Home >> Middle East Arab-Israeli Relations Unilateralism is the only option
Ted Belman - 11/20/2009
Last August, PM Salam Fayyad released a Plan to “establish Palestine as an independent, democratic, progressive, and modern Arab state, with full sovereignty over its territory in the West Bank and Gaza, on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.” within two years. Israel took little notice of it. Neither a bi-national state nor a two state solution
Ted Belman - 11/9/2009
Jeffrey Goldberg interviewed Hussein Ibish the author of Whats Wrong With the One-State Agenda? on The Fantasy World of One-Staters. Ibish was one of the speakers at the J Street Convention. Ibish thought that the J Street tent was too big to find a consensus and it would have to create some cohesion and a central message before it could be effective. The Big Freeze: U.S. Policy on Peace Process comes to Dead Halt and Likely to Remain that Way
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/28/2009
If solving the Israel-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflict is the centerpiece of the Obama Administrations Middle East policyat times it seems the keystone of the governments entire policythere's an obvious problem derailing it. The Window of Opportunity is Now Closed and Locked Down: Passing Goldstone Resolution Marks End of Peace Process Era
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/19/2009
The UN Human Rights Council has now endorsed the Goldstone Report. There are important implications to this decision that make it a turning point. The Settlement Enterprise
Ted Belman - 10/11/2009
The Left in Israel keeps repeating that the settlement enterprise was a mistake and should be abandoned, In 2006 Gershon Gorenberg published an article in the NYT titled Israels Tragedy Foretold to the same effect. The Gaza Report is a Disaster for Human Rights and Peace
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/3/2009
The United Nations-sponsored Goldstone report, created for the purpose of bashing Israel over the Gaza war with phony claims of war crimes, is possibly the most inaccurate document ever produced by that organization. The Master Plan
Ted Belman - 9/27/2009
Conventional wisdom tells us that western Europe and America are pressing Israel for concessions in order to placate the Arabs. In my recent article Israel can and must act in her own best interests. I wrote Who cares about negotiations?
Ted Belman - 9/16/2009
Mitchell, Netanyahu fail to agree on settlement halt. But dont stand up and cheer just yet. Mitchell is still hanging around. The Ignorant Arrogance of the Advice-Givers
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/11/2009
One remarkable thing about watching the Middle East is how whats celebrated as brilliant in Europe or America is errant nonsense. The settlement enterprise is here to stay
Ted Belman - 9/11/2009
The Left in Israel keeps repeating that the settlement enterprise was a mistake and should be abandoned, In 2006 Gershon Gorenberg published an article in the NYT titled Israels Tragedy Foretold to the same effect. Netanyahu is sticking to Rabins guidelines
Ted Belman - 9/9/2009
In attempting to evaluate the partial freeze, we must be wary of spin. We must also be wary of Greeks bearing gifts. Netanyahu has released about 500 units for construction. Is this a big deal or no deal at all? The Limits of Polite Discourse: Exposing People to Evil Ideas or Exposing Evil Ideas as...Evil?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/9/2009
After publishing an op-ed by a radical Israeli professor urging a boycott of Israel, Los Angeles Times editorial page editor, Jim Newton, said, Had Hitler submitted an excerpt from Mein Kampf in the late 1930's [I would have published it] because the world would have benefitted from exposure to evil ideas." Let's Pretend We're Making Arab-Israeli Peace
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/2/2009
Heres one of my favorite stories explaining how the Middle East works. It was told by Muhammad Hussanein Heikal, the famed Egyptian journalist. Like all Heikals stories, it may or may not be true, which is also part of the lesson being taught. The Saudi Plan is really the US Plan
Ted Belman - 8/31/2009
The Saudi Plan was introduced prior to the Gulf War. After the war began, the Roadmap was unveiled which included the Saudi Plan and now we are stuck with it. Why Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State is a Prime Requirement for Israel-Palestinian Peace
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/31/2009
One of Israels highest priorities in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) is recognition by the PA and Arab states as a Jewish state. The purpose of this demand is to ensure a lasting peace with Israel as it exists rather than some formal declaration which would thereafter be subverted in every possible way. A Short Guide to Israel-Palestinian Negotiating Positions
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/27/2009
This is a quick, brief guide to the negotiating positions of Israels government and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mubarak's and Arab States' Peace Plan: Israel Gives Everything, Arab States Think About It
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/24/2009
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in a major interview, August 17, explained his position on regional peace with Israel. The problem is to understand what it means in practice. Is Anyone Listening to What The Arabs Are Saying About Israel?
