israeli actions while uttering pro-Palestine platitudes. Occasionally, when huge protests rocked the streets, he green-lighted theatrical gestures such as his wife heading a relief convoy to Gaza in 2002, and his son fronting a delegation to Beirut when Israel bombed Lebanon in 2006.
