Links on "Martin Kramer"
Martin Kramer Does Robert Malley have a clue? Now he wants to create “a sense of novelty” in the peace process by... wait for it... appealing to the Palestinian refugees! It’s necessary to “find a way to show that whatever solution you're pursuing takes into account the world view, the histories, and the concerns and the aspirations... of the diaspora.” The jeep is stuck in the mud, and Malley’s solution is to double the load.
www.cfr.org
Veteran Middle East expert Robert Malley, who served as special assistant for Arab-Israeli affairs for President Bill Clinton, says it is time to "rethink" negotiations that have failed to produce a solution between Palestinians and Israelis.
See MoreMartin Kramer Tunku Varadarajan: “President Obama asked us not to jump to conclusions. To many Americans, this was a grating request, of a piece with the political correctness that was responsible for the hands-off treatment by the Army of Maj. Hasan. How else could he have been left in the position of treating US troops, given the ...stories we've now heard about his incendiary statements and apparent incompetence?”
www.forbes.com
"We don't have to be paranoid about Arab males; we just have to avoid the opposite: Being fearful of coming across as Islamophobic, and thereby failing to look straight at a situation."
Martin Kramer Ralph Peters at his finest. Asked whether the Fort Hood shooter was a disturbed individual who snapped or an Islamist terrorist, Peters made this retort: "I don’t think there is any contradiction. Terrorists are not by nature happy campers, suicide bombers aren’t necessarily from the middle of the Bell Curve."
www.youtube.com
“What happened yesterday at Fort Hood is the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11.... I’m sorry if it’s inconvenient for Washington to face the facts.”
Martin Kramer Sob-to-the-judge strategy: "The Arab-Israeli conflict may shift from the battlefield to international organisations and courts. Israel may be forced to recognise fundamental Palestinian political aspirations, and even the right of return eventually, by order of the international community." Is that pathetic? Arab state...s have dropped out, Israel has whipped the "resistance" (three times since 2002), so the Pals will bank on... the Goldstones?
english.aljazeera.net
Expert says state's influence upon public opinion has not grown with its military power.
See MoreMartin Kramer "An international epic production aimed at bridging cultures. The film will educate people about the true meaning of Islam." And Sheikh Qaradawi as adviser! Life imitates art! The late Richard Grenier wrote a hilarious novel, "The Marrakesh One-Two" (1983), about a gaffe-filled, intrigue-ridden attempt to make a biopic... on Muhammad ("The Second Greatest Story Ever Told"?) It will leave you in stitches.
www.guardian.co.uk
Barrie Osborne, part of the Oscar-winning team behind the Lord of the Rings films, says the new production 'will educate people about the true meaning of Islam'. In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen.
See MoreMartin Kramer Douglas Davis: "I am left with my own very personal question: where exactly was Richard Richard [Goldstone], paragon of human rights, when my human rights were being comprehensively trashed in an interrogation room at the Security Police headquarters in Pretoria? This was not Rwanda, Yugoslavia or even Gaza. My interro...gation room was less than a minute's walk from Judge Goldstone's Supreme Court."
www.spectator.co.uk
Why has Richard Goldstone, a self-professed Zionist, accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza? Douglas Davis suspects opportunism.
See MoreMartin Kramer When will Gideon Levy stop sucking up to Israel's critics? He's probably envious of Amira Hass, who recently got a prime suck-up award for journalistic distortion (http://3.ly/xpR). The piece at the link is just a rant, absent any journalistic insight. Expect more of this from Levy, as he angles for some international ...Euro-denominated award delivered to "courageous" Israelis who spew invective only against... Israel.
haaretz.com
"Israeli hearts can no longer be won with hope, promises of a better future or sweet talk, for this is no longer Israel's language. For something to change, Israel must understand that perpetuating the status quo will exact a painful price."
See MoreMartin Kramer A year ago, I gave this address about the baggage Barack Obama would bring to his Middle East policy. May I quote myself? "The United States will try to talk the radicals out of being radical, and once again it will fail. And the United States will try to talk Israelis and Palestinians into a final peace for all times ...which neither of them wants as much as America wants it, and once again it will fail." Bingo.
sandbox.blog-city.com
Martin Kramer assesses the influences on Barack Obama's thinking about the Middle East.
Martin Kramer Don't trust Rashid Khalidi with numbers. "Recent polls show that Mahmoud Abbas has the support of 12% of the Palestinians," he says. "When you see Abbas getting 12% in a poll, this [Goldstone] is partly the reason." 12% is what Abbas gets when Pals are asked which Pal—any Pal—they most trust. Actual approval rating: 39....4% are "very" or "somewhat satisfied" with Abbas' performance. Spin away, Rashid. Poll: http://3.ly/Z4k
www.cfr.org
"People were just outraged that an authority, purportedly representative of the Palestinians, should in effect be shilling for the Israelis and preventing investigation of alleged war crimes by Israel, as well as alleged war crimes by Hamas."
See MoreMartin Kramer "One businessman who attended Ehud Barak's 65th birthday party said the former prime minister's hedonism has swelled to the point where he is totally disconnected from the average Israeli. There is no chance Barak will return to the premiership, the source said. 'I felt like I was going to throw up at any minute. I fel...t like a visitor in Ceausescu's mansion.'"
www.haaretz.com
"It is as if the man has gone insane," the associate told the newspaper. "He lives in another universe, disconnected from the people, dizzied by money, enchanted by money, by power."