Say "peace"! Foggy Middle East

The risk of coalitions and the sweet taste of power is limiting the options of Netanyahu in looking for a new coalition combination, under an increased international pressure to stop the expansion of settlements. The result of a possible solution on the issue is not known yet.

The left is divided for the moment and the perspectives of joining a coalition are uncertain.

Pieces of a disparate puzzle. As usual.

Another ways to pursue public diplomacy

The development of social networks is offering a wide array of opportunities for public diplomacy. And equally, for abuse and widespread hate and terrorism on line.

I was this year to a conference about the Middle East where one participant, originally from Pakistan, was encouraging the contacts between Westerners and people from the Muslim world, as a way to exchange ideas and share insights from the two worlds. On the other side, the reality is that, from my own experience, this kind of dialogues are limited unfortunately to sharing our own stereotypes and taking the advantage of anonimity for sharing the hate. In this case, a mix between classical public diplomacy tools to be continued and pursued in the virtual environment. Using only one tool is not enough and the enthusiasm is not a miraculous cure of old and aggressive hates.

Moving

Soon, we'll move to a new location. Keep in touch!

Resources about the Middle East Peace Process

For the moment, the bibliography.

And an interesting perspective on the settlements.

Will it be another moment of history, or another episode of a story longer than the 1001 Nights?

Latest on WikiLeaks

CIA Reporting Memorandum on exporting terrorism.

Manipulation and reality

Or how the Arab states are using the "Palestinian" case for very political purposes.

The North Korean boat

US announced increased sanctions against North Korea. By now, the result of this kind of policies, in terms of efficiency, remains highly unclear - it was the case for Eastern Europe during communism, for Middle Eastern dictatorships or other rogue states. As it is also unclear what chances for a new beginning as long as the idea of a possible leadership is non-existent.

Will we discover the truth about the highly controversial release in the Lockerbie case?

Or, at least, the price of it?

Iron Dome

Israel will launch this November the operation Iron Dome, aiming to intercept short-range missiles launched from Gaza and Lebanon.

Source: http://www.jewpi.com/sign-in-operation-iron-dome/

What it is going on in Egypt

A couple of links regarding the recent evolutions in Egypt:

As in other non-free country, the information regarding the health of the main leader is a matter of state secret. Mubarak is 81 ys. old and the rumours on his condition are persistent since the beginning of the year.

The issue of succession was raised repeatedly in the last years, in line with the Western opinions regarding more democratic reforms in the country.

In the same time, it is an important issue to be taken into account the reconfiguration of the whole area and the need for the Western leaders, for building new partnerships.

A special report on Egypt - The Economist

What's next?

Bibi on Air

While in US, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent one hour on Larry King live. Relaxed and extremely diplomatic facing a very much inside-the-box Larry King.

Nothing new in terms of foreign policy steps, but a welcomed intervention in the international media, vital given the very bad image of the state of Israel, in the light of the Mavi Marmara incident. But still:

- Outlining the continuity and the very good relations with the US and the coherence of the dialogue behind the close doors, including with the current administration.

- The need to continue the dialogue with Turkey, what have been done already. He mentioned a recent meeting between one of the representatives of the Israeli prime minister and the foreign minister of Turkey, as one of the opportunities seized by Israel "to stop this deterioration". He outlined the new foreign policy ambitions of Ankara, driving the country out of the West. In the same time, we want to outline, Israel itself is changing focusing on a foreign policy built around the idea of relying on itself and not on any foreign forces. Here it is an example in this respect, we will analyse in a next post soon.

- The generous and stereotypical idea of peace: The state of Israel is open, want this peace, but the answers by far from the side of the Palestinians are not answering this need. The freezing was presented as an extraordinary gesture from the part of the state of Israel, not answered accordingly. "We have the courage to have peace" is an understatement, when rockets are fired daily and you have a soldier captive for four years in the hands of Hamas.

- Very ironic - normal Israeli style - when asked about the relation with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, minimizing her by references to the dialogue he had with her husband.

A very casual encounter, anyway.

The power of Internet

vs. the power of Castro(s)?

