Matthew Bell

Peace talks are dead. Probably. Yet Again.

Matthew Bell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:52:19 +0000

Israel is rounding up Hamas people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Nobody gave the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation effort much of a chance of actually working. And few would have bet real money that the Palestinians would manage to pull off real elections in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem later this year. But the Israelis might be thinking, let’s not take any chances. These arrests might also be a way to add pressure on Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to stick with embryonic – and also most probably doomed – peace talks with Israel.

#Israel Supreme Court rules against Palestinian spouses settling in the Jewish State

Matthew Bell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:55:27 +0000

Taiseer Khatib is an Israeli Arab who lives with his family in Akko, the town where he grew up, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. His wife, Lana was born in Nablus, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. Israel’s Supreme Court recently decided that Palestinian spouses of Israeli Arabs living in Israel will be banned from settling permanently in the Jewish State. Here’s some of what Taiseer had to say about the argument that’s often cited in support of the court ruling, and that is about Israel’s security.

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Colliding values in Israeli Supreme Court decision on citizenship

Matthew Bell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:11:50 +0000

Yossi Klein Halevi is an Israeli writer and a fellow of the “Engaging Israel Project” at the Shalom Hartman Center in Jerusalem. I called him up to talk about the recent Israeli Supreme Court decision that extended a 2002 law banning Palestinian spouses of Israeli Arabs from living in Israel. Halevi said he really did not want to do an interview about this subject. Because, he said, it’s such fraught issue. But he was gracious enough to go ahead and talk with me anyway. When he read the news about the court decision, Halevi said he felt “torn apart” by it. He knows Palestinians who will be affected by the ruling. And yet, he said he still understood why the justices ruled the way they did. Halevi said security was not the biggest factor in the decision. It was demographics, he said. Here is Halevi’s response to the charge that the court ruling adds up to legally enshrined racism.

blog_yossikleinhalevi.mp3 Listen on Posterous

ACRI denounces Israel Supreme Court decision on citizenship

Matthew Bell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:43:23 +0000

Hagai El-Ad is executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. He told me the recent decision by Israel’s Supreme Court that denies citizenship to most Palestinian spouses of Israeli Arabs is a blow to the country’s democracy.

blog_hagaielad.mp3 Listen on Posterous

US issues warnings to friend and foe

Matthew Bell — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:45:23 +0000

A few days ago, President Obama told Iran’s supreme leader that the US would consider closing the Strait of Hormuz to be crossing a “red line” and that the US would respond to such a move. The administration is also sending a message to the Israelis to keep cool. The Wall Street Journal has a story that essentially says US officials are in the dark about Israel’s intentions when it comes to the possibility of launching a military strike against Iran.

U.S. defense leaders are increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran, over U.S. objections, and have stepped up contingency planning to safeguard U.S. facilities in the region in case of a conflict.

…

The U.S. believes its embassy and other diplomatic outposts in Iraq are more vulnerable following the withdrawal of U.S. forces last month. Up to 15,000 U.S. diplomats, federal employees and contractors are expected to remain in Iraq.

In large measure to deter Iran, the U.S. has 15,000 troops in Kuwait, and has moved a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf area.

In all likelihood though, a covert war between Israel and Iran has been under way for years. The conventional wisdom on the latest killing of an Iranian scientist in Tehran says the Israelis were behind it. The US has vehemently denying it played a role in the assassination.

Then there’s this story. It sounds like Hollywood stuff, but the allegations are that Israeli spies were posing as CIA agents to recruit Pakistani terrorists for operations against Iran. The journalist who wrote the story told Al Jazeera he doesn’t think the episode will change anything between the US and Israel. Nonetheless, pretty astounding stuff. And dangerous times.

Verdict delayed

Matthew Bell — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:24:29 +0000

Samira Ibrahim is suing the Egyptian military for subjecting her to torture, sexual abuse and “virginity testing.” Here is the radio story.

Election day campaigning in Maadi. Taxi loudspeaker in trunk. #Egyelection

Matthew Bell — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:25:10 +0000

Matthew Bell
PRI’s The World
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Long line to vote in Maadi neighborhood of Cairo

Matthew Bell — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:05:22 +0000

Matthew Bell
PRI’s The World
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Thinking about buying one of these to get around Cairo

Matthew Bell — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:53:39 +0000

Matthew Bell
PRI’s The World
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Tahrir Square tonight

Matthew Bell — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:36:43 +0000

Matthew Bell
PRI’s The World
Sent from my iPhone