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Rice Faces an Uphill Battle for a Mideast Breakthrough
by Helene Cooper
 Bush administration officials, publicly lukewarm about the Palestinian national unity government agreement, were angry with Abbas, saying the pact brings him closer to Hamas instead of bringing Hamas closer to Abbas. While Rice was angry about the Palestinian's Mecca deal, she said that she would nonetheless go ahead with the planned summit, but has warned Abbas that the U.S. would deal only with Palestinian government ministers who explicitly agreed to the three conditions: to recognize the right of Israel to exist, forswear violence, and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian accords. (New York Times)
Pentagon Extends Arrow Funding to Israel Through 2013
by Barbara Opall-Rome
 The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency has agreed to a five-year extension of joint testing and upgrades of the U.S.-Israel Arrow system after a Feb. 11 test, conducted at night over the Mediterranean Sea, featured the debut launch of the Arrow M-4 interceptor jointly produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Boeing, its American partner. The upgraded defensive system demonstrated its ability to intercept targets at higher altitudes and longer ranges, so that fallout from mass destructive warheads would remain far away from Israeli territory. (Defense News)
Why Must Excavations Be Conducted Next to the Temple Mount Right Now, of All Times?
Interview with Gideon Avni
 The new excavations near the Temple Mount are salvage excavations whose objective is to document and save antiquities prior to construction. The only reason for conducting these excavations is the plan for construction of the bridge that will replace the existing ramp to the Mughrabi Gate. The earthen ramp itself was declared a dangerous site by the engineers of the Jerusalem municipality, following its collapse about three years ago. From that standpoint, this salvage excavation is no different than any other salvage excavation conducted by the Antiquities Authority throughout the country. Each year, some 300 salvage excavations are conducted in Israel with one goal documenting and rescuing antiquities prior to construction operations. Dr. Avni is Head of Excavations and Surveys, Israel Antiquities Authority.
See also Live Webcam: The Excavation at the Mughrabi Ramp in Jerusalem (Israel Antiquities Authority)
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U.S. to Shun Hamas-Fatah Coalition but Still Back Abbas
by Mohammed Daraghmeh
 The U.S. has told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that it will shun a future Hamas-Fatah coalition government because it will not explicitly recognize Israel, his aides said today. The stance would be a severe blow to Abbas (pictured), who is trying to reach a power-sharing deal to end Palestinian infighting and get crippling international sanctions on the government lifted. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that U.S. officials have made it clear to the Palestinians that any government must adhere to the principles laid out by the so-called Quartet of Mideast mediators - recognize Israel, renounce violence and back previous peace deals with Israel. (AP)
How Video Games Became the Latest Weapon in the Middle East
by David Lasserson
 Special Force is a game developed by Hizbullah. It has 3D color graphics, superlative sound effects, plenty of different missions and a loading screen featuring a burning Israeli flag. It can be seen at an exhibition of ideological video games at the Israeli Center for Digital Art, outside Tel Aviv. Special Force offers players a choice of missions in Southern Lebanon against "the Zionist enemy." The game opens with a training center in which the shooting targets are portraits of Israeli leaders. In the 1989 Israeli game, Intifada, a single IDF soldier faces stone-throwing demonstrators. In dealing with the demonstration, players must bear in mind the army's public opinion rating, and refrain from using live ammunition. (Telegraph-UK)
View YouTube version of Special Force.
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