settlements

Israel pays lip-service to the two-state solution, while making it impossible
The Jewish state condemns illegal settlers but continues to take the Palestinians' land and to strangle their economy

On 2 August 2009, after cordoning off part of the Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in east Jerusalem, Israeli police evicted two Palestinian families (more than 50 people) from their homes; Jewish settlers immediately moved into the emptied houses. Although Israeli police cited a ruling by the country's supreme court, the evicted Arab families had been living there for more than 50 years. The event – which, rather exceptionally, did attract the attention of the world media – is part of a much larger and mostly ignored ongoing process.

Israeli alarm is growing over Barack Obama's perceived tilt away from the Jewish state and towards its historic Arab foes. Whether this shift is merely tactical, and related to the peace process,or of longer-term strategic significance, is actively debated. But the White House's changing outlook will be on display on Thursday when the US leader embraces Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

Egypt's president is the authoritarian leader of a police state. While Obama symbolises equality, opportunity and democratic legitimacy, Mubarak represents an oligarchic ruling elite whose power is secured by a permanent state of emergency, arrest without trial, fear and torture. Human Rights Watch this week listed the systematic abuses that keep Mubarak in power.