Links for July 4 - July 8 2010

Carnegie recently did some excellent work on Israel/Palestine, showing that there is some reason in Washington going against the conventional wisdom of Netanyahu's "economic miracle" and the praise heaped on Sallam Fayad:

• Are Palestinians Building a State? Nathan Brown says not really, and: “To the extent that Fayyadism is building institutions, it is unmistakably doing so in an authoritarian context.”
• A Little Rain on the Palestinian Parade Just to be sure Brown says again: no. "Fayyad is not building a state, he's holding down the fort until the next crisis."
• It's Not the Economy, Stupid Michele Dunne: "Washington should stop impeding reconciliation and providing an excuse to Fatah and Hamas to avoid the necessary compromises."

Meanwhile, Obama made up with his best-buddy Bibi:

[PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU:] One final point, Mr. President -- I want to thank you for reaffirming to me in private and now in public as you did the longstanding U.S. commitments to Israel on matters of vital strategic importance.  I want to thank you, too, for the great hospitality you and the First Lady have shown Sara and me and our entire delegation.  And I think we have to redress the balance -- you know, I’ve been coming here a lot.  It’s about time --

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I'm ready.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU:  -- you and the First Lady came to Israel, sir.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We look forward to it.  Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU:  Any time.

Is it just me or was there a touch of bullying in Bibi's invitation? And speaking of bullying, why is everyone suddenly talking (here's the denial) about bombing Iran after this visit?

Now for the rest of the links:

• The Shifting Sands of State Power in the Middle East

  Alaistair Crooke. [PDF]

• Lebanon: Garden of thorns | The Economist

  Michael Young and David Hirst's books on Lebanon reviewed.

• Youth Identity in the Arab World

  This is insightful in places but cliched in others.

• RIP: Nasr Abu Zayd

  Brian Whitaker reminisces on Nasr Hamid Abou Zayd.

• B'Tselem: Settlements occupy 42 percent of West Bank - The Majlis

  42%!!!

• Un-Inspired — jihadica

  Hegghammer says al-Qaeda's "Inspire" English mag is irrelevant.

• Nasr Hamed Abu Zaid: The end of a controversial scholarly legacy | Al-Masry Al-Youm

  Takfir victim and revisionist Islamic intellectual obit.

• Rupert Murdoch takes stake in rival to al-Jazeera | Media | The Guardian

  Interesting — Murdoch and Walid Bin Talal backing new channel headed by (the occasionally critical) Jamal Khashoggi

• FT.com / Middle East - Egyptian TV talk shows test limit of freedom

  Article raises good point about explosion of TV debate.

• FT.com / Middle East - Libya hints at taking stake in BP

  Ironic - BP was instrumental in lifting the sanctions on Libya.

• Darrell Issa Emerges as Obama’s Annoyer-in-Chief - NYTimes.com

  This Arab-American Republican sometimes defends the regimes, but never the people.

• UN following reports of forcible transfers of Palestinians from East Jerusalem

  Transfer is already underway.

• BP's Hayward flies to Mideast to meet 'partners'

  Looking for a bailout?

• Wonk Room » The Reality Is That Many In GOP Support Israeli Settlements And Oppose Two-State Solution

  US conservatives don't believe in two states.

• Fadlallah's Inspiring Life

  Fawning obit from Rami Khouri.

• Netanyahu’s Warning to America: Palestinian Statehood Will Lead to “Second Mexico” Inside U.S.

  Ridiculous.