Bush’s Career Plans for Tony Blair

Staff / Truthdig Jun 21, 2007 The US and Israel are pressuring Tony Blair to become the "quartet's" (that would be the U, the EU, the UN and Russia) Mideast envoy, because he's already done such a bang-up job soothing tensions in the Arab world But Blair might not be interested since President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would want to limit his scope to setting up a functioning Palestinian state. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Crisis in Gaza

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Jun 18, 2007 Dig deeper

Thousands Demand New Government in Israel

Staff / Truthdig May 4, 2007 Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Thursday, calling for a new government. The protest was organized around the handling of the Lebanon war. A recent investigation blamed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a "serious failure in exercising judgment, responsibility and prudence." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel Warms to Peace Initiative

Staff / Truthdig Apr 3, 2007 Responding to a Saudi peace proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has invited all Arab heads of state to meet in Jerusalem for talks. Israel had rejected similar proposals, but Olmert now takes a different view, saying a multilateral meeting would be "worth the effort." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israelis Call Off General Strike

Staff / Truthdig Mar 21, 2007 Some 400,000 Israeli workers launched a general strike over unpaid wages that threatened to shut down the nation's economy. Needless to say, this isn't good news for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose popularity is down to 3 percent. Update: The eight-hour strike, which brought much of the country to a standstill, was called off after the labor union and the Finance Ministry came to a compromise. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel Says No Dice to Palestinian Government

Staff / Truthdig Mar 17, 2007 Israeli officials say they will not work with a newly formed Palestinian coalition, calling the power-sharing regime "a leap backward." Despite a tentative pledge from Hamas to "respect" past agreements, Israel feels the new government does not meet the requirements set out by the so-called quartet of Western nations. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel Preplanned Lebanon War

Staff / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, while speaking with a commission investigating the Lebanon war, said he made the decision to invade four months before soldiers were abducted. Olmert testified that he agreed with a contingency plan to respond dramatically should Hezbollah take predictably aggressive action. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Mr. Fish: Peace Stooges

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Feb 20, 2007 Dig deeper

Mideast Peace Meeting a Dud

Staff / Truthdig Feb 20, 2007 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Condoleezza Rice concluded a highly vaunted two-hour meeting with no firm commitment other than an agreement to maintain communication. The elephant in the room was Abbas' recently announced deal to share power with Hamas, an arrangement that prompted the U.S. and Israel to threaten a boycott. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. and Israel Set Conditions for Palestinian Government

Staff / Truthdig Feb 18, 2007 The U.S. and Israel have agreed not to recognize or support a new Palestinian unity government unless it first recognizes Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will have to do some political tightrope-walking in the days ahead as he attempts to make peace with Hamas at home and improve relations with Israel and its allies abroad. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israeli Defense Chief Resigns Amid Lebanon War Investigations

Staff / Truthdig Jan 17, 2007 Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, has resigned amid ongoing investigations into Israel's botched invasion of Lebanon. Imagine, someone in government actually taking responsibility for a failed military adventure. What a concept! Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Abbas and Olmert Agree to Informal Talk With U.S.

Staff / Truthdig Jan 16, 2007 The United States will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a casual three-way chat aimed at reviving Bush's failed "road map" to peace. A successful outcome seems unlikely, with Abbas and Olmert both suffering from political weakness and with the conspicuous absence of Hamas. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )