In this case, Kerry might have bridged a cultural divide rather than fell into one. Shawarma, absolutely, is Palestinian. Making it from turkey, though, is an Israeli innovation, stemming from the country’s austere first decades, when lamb and beef were barely available.

This utterly sensible practice (turkey also is healthier) spread to the West Bank, and has persisted there despite the apparent collapse of any other signs of Israeli-Palestinian agreement.

- Ron Kampeas (JTA)

Woah. So. Turkey Shewarma is actually a thing in West Bank - and it’s something Palestinians got from Israelis?

Beef shewarma is also something barely heard of.

But then I heard shewarma is something of quite recent, came from Turkey (actual country) - it only became popularized just recently. 

Of course, going down the road of military escalation will complicate diplomacy, potentially antagonizing the hoped-for partnership with Russia. But this need not prove fatal. First, the revelation that Moscow recently provided Assad with sophisticated antiship missiles equipped with advanced radar—precisely to boost its capabilities against potential U.S. or NATO naval activity—proves that the Russians recognize the centrality of the military balance on the ground. The U.S. would be naïve not to accept this reality and tilt that balance back in the direction of the opposition. Second, the sine qua non for joint diplomacy over Syria is not full coordination of activities, but rather a U.S.-Russian condominium on what the outcome should look like. Any U.S. military support should be strictly aimed at achieving an outcome that is consistent with the shared American and Russian interest in ending the fighting in Syria without a decisive sectarian winner or loser. In the final analysis, Moscow’s options are also not rosy in Syria, and therefore, pragmatism may rule the day.

As much as he detests the idea, it may be that, like President Clinton in Bosnia, President Obama may end up “owning” some considerable portion of the Syria problem. Better to move forward with the clear lessons from Bosnia in mind, than to use half-measures or delay only to find the options far more constrained down the road.

Not sure how much of this is right about Russia. And how USA can really tip the balance back against Russia and Iranian support to Assad regime.

At this point not finding others reporting about this AIDA report (kind of real weird) - but anyway. 

A MAJOR new report has found that the European Union has failed to fulfil its own commitments to ensure Israel improves living conditions for Palestinians.

The damning assessment is by the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), which represents more than 80 international aid and development agencies working in the West Bank.

It compares what the EU said in May 2012 that it would do to the reality one year later.

The report comes amid growing indications that a new peace effort by US Secretary of State John Kerry is failing and that tensions in the West Bank, or Palestinian territories, are increasing.

The Israeli media this week reported that the Netanyahu government had rejected a request from Mr Kerry to allow Palestinians to build factories in Area C, which is under Israeli occupation, as a goodwill gesture to help re-start peace talks.

The newspaper Makor Rishon, which reported that Israel had rejected the request, quoted an Israeli official saying: “Why should I give them achievements on the ground without receiving anything?”

The paper said European foreign ministers had supported Mr Kerry’s idea for factories but that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “would not budge from his position of principle.”

Another point of tension between the EU and Israel has arisen over Israel’s move to retrospectively legalise four Jewish outposts.

Last year, the EU called upon Israel to meet its obligations which included halting forced transfer of population and demolition of Palestinian housing and infrastructure, simplifying procedures for building permits, ensuring access to water and addressing humanitarian needs.

But the AIDA report says there has been a 94 per cent rejection of Palestinian building requests and the demolition of 535 Palestinian structures, including emergency tents, houses, roads and water cisterns.

In contrast, the report says 1967 housing units for Jewish settlers have been included in new Israeli tendering processes and 613 new units built.

The report says in the last year there have been 150 Palestinians injured by violence from Jewish settlers, including 33 children.

The issue of settler violence was raised by President Barack Obama two months ago.

On his first trip to Israel as president, he said: “It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow up in a state of their own, and lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movement of her parents every single day.

“It is not just when settler violence against Palestinians goes unpunished … neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer.”

Foreign Minister Bob Carr along with Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague recently said both countries regarded all Jewish settlements in the West Bank as illegal.

The AIDA report says of the 32 master plans funded by the EU since 2009 not one had been approved by Israel.

It says 30 European-funded structures have been demolished by Israel.

“No European donor has sought compensation for damage to EU-funded aid projects or pressed for accountability by other means,” it says.

Releasing the report, Oxfam’s Nishant Pandey said: “Last year EU governments said for the first time it was also in their own interest to bring an end to the conflict in Israel and Palestine if they are serious, they can and must work together to address harmful policies of the Israeli government and support the most vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank.”

The chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians, Tony Laurance, said: “Israel is morally and legally responsible for the well-being of Palestinian men, women and children in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“EU countries have an obligation to address violations of international law and collectively to put pressure on Israel to end policies impeding Palestinian development.”

While settlements are illegal under international law but legal under Israeli law, outposts are illegal under Israeli law but in most cases are permitted to exist by Israel.

While all of the West Bank is ultimately under Israeli military rule, the Oslo accords, the West Bank was divided into three areas A, B and C.

Area C represents about 60 per cent of the West Bank and is under full Israeli military control.

About 325,000 Jewish settlers and about 150,000 Palestinians live in Area C.

This scenario, which actually would entail the breaking up of Syria into three separate states, is likely the optimal scenario as far as Israel is concerned. However the defense establishment is stressing that all scenarios are possible in Syria and a change in policy by the West that will lead to military intervention could tip the scales toward one side or the other.

Assad will remain holidng Damascus and coastal area. (But then what’s the rest of two? New Hezbollah/Another Iranian proxy and - Sunni/Nusra types?) 

No one would intervene directly militarily now. It’d just get caught in crossfires and turn into the nastiest failed case of intervention. (Unless do it really surgical.) 

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said that Israel has lost international support in recent years over its building of settlements.

How much of actual ‘big’ difference this is or not. 

To the ears of Israeli public, world Jewry …

To the ears of Palestinians - 

Well, it is not decisively different from past affirmations of two state solutions and Peace Process - but there are stuff like Blair’s economic projects in West Bank. 

So what is British stance is like. Still rtbs. 

WASHINGTON — The United States expressed concern Friday that Lebanon could find itself dragged into Syria’s civil war and expressed support for efforts by the country’s army to halt an outbreak of fighting.

“The United States is deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon,” State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.

Clashes have erupted in the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli between two armed factions, one sympathetic to Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government and the other to the rebels fighting for his removal.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters have crossed the border into Syria in order to support Assad’s forces battling to control frontier communities.

“The United States fully supports Lebanon’s security, stability, and sovereignty and welcomes efforts by Lebanon’s leaders to take all necessary steps to put an end to the violence,” Ventrell said.

“The latest clashes in the northern city of Tripoli, in which at least 23 people have been killed, constitute a stark reminder that the conflict in Syria poses an increasingly dangerous threat to Lebanon’s stability and security.

“We call on all parties in the region to avoid any actions that would exacerbate that crisis, increase the propensity for spillover violence, and negatively affect civilian populations.

“Hezbollah leaders’ decision to escalate the group’s role in the fighting in Syria violates and undermines Lebanon’s dissociation policy and risks dragging Lebanon into a foreign conflict,” he warned.

So USA, UK, West is gesturing that they will give more aid (weapons) to rebels (or anti-Assad forces) inside Syria:

“In the event that we can’t find that way forward, in the event that the Assad regime is unwilling to negotiate Geneva in good faith, we will also talk about our continued support, growing support for opposition in order to permit them to continue to fight for the freedom of their country,” Kerry told a news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

Kerry: US, Allies Ready To Step Up Aid To Rebels, NPR

And Russia (Putin) [and Iran] are also saying - we will also backup Assad regime (give more weapons, training, manpower - to crash rebels, threaten neighbors and neutralize interventions).

last week it became clear that Russia was going ahead with S-300 sales immediately despite Kerry’s overtures. This week, the New York Times reported that Russia is delivering not only the sophisticated S-300 antiaircraft systems to Syria but the dreaded Yakhont “ship-killer” missiles, which would make it a lot more painful for any foreign navies trying to intervene in Syria or provide supplies to the rebels by sea.

[…]

And just in case it [Geneva 2] falls apart, Russia is providing its ally with a radar-guided insurance policy.

Top Russian Diplomat Explains Reasons for Syrian Arms Sales, Time

So this a very awkward ‘Peace’ negotiation.

Talks over a political transition are expected to start early next month. As Putin and Kerry agreed, representatives from Assad’s government and from the rebel forces will be able to attend the conference. The aim is to map out a political transition to end the civil war, which has already claimed some 80,000 lives. “What gives me serious pause,” says Lukyanov, “is that the U.S. and Russia can agree on whatever they want, and maybe they will. But it’s pompous to think that the people fighting in Syria will obey that decision, put down their arms and go home.”

Still, Lukyanov says it is a sign of progress that Russia and the West have even agreed to a framework for such a conference. They were previously at a deadlock over the issue of whether Assad or his representatives could take part in the transition to a new Syrian government. Putin has always insisted that the ruling regime must be at the table, as well as Assad’s other major ally, Iran. “Now in Moscow there has appeared a tender hope that the West is finally starting to hear what we’ve been telling them all along,” said Klimov. “This conference will be where we can make real progress, if not a compromise, then at least the conditions for a compromise.” And just in case it falls apart, Russia is providing its ally with a radar-guided insurance policy.

I don’t know after this Geneva 2 falls apart (most likely) what kind of another level of escalation will ensue. 

2nd or 3rd stage of this conflict. Can get even bloodier. Or if Russia and Iran pump up enough (military) aid to Assad regime - will there be some kind of stand-off/deadlock situation?

Or will it just start to spread and become more ‘regional’.