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Cairo interrupts Palestinian unity talks for US-EU approval of deal DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 20, 2009, 11:33 AM (GMT+02:00) Supermediator Egyptian Gen. Omar Suleiman DEBKAfile's Cairo sources report that last week, Egypt's senior mediator, Gen. Omar Suleiman flew to Washington and foreign minister Aboul Geith traveled to Brussels to ask their governments to underwrite the proposal for a Palestinian unity government. The two Egyptian officials asked to clear sections of the draft accord which circumvent the Middle East Quartet's stipulations for talking to Hamas. The fate of the captive Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit also hangs on the outcome of the Palestinian talks.  More...

Israeli police ban "Jerusalem capital of Arab Culture" events March 20, 2009, 10:09 PM (GMT+02:00) The Palestinian Authority was warned Friday that events celebrating "Jerusalem, Capital of Arab culture 2009" in the Israeli capital Saturday, March 21, was illegal. More than 1,000 police have been recruited to prevent them taking place. The law bans official Palestinian Authority activity in any part of Israeli territory. The "cultural" events, to be launched by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, include playing the Palestinian national anthem, flying the Palestinian flag and playing songs of Palestinian "struggle" at the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem – all deemed a political challenge to Israeli sovereignty. Security minister Avi Dichter has also banned a conference under the same heading in Nazareth.