Dr. Alex Grobman - 8/20/2009
Even if the Obama administration were to succeed in compelling Israel to accept a two-state solution and stop building settlements in Judea and Samaria, this would not placate the Arabs or ensure peace in the region. Before embracing the idea of a Palestinian state, we should ask why the Arabs have consistently opposed partition, and examine the origin of the Two-State Solution. 1 Its an all or nothing deal now
Ted Belman - 8/20/2009
For years now, many, myself included, have commented on the intent of the far left and the Muslim movements on Campus and elsewhere was not to usher in the two state solution or end the occupation but to end the State of Israel. Now the NYT has brought this intent into the mainstream. In the weeks and months to come, you will see more and more voices abandoning the two-state solution for the bi-national state. Arab States 'Just Say No' to Normalization
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 8/10/2009
The idea of gestures of 'normalization' from Arab states to Israel is a central component in the US administration's plan for reviving the Mideast peace process. The notion represents a variant of the Oslo-style approach whereby a series of confidence-building measures will create a climate conducive to the successful conclusion of final-status negotiations. President Barack Obama's approach seeks to expand the circle of confidence-building, so that the Arab states, and not only the Palestinians and Israelis, will be drawn into it. The Case for Anti-Freeze: Regarding Israeli Construction on Settlements
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/8/2009
Let me begin by saying that in exchange for full peace and an end to the conflict, I not only support the dismantling of all Jewish settlements on the territory of Palestine, I enthusiastically endorse it. Why then am I against freezing construction on existing Jewish settlements? Israel's Peace Plan Marks a New Era in the Country's History
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/7/2009
This could be the most important article I write this year. Israel has entered a new era of thinking and policy in which old categories of left or right, hawk or dove are irrelevant under a national unity government bringing together the two main ruling parties. Dont just stand there, do something
Ted Belman - 7/30/2009
The talk of the town, Jerusalem that is, is that Mitchell, Gates, Ross and a whole US team are in discussions for the sought-after freeze among other things. Middle East: Wishful Thinking Kills
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
The more things change, the more they remain the same, sayeth the French. The Bible states that theres nothing new under the sun. Doing a television interview today made me reflect on the relationship of those concepts on the contemporary Middle East. Why Fight an 800 Pound Gorilla
Ted Belman - 7/27/2009
On June 28 the Foreign Ministry of Israel posted its five principals about which PM Netanyahu said I saw that there was a genuine international willingness to accept them as foundations for peace. Israel Offers a Peace Plan that Can Work
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
Israel has put forward a serious peace plan which deserves international support from anyone serious about solving the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflict. The cabinets five-point proposal states: The Two-State To Nowhere: Another Futile Attempt At Appeasement
Alex Grobman, Ph.D. - 7/27/2009
There is reason to believe that [the president] cherished the illusion that presumably he, and he alone, as head of the United States, could bring about a settlement-if not a reconciliationbetween Arabs and Jews. I remember muttering to myself as I left the White House after hearing the President discourse in rambling fashion about Middle Eastern Affairs, Ive read of men who thought they might be King of the Jews and other men who thought they might be King of the Arabs, but this is the first time Ive listened to a man who dreamt of being King of both the Jews and Arabs.1 Just say No to the settlement freeze
Ted Belman - 7/14/2009
The Arabs know what they want, and that is the end of Israel. The Jews are divided as to what they want. The left wants to get the hell out of the West Bank. The center, including Kadima and Labour, want to keep the settlement blocks containing most of the settlers but are prepared to uproot as many as 70,000 Jews, perhaps even 100,000. The right does not want to allow a Palestinian state to emerge, even if demilitarized. Stopping Settlement Construction Won't Build Peace
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/18/2009
Although somewhat quieted by the successful Netanyahu-Obama meeting, a predominant theme in current talk about U.S. Middle East policy is that there will soon be a U.S.-Israel confrontation. This is so expected that there are daily misinterpretations or fabrications of events implying some anti-Israel step by the Obama administration. Is the UN Fact-finding mission into Gaza impartial?
Maurice Ostroff - 6/15/2009
Israel is being widely criticized for refusing to cooperate with what it calls the "intrinsically flawed" UN fact-finding team led by Judge Richard Goldstone into alleged violations of international law during the recent Gaza war. Obama's Cairo Speech and the Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/12/2009
President Barack Obamas discussion in his Cairo speech of the Israeli-Palestinian issue is so important that it took up about 25 percent of the text. Creating Musical Bridge between Divergent Faiths
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/11/2009
Can Islam and Judaism live in peace? Skeptics may have a two word answer but incorrigible optimists may like to argue; Yes they can! This optimism comes after listening to Shye Ben Tzur, the acclaimed Israeli composer, producer and performer, who is trying to synthesize his personal experiences of Judaism with Islamic mysticism and has succeeded in creating a unique cross cultural musical platform unheard in modern times. What settlement freeze commitment?
Ted Belman - 6/5/2009
Everyone assumes that Israel is committed to freezing settlement activity without preconditions. Not so. Heres why. The Roadmap demanded that Israel immediately dismantle settlement outposts erected since March 2001″ and provided that Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freeze all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements). The Peace Process Industry's Going to Get You--And Your Little Country,Too!
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/25/2009
From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-legged beasties,
things that go bump in the night,
And people with Middle East peace plans
Plus those with degrees in Conflict Management
Good Lord, deliver us!
