Two from 'The Commentator': Palestine rampant or Palestine whistling in the wind?

It would appear that the Palestinian Authority is planning to hold (will have held, by the time you read this) a lobby day at the UK House of Commons (this is the subject of the first link to the commentator). That is, they will hope that lots of Brits who support their cause will get along to Parliament and try to persuade their Member of Parliament to support their cause. In some cases, this is pushing at an open door. With many M.P.s, however, I suspect they will get a warm smile and an insincere promise to "look into" the case they have presented and the literature they have provided. This will be for a variety of reasons: the MP doesn't want to upset someone who might vote for them next time (especially in a marginal constituency), and if they either don't care enough or are opposed to the issue, the last thing they are going to do is say so. The piece is more interesting for the take of the journalist on the rationale behind the drive towards Palestinian statehood without negotiation with Israel. The full article is here:


The second article from the commentator (you really should add it to your personal list of links) is explained in the title: how, whatever the appearance of things, Hamas are never going to find a home in Jordan. This arises out of a top Jordanian government visit to Ramallah after the apparent rapprochement between the PA and Hamas. There are, apparently, rumours floating around the Arab world that, in an effort to alter the realpolitik of the the region away from the Syria/Iran axis, this might be the focus of Jordanian diplomatic efforts. What, the writer believes, this is really about securing their backs, so to speak, in Jordan, given the pressures for reform there and the measures already taken. The Arab spring, it would appear, worries the Hashemites: who knows where the aftershocks from the earthquake will turn up next? Details here.

By Brian Goldfarb.