Fighting their own demons

Again, a realistic piece of article about the Middle East, from a perspective outlining a dangerously denied side of the story. I am wondering how much ignorance or propagandistic messages - or both - in the sayings of all those who are lecturing about peace, restrain to the use of force, understanding and humanism. States are not intending to do good or wrong, in ethical terms, but to follow their objectives of survival, as much as possible in accordance with the international legislation. In order to have a dialogue, you need two - dia - persons/institutions/entitites respecting each other/recognizing their equal legitimacy to talk. This double life of some representatives of the Palestinians - preaching the victim the day, while sleeping in peace during the night being sure the rockets are continuing to harm people and the territory of Israel - is at least mentally damaging. For sure, it is hypocritical.

I think the syntagm "useful idiots" from Cohen's article, used during the Cold War to describe Soviet sympathizers in Western countries might be used very well for many of the "innocent" peace doves addressing the issues of the Middle East.

Stories of war

Telling stories about fighting in Afghanistan.

"Aid" flotilla - supported by terrorist organizations

A documented conclusion and report - here.

The prisons of Iran

The account of the foreign journalist who was imprisoned during the last year's events in Iran.

Inside the Mavi Marmara

The Standard Weekly published a very intersting investigation inside the Islamist organization IHH, who masterminded the Mavi Marmara flotilla plans. Many details about the current political connections from Turkey, in the electoral but as well as geopolitical perspective.

The extensive footage of the interviews is here.

And a couple of information about Neturei Karta.

Was it a "revolution" in Iran? With or without the help of Twitter?

Two recent articles about the effect of Internet networks in the case of the last year events in Iran. For time reasons, I will not enter too much into details, but my opinion is that this kind of mobilization played a limited if not a very limited one.

First of all, it was used both sides: for protesters to get organized and widespread information to the wide world, as for the opressors, who obtained up-to-date details about their plans. When they were in full control, they blocked the access. This type of social networking cannot supply the lack of a real world network. What happened in Iran is a good example. The oppressive regime intervened in force, stopped the disidence and kept the power.

Media is the message and information is power. But the depositaries of power are always real and with full control of institutions, people and resources.

The real revolution is in the people's minds. What will happen next in Iran and when it is a matter of human resources. What should be done, in my opinion is that the West (to be read the democratic countries) are smart enough to identify in due time the right persons able to produce change and to encourage them - by prompt reactions against perpetual human rights violations by the authorities in Tehran.

The articles:

Foreign Policy - Misreading Tehran

Here there are some observations I made by myself: most part of the coordinators of the current campaigns regarding Iran are based outside the country, by people with low interest to ever return in the country. I could understand very well the reasons, but it is better to know instead of dreaming. Mostly in foreign policy.

The Atlantic Monthly - Evaluating Iran's Twitter Revolution

It is a more optimistic perspective, which I support in some respects, about the huge potential of change presented by social networks.

A new power broker in the Middle East?

is this Canada? The current political and geopolitical configuration is so confuse and intricate - and more to follow in the next days, probably - than it is hard to say. What remains to be discussed is the availability and consistence of such friendships.

Flotillas and the war on public opinion

a Stratfor analysis about the situation in the Middle East. I watched carefully the news and footages during the events, as well as the reports from the international media.

There are still many events on the run - including the Arab League meeting from today, with impressive pressures against Egypt to give up being part of the blockade against Hamas.

The distance between the facts and their interpretation is huge. And, from many point of view, the communication plan was a failure. There are military regulations and not all the information could be released instantly to the public. Meanwhile, the volume and frequence of communication from the other side of the story was amazing. Millions of people - including with fake IDs and accounts - were involved with actions of supports all over the web - on Facebook, Twitter, comments to foreign media. In this case, despite the facts, the result is an increased condemnation of the state of Israel. And, in Sderot, the missiles continued.

Was it an intelligence failure or of an evaluation failure? I am asking why the negative perception of Israel in the media, increased significantly in the last years, is not still considered a fact you have to work on. Maybe hasbara should be redesigned according to the realities and not relying on situations no longer available.