--Middle East update of old Cornish prayer
Putting your hard-earned political capital into the peace process industry is like investing with Bernie Madoff. It may look like a good prospect on the surface but any serious examination shows it's a highway to bankruptcy. Of course, as with Madoff, many choose not to look too closely. Netanyahu's Peace Plan
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/24/2009
In his successful meeting with President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a superb, workable peace plan backed by a wide Israeli consensus. Those obsessed with whether Netanyahu would say the "two-state solution" mantra missed it. Solving the Iran Problem Could Help Solve the Palestinian Problem, Not the Reverse
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 5/20/2009
U.S. President Barack H. Obama (and his National Security Advisor, General James Jones, as well as his White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel), the Quartets Middle-East Emissary and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have it backwards: attempting to solve the Palestinian statehood question will not solve the Iranian problem; in fact, it will exacerbate it, as it permits the Tehran regime to continue to play the role of spoiler by its supplying of weaponry, training and funding to its rejectionist Arab proxies: Hizballah in Lebanon and Hamas and Islami... Justice for All, Jews and Palestinians
Ted Belman - 5/3/2009
The Arabs cry out for justice. The Jews cry out for security. Dissolving in the Two-State Solution
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/27/2009
Ring! Ring! The Israeli prime minister's alarm clock went off. He quickly sat up in bed and immediately shouted out: "Yes! I'm for a two-state solution!" Revisiting the Arab-Israel Peace Process
Ted Belman - 4/22/2009
What follows are two articles I wrote six years ago regarding the genesis of the Roadmap. Essentially it was negotiated between the State Department and the Saudis in the lead up to the Iraq War. The deal was Iraq for Palestine. Thomas Friedman introduced the Saudi Plan as coming from King Abdullah but in reality it was the State Departments baby. It was included in the Roadmap as a recital - quite innocuous really. Sharon vigorously objected to its inclusion but Powell and Rice said it was non-negotiable. The obvious reason was that the State Department was committed to the Saudis to make it happen. Who Stole the Land of Israel?
J. Draiman - 4/20/2009
Why do the anti-Zionists feel that a thousand-year old claim by Arabs who were never ruled by Palestinian Arabs has legitimacy, while a 1,900-year claim by Jews to the land should be rejected as absurd? Whither the peace process?
Ted Belman - 4/20/2009
The peace process has not brought us one step closer to peace. Just the opposite, it has brought us closer to war. In fact the closest we have been since Israels dramatic victory in 67. Peace Process Needs To Go Back To The Future
Ted Belman - 2/23/2009
Elliot Abrams advises there are two alternatives: realism and failure. He ought to know. All Israeli Leaders Want Peace; But No Palestinian Leaders Do
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/16/2009
What is the most important theme of Israeli politics, policy, and thinking today? It is pretty simple but you will rarely see it explained in much of the world: Exploiting the War in Gaza to Benefit the Iranian Ayatollahs
Hassan Daioleslam - 2/5/2009
The Iranian regime's role in fueling radicalism in the Middle East and its part of responsibility for the recent war in Gaza and the misery and heavy casualty of its innocent people, merits studious and objective scrutiny by the experts. Nevertheless, the pro-Iranian advocates in Washington have taken a different path, and attempt to wash Irans hands of any connection or wrongdoing in the region. More shockingly, they try to exploit this new round of bloodshed to justify the future impasse in US overture toward Tehran. Choosing Sides: Egypt and Turkey Strike A Pose
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/5/2009
Two of the regions most important countriesEgypt and Turkeyare at a crossroads right now. Egypt has the chance to again be the Arab worlds central power; in contrast, Turkeys government is throwing away the opportunity to become a major diplomatic player in the region while hammering the last nail into the coffin of its chance for European Union membership. There Must No Longer Be An Iranian Terror Base in Gaza
Ephraim Sneh (Past Israel Deputy Defense Minister) - 1/28/2009
Everyone is now urging a quick end to Operation Cast Lead. This operation has been unprecedented in its scale, relative to Israels past actions in the Gaza Strip. So is the damage it is leaving behind unprecedented, and that wont make things easier for us on the diplomatic front. A campaign like this needs to have a strategic outcome that justifies its scale. The needed outcome is for there to no longer be an Iranian terror base 3 kilometers from Sderot and 8 kilometers from Ashkelon. The Peace Process is in Jeopardy? I Wonder Why!
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/18/2009
Whatever became of reality, at least in analyzing the Middle East? Consider the following: Ending The Gaza War: Choices, Not Solutions
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/12/2009
Last December, Hamas unilaterally ended its ceasefire with Israel and escalated the kind of cross-border attacks continually attempted even during the ceasefire. With massive public support, Israel struck back against a neighboring regime which daily attacked its citizens and called for its extermination. Gaza War: A Small Part of The Nationalist Islamist Conflict
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/11/2009
In decades to come, when the Middle East's history for this era is written, the current war in Gaza will be deemed a skirmish in the great Arab-Persian; Sunni-Shia; Arab nationalist-Islamist; Iran-Syria versus Egypt-Saudi Arabia conflict that is going to be the region's--and perhaps world's--main feature for the rest of our lifetimes. The Gaza war was preceded by colossal blunders
Ted Belman - 1/10/2009
In August 2005 I wrote Disengagement will bring war not peace The March of Folly in Gaza
Ted Belman - 1/8/2009
The current war was proceeded by colossal blunders. Israel and Hamas: Whose Side Are We On?
Ryan Mauro - 1/8/2009
As the Gaza conflict continues, I am continually amazed at how some continue to frame Israel as the "bad guy." This isn't to say that one can't oppose the military offensive, or oppose Israeli policy in general, but in a conflict between Israel and Hamas, a listed terrorist organization, it is clear who Americans should be rooting for. On the Ground in Gaza
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/4/2009
Israel didn't want to attack the Gaza Strip from the ground or from the air. Hamas, which had long broken the ceasefire, canceled it altogether. Then it began large-scale attacks on Israel. This is a war of defense. And it is being conducted just 30 miles from here, Israel's main city. The Rules of War and The Rules of Logic
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/4/2009
A major problem in debating about international issues nowadays is that it is so often hard or even impossible to respect our adversaries. It is quite possible to disagree with someone but to be impressed with their ability in constructing arguments, their grasp of logic and facts, their getting things partly right to the point that it makes you adjust your own thinking. Yet nowadays one is so often confronted with deliberate lies, huge factual errors, and just totally illogical claims. Why Is Israel Fighting Hamas?
