Just a few thoughts on the Middle East

[panopticon]

I'm just thinking out loud here...

Yasser Arafat got exhumed and re-entombed back in November.
The first results of that were supposed to be released on the 28th February.

Then there's Netanyahu, the Israeli PM (almost), who had to go to Peres (the Israeli President) on the weekend and ask for more time (2 weeks) in getting the numbers together for a coalition government (source (http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/peres-grants-netanyahu-two-more-weeks-to-form-israel-s-next-government.premium-1.506752)).

Kerry and Abbas are set to have a 'surprise' meeting on Monday to discuss, you guessed it, Israeli-Palestinian "peace" (despite Kerry not visiting Israel because Netanyahu and co can't get it together) (source (http://t.co/0eVnjYuWWc)).

Now there has been widespread unrest reported in the West Bank. There are a number of hunger protests occurring amongst Palestinian detainees and a lot of protests have started over the death in custody of Yasser Jaradat, a 30 year old Palestinian, who was buried on the 25th of February (source (http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/what-killed-arafat-jaradat.premium-1.506629)). The Palestinian Authority are alleging that there was evidence that he died from torture. The Israeli's say there wasn't (source (http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/plo-supporting-escalating-violence-but-no-third-intifada-in-sight/2013/02/25/0/)).

The there's Obama's visit to Israel and the "Occupied Territories" scheduled for March 20th. It had been reported on Israeli TV that he wasn't going to visit if there wasn't a Government formed to meet with (source (http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel-tv-obama-wont-visit-israel-without-new-coalition-govt/2013/02/28/))... However I was just reading that a US official has said Obama will visit come what may (source (http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=7675)).

Now there's lots goin' on with just this lot and don't forget all that's happening in Egypt, Gaza, the Syrian blood bath (http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/03/01/f-syria-analysis.html) and all the other areas of discontent sitting there like an axe murderer in the back seat.

So, is it unreasonable of me to assume that the reason Arafat's test results haven't been announced is because there would be havoc no matter what the results say?
No one thought that Netanyahu wouldn't have formed a coalition by now and then there's Obama's March visit to take into consideration...

No matter what the test results from Arafat's remains there is a real risk that it will cause a 3rd Intifada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intifada) and I'd be mighty surprised if the results get reported officially before the end of March. There again, I've been surprised before and there are French, Swiss and Russians (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/european-labs-to-test-arafats-remains/story-e6frg6so-1226523605013) involved in the testing so who can tell...

Thoughts, challenges, critiques?

Kind Regards, :yo:
Panopticon

[panopticon]

Netanyahu has until the 16th of March of form a coalition Government.
Obama is arriving in Israeli on the 20th of March and not addressing the Knesset (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset) but giving his speech at a University (http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/obama-forgoes-knesset-address-opts-to-speak-before-israeli-students-instead.premium-1.507795).
Then he's off to have a chat with Abbas.

Shock horror! The results from Arafat's remains aren't being released until at least May.


No Arafat poison probe results before May (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/no-arafat-poison-probe-results-before-may/story-fn3dxix6-1226592029643)
March 07, 2013

THE results of a probe into claims Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned by polonium will not be known until the end of May at the earliest, the Swiss lab carrying out the tests says.

"There are two series of tests that have to be carried out. The first one is complete and we're going to start the second one, so there won't be and tangible results until the end of May," said Darcy Christen, spokesman for the Swiss University Centre of Legal Medicine in Lausanne.

In December, Professor Patrice Mangin, the centre's head and the man in charge of the tests, said the findings were expected within three or four months.

Christen explained the delay was also due to a need to analyse the results in detail, then write an official report and submit it.

Arafat died in November 2004 in a French hospital, and there have been repeated claims that he was poisoned.

Last November, his body was exhumed from his grave in the West Bank city of Ramallah, enabling experts to take some 60 samples from his remains.

The samples were distributed among three teams doing separate analyses: the Lausanne lab, a French team carrying out a probe at the request of Arafat's widow Suha, and Russian experts appointed by the Palestinian Authority.

The investigations were launched after the Lausanne lab found abnormal traces of the radioactive substance polonium in Arafat's personal effects, which were examined at his widow's request.

There is no contact between the Swiss, French and Russian teams, Christen noted, underlining the choice was deliberate to ensure the independence of their findings.

The Palestinian Authority has said it will petition the International Criminal Court in The Hague if proof is found that the veteran leader was poisoned.
Source (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/no-arafat-poison-probe-results-before-may/story-fn3dxix6-1226592029643).