Despite positioning itself as the opposition party, estimates are that the hawkish Mofaz will join Netanyahu's government following the 2013 elections. Shaul Mofaz, 64, won the Kadima primaries decisively yesterday, beating Tzipi Livni 62%-38%. Livni chaired the party since the resignation of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over corruption allegations. Both candidates represent the Israeli security establishment: Iranian-born Mofaz was Chief of Staff during the Second Intifada and defense minister under Ariel Sharon; Livni served in the Mossad. The third candidate, Avi Dichter, who withdrew from the race last week, is a former head of the Internal Security Service, the Shabak.…

Media coverage of the "peace process" between Israel and the Palestinians is skyrocketing, and has reached its highest level since Obama's inauguration. Are we really in for another round of the peace talks' masquerade, which has been the occupation's lifeline for over twenty years now? In recent weeks, there has been an increase in media attention to the possibility of yet another plan or initiative for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Discussion has centered on a speech that Prime Minister Netanyahu intends to make before the US congress, and an outline for a final settlement of the conflict that…

The settler's blog "The Muqata" pulled out this old Maariv piece from the days of the first Intifada to condemn Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who apparently got too soft with the years, at least for the blog's taste. It reads: Netanyahu: Shoot to Kill the Stone Throwers | According to Netanyahu, the Intifada's leaders should be deported, and the West Bank sealed to foreign media Still, I guess Netanyahu should be considered a moderate compared to his Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who in his youth joined Rabbi Kahane's Kach movement, later to be outlawed for its racist activities. [The Muqata's…