Ryan Mauro - 12/31/2008
The eruption of the conflict in Gaza, which most observers could have forecasted months ago, should be seen as a lever in the power plays of the various regional actors. This conflict has potential positive and negative impacts for each player involved, and a proper analysis of these dynamics may allow us to peak into what will occur over the next few weeks. The Gaza War: Is it All So Hard to Understand?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/31/2008
But why, more than one reporter from highly reputable publications has asked me, is Israel attacking Gaza now? At first, I was astonished: because Hamas cancelled the ceasefire and started massive rocket firings at Israel. Hamas Strategy: Media or Rockets
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/29/2008
Nothing is clearer than Hamas's strategy. It gives Israel the choice between rockets and media, and Hamas thinks it is a situation of, "We win or you lose." What They Say Isn't What You Hear
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/22/2008
The full horror of contemporary Middle East politics and debate is comprehended by few in the West, largely because they aren't informed by their political leaders, intellectuals, and media. Liar, Liar
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/22/2008
If you can understand why Hamas is ending its ceasefire with Israel, you can comprehend Middle East politics. And if you can't, you can't. The Jewish Version of Arafat's Phased Plan
Ted Belman - 12/3/2008
Judea and Samaria activist Yechiel Leiter is promoting a plan that calls for immediate steps that will lead to the annexation of some 50% of Judea and Samaria. There are those who fear talking about annexing 50%, because that means giving up the other 50%, he told. The 6-Day War: A Soviet Initiative
Gideon Remez and Isabella Ginor, Ph.D. - 10/12/2008
Abstract: The authors continue their analysis of Soviet involvement in the 1967 War with a discussion of new evidence and a response to criticisms regarding their controversial thesis that the USSR provoked that war, sought to use the conflict to eliminate Israel's nuclear capability, and seriously considered direct intervention. Publication of this article is intended to further the debate on these issues. Dangerous Talks with Syria
Maj.-Gen. Uzi Dayan and Dr. Jonathan Spyer - 9/30/2008
The current indirect talks between Israel and Syria are highly unlikely to result in a peace agreement. The talks, far from playing any positive role for Israel, are mistaken both in terms of our values and in terms of our practical interest. They are being conducted by an irresponsible government with no public mandate, and are already causing real harm. We should be working to isolate the Syrian regime, not rehabilitating it. The Fall and Rise of the One-State Solution
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 9/29/2008
Deeply embedded in Palestinian nationalism is the notion that Israeli Jewish identity is analogous to that of communities born of European colonialism, which are not seen as having legitimate claim to self-determination. No reconsidering of this characterization took place during the period of the peace process of the 1990s. Hence, the short period of acceptance of the "two-state solution," was a departure by Palestinian nationalism from its more natural stance, and the current trend of return to the "one-state" option is a return to a position more in keeping with the deep view of the conflict held throughout by this trend. Waiting For Something
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/9/2008
If I had to nominate the funniest cartoon I've ever seen, it was a very simple one showing a driver in a car at a "T" junction. He was staring desperately at three signs that read: No Left Turn; No Right Turn; No U-Turn. Forward to The Past
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 9/1/2008
In recent weeks, a number of prominent Fatah figures have suggested that their movement might abandon its commitment to a "two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and return to the pre-1988 demand for Israel's replacement by a single state in the area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean. Arab intransigence wil lead to a Jewish one-state solution
Ted Belman - 8/26/2008
Ahmad Qureia recently warned, The Palestinian leadership has been working on establishing a Palestinian state within the 67 borders, Arab intransigence wil lead to a Jewish one-state solution
Ted Belman - 8/13/2008
Ahmed Qurei recently warned, The Palestinian leadership has been working on establishing a Palestinian state within the 67 borders. If Israel continues to oppose making this a reality, then the Palestinian demand for the Palestinian people and its leadership one state, a binational state." Fifty First Negotiations
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/8/2008
For those who don't know, "Fifty First Dates" is a comedy film undistinguished except by its brilliant premise. It describes the dilemma of a man in love with a woman who has short-term memory loss. Each day she forgets she has ever met him and he must start the relationship all over again from the beginning. No matter how kind, funny, or romantic he is it doesn't really matter. Like Sisyphus in the legend, he has to roll the boulder up the mountain from the bottom and never--at least until the Hollywood-style happy ending--gets to the top. Prophets and Losses
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/3/2008
Strike One. September 6, 2007. Israel bombs and destroys Syrian nuclear facility. Syria is powerless to retaliate. Who Goes There? Friend or Foe?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/3/2008
Here's the most important thing I can tell you about the Middle East. Trade or No Trade
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/17/2008
The Israeli prisoner exchange with Hizballah is a psychological victory for both sides. Nevertheless, I don't like the decision, I understand both ends of the debate over it, and my job is to analyze them. So rather than make some simple conclusion, I want to think out loud with you about all the factors involved. Arab Offense, Israeli Defense
Ted Belman - 7/16/2008
Arab's play offense while Israelis play defense. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of propaganda. Ceasefire At Any Cost
