Khaled Abu Toameh
Fatah is planning to mark its 43rd anniversary this year with a new poster that presents all of Israel as Palestine.
Designed specifically for the occasion by Abdel Mun'em Ibrahim, the poster features a map of Israel that is entirely draped with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.
It also carries a drawing of a rifle as a symbol of the "armed struggle" against Israel.
The poster, which has been endorsed by the Fatah leadership, has already been posted on a number of Fatah-affiliated Web sites.
The underlying message of the poster is that Fatah, like Hamas, does not recognize Israel's existence.
The emblem is in violation of Fatah's declared policy, which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside, and not instead of, Israel.
By including a rifle in the poster, Fatah is sending a message to the Palestinian public that it has not abandoned the option of "armed resistance," despite current peace talks with Israel.
Founded in 1965, Fatah has celebrated its anniversary over the past 14 years with major rallies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But it's not clear at this stage if Hamas would allow Fatah to hold a big rally in the Gaza Strip. ...   more »

"If Syria feels threatened by Israel, it will be hard to stop our missile operators from responding to the Israeli aggression by attacking the Dimona nuclear reactor," Syrian legislator Muhammad Habash was quoted as saying Saturday.
In an interview with Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Habash emphasized that the Dimona reactor is "within range" of the Syrian missiles.
Habash told the London-based newspaper that Syria did not rule out a violation of its sovereignty by Israel and said Damascus was "prepared" for this eventuality.
However, the Syrian legislator stressed that Damascus did not want to escalate the situation in the region.
Habash, who coordinates with the Presidential Palace in Damascus, also claimed that international mediators were constantly making efforts to renew ties between Israel and Syria but underlined that at the moment, there was no contact between the two countries.
Despite Habash's threat, Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry Diplomatic-Security Branch, dismissed any notion of high tension between Israel and Syria.
He told Israel Radio that he chose to see Habash's words in a different, more positive light.
"Since Israel is not threatening Syria, and the Syrians are well aware of this, there is no war on the agenda between Israel and ...   more »

By Barak Ravid 
A senior adviser to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel may come into conflict with the United States over increased pressure by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to advance talks with the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, the Israeli and PA negotiating teams, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qureia, respectively, are to meet Sunday ahead of Tuesday's meeting between Olmert and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The U.S. might want to up the pressure on Israel to fulfil its obligations in the first stage of the road map, the adviser said in private conversations, particularly removing illegal outposts and freezing construction in the territories.
"Their demands from Israel will only increase and it is not certain that we can meet them under the circumstances," he added.  
The adviser said that in Vice Premier Haim Ramon's talks with American officials, he had gone "too far in promising them things to please them."
Another senior government official involved in the talks also warned of expected crises with the Palestinians and the Americans.
"Israel has created a series of far-reaching expectations in the international arena," this official said, referring to the implementation of the first part of the road ...   more »