Two researchers have found evidence in old Soviet documents that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas worked as a KGB mole in the early 1980s. In fact, his code name was the Russian word for mole, assuming that these documents are
Pope Francis to canonise Palestinian nuns – BBC News
Now for the first time, Palestinian Catholics will also venerate two saints who lived in the Holy Land in modern times and were native Arabic speakers.Marie Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam Bawardy are among four 19th Century nuns who are being
Vatican to Sign Treaty that Recognizes the State of Palestine
The New York Times and other media outlets report today that the Vatican has announced that it would soon sign a treaty that includes recognition of the "state of Palestine." See Jodi Rudoren & Diaa Hadid, Pope Aids Push for
Back in the Saddle
I have been traveling the past two weeks, leading a group of 25 of my law students on a two-credit course on International Humanitarian Law in Israel and Palestine. How does a U.S. contracts prof teach a course
Enter the Palestinian ‘nuclear option’ – Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz
The cries of victory heard at the Prime Minister s Office and Foreign Ministry last night after the UN Security Council rejected the Palestinian resolution to end the occupation were premature. Just a few hours later, as Palestinian Authority President
German Cruise Ship Showered By Rocket Debris From Israeli – Hamas Dispute
The murder of the three Jewish boys in the West Bank last week was about the worst thing I have heard of recently until learning of the retaliatory murder of the 16 year old Palestinian boy whose burned body was
Schorr on Water Rights in Mandate Palestine
David Schorr (Tel Aviv) has posted Reform of Water Rights in Mandate Palestine (Water History) on SSRN. Here’s the abstract:This article surveys the water law of Palestine under British rule, identifying the legal norms governing the use of water and
Land Use in Palestine
The Atlantic's Armin Rosen takes a visit to Rawabi, the first Palestinian planned city in the West Bank.Rawabi represents something totally new — a visionary Palestinian-directed private sector project, with support from both Israeli businesses and a major Arab
Responding to UN General Assembly Vote on Palestine, Israel Plans to Build New Settlement Units
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon learned "with grave concern and disappointment" of Israel's announcement of 3,000 new settlement units in East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank, according to his spokesperson today. "This would include reported planning in the
Israel & Gaza
Here are some pieces I found useful for understanding the Palestinian struggle as incarnate in the latest conflict between Gaza and Israel: Juan Cole, “Top Ten Myths about the Israeli Attack on Gaza” Colin Dayan, “How Not to Talk about