Death of Saudi’s King Abdullah raises concerns about policy changes; Saudi Arabia trapped in a corner over Syria policy; More on the political realignment of the Mideast following the Gaza war
A Palestinian journalist has penned an open letter to French President François Hollande, protesting the fact that France invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to participate in last Sunday’s march in Paris against terror and in memory of the slain journalists of Charlie Hebdo. “Abbas is personally responsible for punishing Palestinian journalists who dare to criticize him or express their views in public,” the letter declares.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas joined the front rank of world leaders in Paris at a massive anti-terror rally on Sunday, separated by a few world leaders from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also led the march through the city streets. The gesture was intended to create a message of unity and peace, but it also had the effect of sanitizing Abbas’s ongoing support for terrorism against Israeli civilians.
Russia is on a long-term holiday that started two weeks ago and ends on Monday, January 12. At that time, the banks and the stock exchange will reopen, and it’s feared that both the ruble and the Moscow stock exchange will fall sharply.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a fellow likely 2016 GOP presidential candidate, is a “moderate.” Calling a Republican who’s seeking the GOP nomination a “moderate” is a clear insult in Republican presidential primary politics. During that selection process, each of the candidates is likely to focus on highlighting conservative credentials to please GOP base voters. Paul further hinted Bush would be open to tax increases and more government spending, positions no candidate is likely to take while trying to win the nomination.
Three men affiliated with the Islamic State terror group who had planned to carry out further terror attacks in Israel were recently arrested by the country’s Shin Bet security agency, officials announced on Sunday.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly said that she’s prepared to support Greece leaving the eurozone, and returning its original drachma currency, if Greece abandons the austerity commitments it made in return for the 240 billion euro bailout that has already been paid.
Hamas’s popularity within Gaza surged to its highest levels during the summer Gaza War, but is now fading after what was essentially a Hamas defeat in the war.