Ted Belman - 7/7/2008
As I write, the ceasefire, lull or whatever has been in place for an hour, but what are its terms? Nobody is saying at least not exactly. All responsible ministers are not to be seen and they are hiding behind the back of Maj Gen (retd), Amos Gilad who negotiated the deal under their orders. Petulance and Pandemonium in Petra
David Singer - 7/3/2008
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa must have had a brain explosion during a lunch time speech delivered by Israel's President Shimon Peres to Nobel Laureates attending a conference in Petra to discuss the global food crisis. Don't be Fooled by Good Reviews
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/19/2008
Golda Meir once said that a bad press was better than a good epitaph. In other words, pragmatic considerations must take precedence over public relations. Sometimes it seems as if contemporary Israeli governments have forgotten that concept. Yet in general, especially where it counts, this principle continues to prevail in Israel. Drowning in Solutions
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/10/2008
Suppose that debate over the world's most obsessive issue is based on nonsense. Consider if the policy options of governments, discourse of universities, and rivers of word in the media on this matter are clearly illogical. What if thousands of diplomats, journalists, and professors are racing down the wrong path and billions of dollars are being tossed away in a futile pursuit? Israel Should Take Charge of the Peace Process
Ted Belman - 6/9/2008
I see the peace process as a danger to Israel. It empowers the international community to pressure Israel to make concessions to their arch enemy. If only the US had decided to stand by Israels right to retain all captured territory after the Six Day War in 67, we would be in a whole better place today. But they didnt. Also the leaders of Israel share some of the blame. After that war, Israel decided, because of demographic considerations, that she didnt want to keep all of the conquered territories. Following Hitlers Playbook
Ted Belman - 6/9/2008
Arabs play offense while Israelis play defense. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of propaganda. Revisiting Resolution 242
Ted Belman - 6/5/2008
Five months after the Six Day War in 67, The Security Council passed the much referred to Resolution 242. Here are the relevant parts. An Empty Package
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 6/4/2008
At this past Sunday's cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issued a public statement relating to the revived negotiations with Syria. The talks, the prime minister wished to assure us, were "serious" and would be conducted with "all due caution." All the ingredients familiar from peace processes past were present in Olmert's statement: the gravitas; the quiet sense that history is presenting us with a chance that must not be missed; the necessary discretion. However, in the manner now familiar from Olmert's tenure as prime minister, what we were presented with was the form of something, without its content. Mideast Peace and Bush Oil Diplomacy
Abdul Ruff - 6/1/2008
US President G. W. Bush, a failed president who got thousands of Muslims among others killed especially in Afghanistan and Iraq , delivers nothing but a lousy speech, has been keen, as every US President did before him, to advance the US interests across the globe. Energy resources are on the top agenda of the US policy makers and US agencies both state and non-state pursue policies to garner maximum possible resources from the regions where they are aplenty. The Bush administration has under its full and direct control the energy resources in Afghanistan and Iraq and USA has been squandering... Israel-Syria Rapprochement?
Abdul Ruff - 6/1/2008
Media reports suggest that there has been a significant move from Israel to find an amicable solution to the crisis between them and Syria. Israel has utilized the services of Turkish government to achieve that goal, if they are only keen to resolve the decades turmoil in Mideast. What Happened to the Middle Easts Jews
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/12/2008
Uh-oh! Its Israels sixtieth birthday and that means articles on Israel in the news media and, in turn, that may often mean something between inaccuracy and slander. Ive been conditioned by now to know what to expect. Lets try a test. Read the following headline from a Reuters story, and guess the theme. Ready? Here we go: Israel's Advent Altered Outlook For Middle East Jews. Making Mischief
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 5/4/2008
Whatever the Israelis offer, Syria won't give up its alliance with Iran, which allows it to punch above its weight in the region. With attention in the Middle East focusing on the US congressional hearings regarding a possible Syrian nuclear programme, the Syrian newspaper al-Watan made a surprising announcement last Wednesday. According to the newspaper, Israel, via Turkish channels, had in the previous 24 hours expressed its willingness to exchange the entirety of the Golan Heights area for peace with Syria. No one cares about the Golan
Ted Belman - 5/3/2008
In my article Greater Syria is the answer. Yes, no, maybe. written in Nov 06, I wrote: 'Annapolis' is all about ending the occupation
Ted Belman - 4/17/2008
It is standard practice for athletes and magicians to fake us out. They distract our attention to mislead us as to their intentions. Politicians do to. What's More Important: Blue Jeans or Being Blown Up?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/5/2008
It's hard to satirize a lot of media coverage about Israel and the Arab-Israeli or Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. The truly dreadful stuff is in the details, the small stories and big assumptions on which they are based, rather than in any "scoops" or blockbuster articles. Peace Process is a losers game
Ted Belman - 4/3/2008
American Friends of Likud just held a worldwide conference on Israel at the Crossroads: The Palestinians and Gaza in the Shadow of Iran featuring MK Yuval Steinitz, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror and Dan Diker. Is it possible to make peace with those who don't recognize your right to exist?
