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Daybreak: Abbas Would Deal With New Gov

Plus Bibi switches course on settlement neighborhood, and more in the news

by
Marc Tracy
May 09, 2012
President Abbas in February.(Atef Safadi-Pool/Getty Images)
President Abbas in February.(Atef Safadi-Pool/Getty Images)

• Post-new coalition, President Abbas said he would still respond to any “positive” peace process overtures, and that if none were forthcoming, he hinted, he might go back to the United Nations. [Reuters/Haaretz]

• The Obama administration, meanwhile, pledged no change in policy toward Israel based on the new coalition. [JTA]

• The Netanyahu government, however, is changing its policy and now seeking ways to keep the Ulpana neighborhood in the Beit El settlement, despite a Supreme Court order to make it disappear. [Haaretz]

• U.N. envoy and noted peacemaker Kofi Annan noted that the ceasefire in Syria under his eponymous plan has not actually ceased the firing. [NYT]

• Sen. John Kerry, both influential in his own right and gunning for Secretary of State in a second Obama term, said it might be time for safe zones and directly arming the opposition there. [FP]

• A reminder that new coalition partner Shaul Mofaz, who is also a former IDF chief-of-staff, is seen as being less hawkish on Iran than his new boss, Bibi. [NYT]

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.