BULLETIN No.84

Der Spiegel Israeli Election Analysis: Choosing Divorce over Peace
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS: Israel's election is only another beginning Competing identities among Jews played less of a role, but these elections were still about identity: the Jewish identity of Israel, writes Avishai Margalit of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Editorial A small earthquakein a fractious Israel In the event, it was more of an earth tremor than the predicted earthquake, a mere 4.5 on the political Richter scale in the view of Haaretz
Los Angeles Times Israel's impossible dream By Yossi Klein Halevi The victory of the centrist sensibility marks the end of three decades' worth of utopian politics, right and left
Los Angeles Times Israel's impossible dream By Yossi Klein Halevi The victory of the centrist sensibility marks the end of three decades' worth of utopian politics, right and left
New York Times Editorial West Bank Withdrawal Tuesday's election in Israel was a minor breakthrough.
Editorial Editorial A Decisive Election Israelis overwhelmingly vote to withdraw from the occupied West Bank.
Olmert seeks coalition partners Newly elected leader of Israel looks for support on defining borders.
Leader Small earthquake in Jerusalem Israeli politicians and pundits will be busy in the coming days working out what Ehud Olmert's coalition government will look like.
This can be a vote for peace Amos Oz:The rise of Hamas is in fact an opportunity for Israel's new government to work with Arab states.
Editorial Kadima's historic role Should Kadima begin to actively compromise its raison d'etre - pulling out of the West Bank - it is likely Israel will see another election very soon.
Benn- Olmert's troubles ahead Olmert's campaign vow to find a pullout plan acceptable to both the Americans and to the settlers will inevitably force him to retract some of his pre-election promises.
Daily Telegraph Israelis vote for peace at their price Con Coughlin asserts that the Israeli people are desperate for peace. And that is the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from the final declaration of the results from Israel's strangely subdued general election.
Leader Poor Israelis leave their mark in the Knesset Foreign interest in Israel's election has centred on the prospect for reviving peace talks with the Palestinians. Yet the extraordinary result suggests that for much of the electorate this was not the most pressing issue.
Independent The New Israel: Plans to redraw border on West Bank Ehud Olmert began the task of building a workable coalition yesterday after Israelis voted, for the first time, to return a majority of MPs committed to dismantling settlements in the West Bank
Daily Star Israel is united in avoiding real peace By Jonathan Cook
The low margin of victory aside, Kadima's success in the Israeli election on Tuesday is far from the political and ideological upheaval most analysts were predicting. The most notable event was the humiliation of Likud, Ariel Sharon's old party and the one he hoped to sabotage by setting up Kadima shortly before he himself was felled by a stroke.
WSJ Israel's Muddled Election Ehud Olmert can still learn from Sharon.
Slate Israel's Big Bang: Tuesday's election changed everything.
Olmert Macher: The international media sort through the Israeli election results.Zuzanna Kobrzynski and Amanda Watson-Boles
BBC From bad to worse Palestinians despair over Kadima's victory in Israeli polls
Washington Times Editorial The post-Sharon era
UPI Analysis: Olmert's monumental taskAnalysis: Israel's new pragmatic center
Daily Star Israel is united in avoiding real peace By Jonathan Cook
Yedioth Ahronoth Yes to Palestine, no to Palestinians Elections 2006: Israeli earthquake
Christian Science Monitor Israeli voters turn to new issues, parties The Palestinian conflict was not the only concern in Tuesday's election.
Editorial Bush must now focus on the West Bank
Independent The New Israel: Plans to redraw border on West Bank
'Israel lobby' paranoia By Max Boot
Daily Star Kadima wins vote as Hamas takes office Interim Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert began building a coalition on Wednesday after winning an election on plans to set Israel's final borders within four years with or without agreement of its Palestinian neighbor. In Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a Hamas government, and new Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya vowed to work closely with the moderate Palestinian leader.
Hamas Cabinet Is Sworn In, Widening Break With the Israelis
Palestinian cabinet is sworn in War of Words Over Paper on Israel
This can be a vote for peaceAmos Oz:The rise of Hamas is in fact an opportunity for Israel's new government to work with Arab states.
US severs all ties with Hamas

Syria's Assad Calls for Better U.S. Ties
Bush urges Syria to strengthen Iraq border controls
Syria Comment
Asad Interview with Charlie Rose (Aired March 27, 2006)
New Evidence in Hariri Murder
Gulf Times Leaders back Syria, oppose sanctions bid
Arab leaders expressed their support for Syria’s leadership and rejected US pressure and the threat of sanctions on Damascus at the Arab League

KR Security Council calls on Iran to halt uranium enrichment The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called on Iran to stop enriching uranium and resolve concerns that it's developing nuclear weapons, but the statement wasn't legally binding, and it was watered down in response to demands from Russia and China.
UN Statement: Draft Statement on Iran's Nuclear Program
IHT The key lies in Iran's history CHARLES A. KUPCHAN AND RAY TAKEYH Tapping into Iran's national pride rather than confronting it head-on holds out the best hope for containing its nuclear ambitions
Washington Post Could Sanctions Stop Iran? Recent History Suggests That the Prospects Aren't Good By Carne Ross - Recent history suggests that economic sanctions won't deter Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, even in the unlikely event that the international community imposes them.
Asia Times Different beat to Iran war drums In comparison to the rush to war with Iraq, the crisis over Iran's nuclear program is unfolding at a snail's pace. This does not mean, though, that the end result will not be the same. - Ehsan Ahrari
Iran is at war with US and Kurdistan By Vladimir van Wilgenburg
BC Crunch talks on Iran nuclear plan Condoleezza Rice will join five other key foreign ministers in Berlin to discuss a strategy on Iran's nuclear plans.
Iran confrontation moves on Key nations' stances on Iran Q&A: Iran nuclear stand-off
Financial Times UN deadlock on Iran set to end After an impasse of almost a month, diplomats at the UN yesterday appeared on the brink of agreeing a compromise text for...