Alexander Maistrovoy - 3/28/2008
A couple of weeks before the opening of the conference in Annapolis Saib Arikat, Head of Negotiations with Israel categorically rejected the opportunity of recognizing Israel, as the Jewish state. In other words, the body politic which PA is considered to be, negotiating for peace with its neighboring state, Israel, denies the very existence of this state. Is it surrealism and absurdity? Undoubtedly. However, this is an integral part of the Middle Eastern reality. And in this context the statement of Arikat (the representative of "pragmatic" and "moderated" Palestinians) is not accidental at all. Israel-Arab Reader: The Seventh Edition
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/26/2008
Now available from Penguin publishers is this new edition of one of the most highly respected, widely used reference books on the Middle East , documenting the Arab-Israel conflict and peace process from its inception to the present day. Why There Is a Hamas-Israel War
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/24/2008
The deliberate murder of eight and the wounding of nine Israeli rabbinical students in Jerusalem only highlights the fact that Hamas is at war with Israel. It is, from Hamas's view, a war that will never end until Israel is exterminated and its citizens killed or expelled. No other analysis is accurate or can explain what is happening. No Sweat Organic Fashion, Made In Palestine, Sold Internationally By A Jewish Run Boston Company
Angelique van Engelen - 3/24/2008
An important part of the Palestinian economy consists of organic cotton manufacturing but the conflict in the Middle East has badly impacted the industry. Dont Muddy The Waters: War and Morality
Ted Belman - 3/19/2008
I commissioned a legal opinion from Col. Bruce T Smith, on what restrictions or laws Israel is subject to in its self-defense and included it in my recent article Bomb Gaza. Win the War. Let's Talk About The Nazis
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/18/2008
Comparing contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis is increasingly commonplace." --U.S. State Department report on antisemitism, 2007. Lets talk about the Nazis. There should have already been more than enough discussion about this in the more than half-century since Adolf Hitlers bunker fell in 1945. There have been hundreds and thousands of books, articles, speeches, and so on about what is commonly known as the Holocaust. But apparently it hasnt been enough, or well enough understood. Arab Ideological Doctrine Syndrome: A Crippling Plague
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/16/2008
One of the things least understood by people in the West is the frameworkor should I say straitjacket?of the dominant ideology in the Arabic-speaking world in shaping thought, speech, and political alternatives. This shows up in the smallest of exchanges. But atoms, too, are very tiny yet make up all the wide variety of things in the world. Israel should release Palestinians prisoners according to a Plan
Ted Belman - 3/16/2008
Israel should release most of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held by them as part of a plan. I say most because the worst ones, I.e. those with blood on their hands, must be kept to make a point, namely, that murderers must be held accountable. The Two State Solution
Ted Belman - 3/4/2008
I was shocked to receive a note from Dr Paul Eidelberg advising that The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) had endorsed for the first time a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Bomb Gaza, Win the War
Ted Belman - 2/28/2008
The Assault on Israels Right to Self-Defense was described by Abraham Bell in his article on International Law and Gaza. Dr. Avi Bell is a member of the Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University, Visiting Professor at Fordham University Law School, and Director of the International Law Forum at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He clearly advised that Israel has the right of self defense and described the law as it pertains. So Many Problems, So Few Solutions
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/26/2008
The Middle East is a region where so many things seem to happen, so little appears to change, and far too much is said about it all. Partly this is due to the area's turbulence; partly to obsessive hyper-reporting in an era when everyone claims to be a Middle East expert and the most basic exercise of logic is often absent. Yet, at the same time, silly ideas and policies often also correspond to real needs. Peace Must Be Desired For Peace Process To Work
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/14/2008
Theres a fascinating interview in the February 10 Jerusalem Post with former British prime minister and now Quartet peace envoy Tony Blair. On one hand, it gets things wrong but on the other hand it expresses some extremely important trends. Palestinians and Jews: A Solution?
Bernard Gilland - 2/14/2008
The conflict between Jews and Arabs over Palestine arose soon after Russian Jews began to immigrate into Palestine in 1882. No solution acceptable to both sides is yet in sight, but it is possible to identify the least unsatisfactory solution by a process of elimination. Pay Now, Nothing Later
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/13/2008
Step right up! Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen! It's easy, fun, and everybody's a winner! Just guess which shell the nut is under. Uniquely Bizarre
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/10/2008
The Arab-Israeli conflict definitely holds the record for the most bizarrely treated issue in modern history. It is easy to forget just how strange this situation is and the extent to which it is understood and handled so totally different from other, more rationally, perceived problems. Israel, Gaza & Egypt: No Change
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 2/7/2008
The response of Israeli officials to the latest events in Gaza may in essence be divided into two halves. The initial response was one of frustration at Egyptian unwillingness to restore order on the international border. The subsequent sense is that the latest Gaza events have served to clarify, rather than significantly alter, an already existing reality. Israel Should End Occupation Of Gaza
Ted Belman - 2/7/2008
In October 04, I asked What will disengagement accomplish? and referred to a DEBKA Report which said, Annapolis is a separation process, not a peace process
Ted Belman - 2/4/2008
David Samuels, who wrote In a Ruined Country,the definitive article on Yasser Arafat in The Atlantic in 2005, and a stunning article last year in The Jewish Press entitled The Silence of the Lambs, has now written another essential article in the February 13 issue of The New Republic entitled The Father of Palestine, dealing with the object of the current peace process. Clinton, Bush and the Illusion of Last-Minute Peace
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/21/2008
Doesnt it all sound so familiar? A president in the last year of his office decides that the Middle East and Israeli-Palestinian issue can and will be put in order just in time for him to leave the White House, as if these complex, dangerous issues can be resolved like the happy ending of a 30-minute television show or 90-minute Hollywood film. Israel: Time to Apply the Mandate
Ted Belman - 1/12/2008
The Bush trip to the Middle East was over before it began. Or putting it another way, Bush is just going through the motions. The impediments to progress are so great that only the naive believe that a deal can be reached. In fact many people have written to the effect that the gaps have widened since Ehud Baraks offer at Camp David. Can The Peace Process Be Stopped?
