President Obama spoke today by telephone with Prime Minister Netanyahu to congratulate the Prime Minister on his party’s success in winning a plurality of Knesset seats. The President emphasized the importance the United States places on our close military, intelligence, and security cooperation with Israel, which reflects the deep and abiding partnership between both countries. The President and the Prime Minister agreed to continue consultations on a range of regional issues, including the difficult path forward to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The President reaffirmed the United States’ long-standing commitment to a two-state solution that results in a secure Israel alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine. On Iran, the President reiterated that the United States is focused on reaching a comprehensive deal with Iran that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and verifiably assures the international community of the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Direct diplomatic negotiations with Iran are broadly popular, 68% favor them, while 29% oppose them. That support cuts across party lines, with 77% of Democrats, 65% of Republicans and 64% of independents in favor of diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran in an attempt to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The Iranian diplomats will return home to attend the funeral of the mother of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, who died on Friday, an Iranian official said, asking not to be named following diplomatic rules.

„Contrary to what the Iranians are saying with regard to 90 percent of an accord being done, that‘s not correct,“ the negotiator told reporters on condition of anonymity. „We are not close to an agreement.“

(17.12.2012) Die ehemalige “Koalition der Radikalen Linken” Syriza beschließt die unbedingte Beibehaltung des Euro-Finanzsystems und Transformation zur Einheitspartei. Syriza begeht damit Selbstmord. Sie tut dies in einem kollektiven Wahn zur Selbstzerstörung, der große Teile des Kontinents Europa bereits erfasst hat.

#FucktheEuro #FucktheEuropeanUnion

Looking ahead, and beyond current tensions, our joint task is to re-design Europe so that Germans and Greeks, along with all Europeans, can re-imagine our monetary union as a realm of shared prosperity.

#Israel #Nigeria #Wahlen

Vice President Biden spoke today with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the Nigerian presidential election, which is scheduled for March 28. The Vice President commended President Jonathan and General Buhari for signing the Abuja Accord in mid-January as a show of their commitment to non-violence throughout the election process. The Vice President further expressed the United States’ support for the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission and its work to deliver free, fair, and credible elections, in part through its essential efforts to distribute Permanent Voter Cards and help ensure that electronic voter card readers are in place and fully operational. He also noted his concern about the violence during some recent election-related events and reiterated the need for both candidates to make clear that such violence has no place in democratic elections. Vice President Biden affirmed that the United States stands with the Nigerian people in support of credible and peaceful elections, and will continue to stand with the Nigerian people whatever the outcome.

Evading the most crucial problem facing Israel cannot be an option for the party that pretends to offer an alternative to Netanyahu.

While the national right-wing camp and Netanyahu surprised many in the country and kept their reign we, the Joint List, are now the third largest faction in the Knesset and this is the first time that the forces of democracy and peace have reached this position since Israel’s founding. We also achieved another goal – the Yachad faction along with Eli Yishai and the racist Baruch Marzel remain outside the Knesset. Now our work will begin to make a real impact and bring about achievements for the Arab and all other exploited citizens of Israel.

#ForPalestineForIsrael

Benjamin Netanyahu just won a democratic election. And yet, the way he finished the campaign and the words he used to guarantee his victory make the election a defeat for democracy in Israel.

(9.9.2011) “I cannot bear Netanyahu. He’s a liar,” Nicolas Sarkozy said to President Obama, not realizing the mikes in front of them had been turned on before a news conference at the G-20 summit in Cannes last week.

“You’re fed up with him, what about me?” Obama replied. “I have to deal with him every day.”

The exchange was inadvertently piped into a press room, where assembled journalists agreed not to pass along to the public what they regarded as a private conversation. But the French website Arret Sur Images (“Freeze Frame”) heard tell of the chat, decided it was news, and published the quotes. Neither the White House nor the Elysee Palace issued a denial, to the mortification of nearly all involved.

Hochgeladen am 08.11.2011

Israels Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu ist nach nur drei Tagen von seinem Nein zu einer Zweistaatenlösung im Nahost-Konflikt wieder abgerückt.

One of Netanyahu‘s closest confidants, Defense Minister Moshe Ya‘alon, said on BBC radio the very idea of two states was unworkable.

„Can you imagine a viable Palestinian entity, economic-wise? What about infrastructure, electricity, water?“ he said. „They are connected to us like a Siamese twin, so the whole idea of full separation is not viable.“

#ForPalestineForIsrael

No one can be happy when racism and oppression win the day. In a wider perspective, however, the election may represent a positive game-changer. Not that anything has really changed, but finally the fig-leaf that allowed even liberal Israeli apologists to argue that the two-state solution is still possible has been removed. I

#ForPalestineForIsrael

Die Aufgabe aller Linken ist es also, Säulen eines notwendigen grundlegenden Politikwechsels auszuarbeiten, in dessen Zentrum das Verhältnis Israels zu den Palästinensern steht. Ein Teil der Linken, zum Beispiel der politische Geograf Oren Yiftachel, spricht davon, dass ein neuer Diskurs jenseits der Idee der Zweistaatenlösung entstehen muss. Angesichts von bald 600 000 jüdischen SiedlerInnen in den besetzten Palästinensergebieten sei eine solche Lösung längst hinfällig geworden.

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner is expected to visit Israel in about a week. Boehner, a member of the Republican Party, is U.S. President Barack Obama’s arch rival and the man who invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make his controversial speech

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