“Khosh amadid” quickly became the new catchphrase for many Lebanese when thousands of signs reading “welcome” in Farsi went up in areas around the country. The occasion was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s two-day visit to the country last week. Matthew Cassel comments for the Electronic Intifada. Read more about Ahmedinejad in Lebanon: shifting regional power balance 

Negotiations between two unequal parties cannot succeed. Success in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations requires a reasonable balance of power, clear terms of reference and abstention of both sides from imposing unilateral facts on the ground. None of that existed in the talks that were re-initiated in September. Mustafa Barghouthi comments. Read more about The international community's final test 

In all likelihood, I will be one of the very first non-Jews expected to swear loyalty to Israel as an ideology rather than as a state. Until now, naturalizing residents, like the country’s soldiers, pledged an oath to Israel and its laws. That is the situation in most countries. But soon, if the Israeli parliament passes a bill being advanced by the government, aspiring citizens will instead be required to uphold the Zionist majority’s presumption that Israel is a “Jewish and democratic state.” Read more about Forced to take the apartheid oath 

The upcoming OECD tourism summit in Jerusalem will test its member countries’ commitment to international law. Sam Bahour and Charles Shamas comment. Read more about Will the OECD stand up to Israel? 

Rather than investing wasted energy in doomed talks, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators appear to be adopting the same alternative strategy: cutting a deal directly with Washington that circumvents the other party. Jonathan Cook analyzes. Read more about Israel's other "peace" plan: arm-twisting Obama 

Last month, Professor John Dugard, former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, chaired a meeting on universal Jurisdiction in the Hague. Adri Nieuwhof interviewed Dugard about means of bringing Israel to account for its human rights violations, particularly the legal mechanism of universal jurisdiction. Read more about Towards accountability: John Dugard interviewed 

As Israel’s self-imposed and largely irrelevant settlement freeze ends, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked settlers to show “restraint.” It is an interesting choice of adjective, for people who show restraint are the injured and outraged; they are victims who although entitled to a full measure of justice settle for less to maintain good will and harmony. Richard Irvine comments. Read more about The mendacity of "restraint" 

The disclosure of the details of a letter reportedly sent by US President Barack Obama last week to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will cause Palestinians to be even more skeptical about US and Israeli roles in the current peace talks. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Obama letter confirms Palestinian fears 

The National Committee for the Protection of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is a newly-formed body that upholds the red lines of the Palestinian struggle. Hazem Jamjoum interviews committee co-founder Bilal al-Hassan for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Interview: Palestine's red lines of struggle