Ted Belman - 1/8/2008
I recently wrote, "The peace process is like an enormous ship traveling with great momentum to a predetermined destination. Nothing Israel can do will stop it or alter its course. While Israel continues to debate the details, the ship continues, inexorably." The two-state solution has been planned for years. The peace process has it backwards
Ted Belman - 1/2/2008
Saul Singer advises How to pressure for peace. I go further suggesting that the peace process has it backwards. Rather than arm and train the terrorists (Fatah) it should force their disarmament. Rather than finance them to the tune of $7.4 billion thereby enabling them to continue the resistance, they should be left to fend for themselves. Rather than force Israel to freeze settlemen... The Way Forward In The Middle East
Ted Belman - 12/27/2007
I Hate The "Peace Process". The bottom line is that it is a vehicle that the world community rides to force Israel to capitulate to Arab demands. Many people including Jews support the process and even support US pressure on Israel to make more concessions. Without making a further argument in support of my rejection and against their designs, I would like to identify certain facts which inform the reality upon which I base my ideas of the way forward. The Jewish Version Of The One-State Solution
Ted Belman - 12/23/2007
In my article, The War on Zionism, I decry the smear that Zionism is racism. It is a national liberation movement. Having said that I want to address the arguments in Just one State. While I also am against the two-state solution it is for a different reason. It is not workable nor achievable. Get the Arabs to make a better offer
Ted Belman - 12/22/2007
I received this letter:
"It must be hard being the only virgin left standing a true believer who is certain that he has found the right truth and would you believe it, its on his right side. In your selective parsing of the Salon article you do exactly the same thing you accuse the left of doing of being blind to reality. Your so sure statement that right wingers do not reject peacethey just reject faux peace on Arab terms ignores the fact that regardless of the absolutist voicesof which your, I believe, is a Jewish echo, people of good will, however strained that good will is... Annapolis will lead to Dhimmi status for Israel
Ted Belman - 12/14/2007
Everything I read about the negotiations leading up to Annapolis and the event itself suggests that a deal has been cut whereby Israel assumes its rightful (according to Islam) role as a Dhimmi in exchange for Saudi acceptance of the existence of Israel. Beyond Annapolis - Political Paralysis
David Singer - 12/10/2007
President Bush will be bitterly disappointed if he is expecting a historic breakthrough in negotiations over the next twelve months between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). What's After Annapolis?
Ahmad Al-Akhras, Ph.D. - 12/9/2007
On the 60th anniversary of the UN partition plan, President George W. Bush invited the conflicting parties of the Middle East to Annapolis, Maryland. It seems that President Bush wanted to have a legacy for being a broker of a long-awaited peace deal between the Palestinians and Israelis. It looks like nothing is coming out of this meeting. However, it may turn out as a nice photo op for everybody involved. Annapolis: One Cheer, One Yawn, One Cynical Shrug
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/8/2007
Before the Annapolis meeting, some said the operation would save the patient; others that it would kill the patient. In fact, the patient is exactly the same but the doctors had a hell of a big party and congratulated themselves on doing a terrific job. You Can't Get to Peace if You Can't Get it Right
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/2/2007
I love Annapolis. A charming town that has maintained its historic district quite nicely. Nice little harbor with interesting shops. Then there's the magnificent statehouse, best-known for George Washington's famous farewell speech, when he gave up the command of the American army at the end of the revolution rather than making himself dictator, got on his horse, and rode home to be a farmer. Why I Hate Annapolis
Ted Belman - 12/2/2007
Why do I hate Annapolis? Because what was agreed to at Annapolis will destroy Israel. Let me count the ways it threatens the Jewish state: Annapolis: Munich Rising
Jerry Gordon - 11/27/2007
I listened to an interview with Ambassador John Bolton and Natan Sharansky with Lori Lowenthal Marcus and Steve Feldman on the ZOA Middle East News Hour on WNWR.com. Listen to the interview here. I came to a basic conclusion. What we have going down on the US Naval Academy grounds in Annapolis, Maryland next week is Munich Rising. Annapolis Drop-Ins And Mary Poppins
David Singer - 11/26/2007
The spotlight is now directly focused on Annapolis as preparations are finalised for the opening night of the proposed revival of the show "Road Map" - first conceived by President George Bush in 2002. Tickets have been finally mailed out for this eagerly anticipated event to a large number of so far unidentified VIP's who will drop into Annapolis to attend a gala dinner on 26 November to be followed by a full blown performance the following day. They are slotted to fly out after meeting the two principal actors - Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas - who will be desperately trying to get the show on the road once again after a series of abysmal failures over the last four years There's No Diplomatic Solution To the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Ted Belman - 11/22/2007
On October 26, 2005, Ahmadinejad gave a speech to the "World Without Zionism conference" in Iran. The New York Times published a full transcript of the speech in which Ahmadinejad was quoted in part as follows: Land for War or Palestine for Bombs?
