The Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, began direct talks in Washington Thursday as Hamas pledged to scupper attempts to bring about peace after its second attack on Israelis in two days. Barack Obama described it as a ‘moment of opportunity that may not soon come again’.Netanyahu said the killing of four Israelis settlers by Hamas on Tuesday reinforced Israel's determination to ensure its security is at the forefront of the negotiations. Abbas said, ‘We want peace, we want normal life. We want to live as partners and neighbours.’ Obama said ‘terrorists who want to undermine the push for peace would not be allowed to weaken negotiations and harboured no illusions as to the challenges for a lasting settlement. Each side has legitimate and enduring interests. Years of mistrust will not disappear overnight. Politicians need to focus on the human face of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict not their own political agendas.

Pray: God will release a spirit of optimism and trust to permeate all communications and for this to be a ‘partnership that produces peace’ (Ja.3:18)

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/02/middle-east-peace-talks-begin

Palestinian children are attacked by a handful of extremist settlers according to a report on settlement expansion investigating thirty-eight incidents resulting in three dead children and injuries to forty-two others. Continued settlement expansion has impacted the security of the Palestinian children. In eight cases soldiers colluded with the attack by either joining in, turning a blind eye or punishing the victims rather than the perpetrators. Twenty-one of the attacks were carried out in and around the southern city of Hebron and another seven near Nablus in the north - areas where settlers follow extremist ideologies. The study found ‘Israel's failure to enforce the law and hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions had created an atmosphere in which settlers enjoy impunity and Palestinians live in fear.’ None of the settlers involved in the violent incidents have been prosecuted.

Pray: for an end to all violence in this territory. (Ps.36:6)

More: http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=22884

Larbi Sadiki, senior lecturer in Middle East Politics at University of Exeter made the following comments: Regions in N Africa have been preparing to fight radical Islam and were caught unawares by the millions of educated youth who make up a large portion of the region's population. The policing, equipment, funding, expertise and anti-terror philosophy being fed to Algeria, Libya, Morocco, etc were geared towards fighting the radical Islamists. But from Tunisia and Algeria in the Maghreb to Jordan and Egypt in Arab east, the real terror consuming self-worth, sabotaging community and marriages is the terror of socio-economic marginalisation. When oppression becomes too heavy and politically costly for a government, bargains begin, including promises of jobs and policy, reversals of food price increase and even scapegoats in the form of ministerial dismissals. This is where Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt are today. But dissidents have not infiltrated governments or built political power bases to enable a ‘velvet revolution in the Arab world. Ben Ali is weak and has now fled to Saudi Arabia and the party and army that protected him is withdrawing loyalty as the crisis deepens.

Pray: for the birth of a democratic system to grow out of the current chaos. (Is.14:32)

More: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/01/201111413424337867.html