Israel's way of supporting its negotiating partner leaves something to be desired, observes Khaled Amayreh

Israeli justice condones collective punishment, reports Marian Houk

Bush demands reconciliation with little evidence that it is possible, reports Nermeen Al-Mufti

An Arab proposal to break Lebanon's presidential deadlock seems doomed unless someone pulls a rabbit from his hat, Lucy Fielder reports from Beirut

Dialogue between Egypt and Turkey got a boost with a recent conference, says Mustafa El-Labbad

At an extraordinary Arab foreign ministers' meeting on recent developments in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, Dina Ezzat interviews acting Lebanese foreign minister, Tarek Metri, and assesses efforts to promote Lebanese political stability, Syria's Arab reconciliation and Palestinians' right to statehood

A new Arab initiative to ease the hardship of Iraq's refugees is being launched, Dina Ezzat reports