Ted Belman - 11/18/2007
The internet magazine, Insight, has reported that the U.S. has offered Israel a A Land For War deal. Annapolis Will Bring Death And Destruction
Ted Belman - 11/16/2007
Make no mistake about it, Annapolis represents a mortal danger to Israel and the Jewish people. We dont have to know how and when the Arab Rejectionist Front's Catastrophic Victories
Charles Jalkh - 11/14/2007
Since the birth of the State of Israel, the suicidal anti peace Arab-Islamic ancient regimes persisted in promising their people Great Victories, such as the famous throwing the Jews in the sea, Chasing the Colonialists out of the region, Building the Emirate of the Fakih, and recently Defeating the Zionist/American plan for the Middle East in Lebanon, only to lead their masses into the slaughterhouse of history in calamity after calamity. Annapolis Turns Into Fantasyland
David Singer - 11/11/2007
Fantasy is rapidly overtaking reality threatening to turn President George Bush's upcoming international meeting in Annapolis into a real farce - if the following classic statements are any guide: Annapolis: A Wedding or a Disaster of the Year?
David Singer - 11/8/2007
Best Man - President George Bush - and Matron of Honour - Condoleezza Rice - are becoming increasingly frustrated as the reluctant bride - Israel - and a very impatient groom - the Palestinian Authority - continue haggling over the substantial dowry the groom is demanding from the bride's family before the wedding of the year can go ahead in Annapolis this month - or maybe next month. Enough of Enough
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/7/2007
If you want to understand the Middle Easts continuing tragedy over the last decade and why the region is stagnating at best or entering an era of radical Islamist upheaval at worst, consider the tale of Egypts Kifaya movement. This is the kind of thing Western politicians, officials, academics, and journalists must comprehend to know how Middle East politics really works. Warning: Dont Reverse The Steps In The Roadmap
Ted Belman - 11/7/2007
Tzipi Livni spoke yesterday to the NATO-Israel Symposium. The speech could have been written by the State Department as they both are on the same page. According to them the world is divided between moderates and extremists. The US has been peddling this tripe for at least a year. You know, rally the moderates to oppose the extremists. Without Illusions
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/5/2007
The alternative Western view of Middle East strategy--so influential in academic, media, and to some extent diplomatic circles--has a six-point program that boils down as: Make deals with Iran, Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah; ally with Muslim Brotherhoods; and split Iran and Syria. And What Do We Get?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/17/2007
The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is about to be the topic of an international summit and optimism is breaking out all over. A breakthrough to comprehensive peace, however, is very unlikely. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian Authority (PA)-Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is weak; Fatah is still overwhelmingly radical and has not conducted the internal debatemuch less public education effortnecessary for a change of policy. Jerusalem's Status Under Review
Angelique van Engelen - 10/12/2007
The status of Jerusalem has been the most contentious issue of the Middle East peace process. But a proposal by Israel's vice prime minister could bode change on this issue. Whats cooking? Let's Make A Deal
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/10/2007
Quick! Tell me. Whos desperate to make a deal? Who acts as if they are the weaker party, eager to negotiate solutions in order to end their peoples suffering and the costs of conflict? Certainly not Iran. It has been pushing ahead with its nuclear program for more than three years during a period of intense Western diplomatic effort, lots of talk about sanctions, and even the implementation of some. Iran is indifferent to threats of attack or warnings of isolation. To a large extentbut not completelythe regime thinks the West is bluffing. But if Tehran really sought nuclear energy, not bo... The Israeli-Palestinian Conference in November
Shlomo Brom - 10/9/2007
President Bushs initiative to convene an international meeting in November on the Israeli-Palestinian track has given a new boost to the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. This follows the dynamic created by Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June this year. The key question now is whether these stimuli can pull the cart of Israeli-Palestinian relations out of the bog in which it has been stuck since the end of 2000. Geneva Accords Are Being Elevated To Government Policy
Ted Belman - 8/27/2007
"The 'peace process' is like an enormous ship traveling with great momentum to a predetermined destination. Nothing Israel can do will stop it or alter its course. While Israel continues to debate the details, the ship continues, inexorably." Eight months after the US invasion of Iraq and the announcement of the Roadmap, Yossi Beilin, the Oslo architect, and Abed Rabbo, launched their peace proposal after two and one-half years of work. It was to be known as the Arab-Israeli Peace: Window Of Opportunity Or Window Dressing?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/13/2007
Is there a window of opportunity for Israel-Palestinian peace right now? Let me put it this way: in diplomatic terms, looking through the window is worthwhile but, in analytical terms, I dont think anyone is going to be able to climb through it. The Saudi Plan is carved in stone by the US - or is it?
Ted Belman - 7/31/2007
A year ago, I wrote The Conspiracy to Shrink Israel in which I made the case by quoting from a number of sources, that the US was party to the conspiracy and its leader. Middle East Peace: What Can Tony Blair Do?
Saberi Roy - 7/29/2007
One of the questions that could bother everyone is that what will analysts and world leaders do if the Israel-Palestine conflict ever gets resolved? Its possible that this worry is unfounded as the mid-east problem will not be resolved completely in the immediate future but will hopefully start dwindling and will be seen as a less important issue. Yester years hardliners, today's peacemakers - Guns from Israel
Iqbal Latif - 7/27/2007
The ancient proverb, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," is usually considered a foreign policy doctrine that is commonly used to confront a significant enemy through an intermediary in order to undermine the enemy and in a "cold" manner, as opposed to a "hot", direct confrontation. Hamas, most likely, is the common enemy here. In a strange twist of events, moderate Palestinians, of course great ex-hardliners, are being provided arms to save them from the coup d'tat of Gaza's zealots. Israel authorized the transfer of 1,000 rifles from Jordan to the security forces of the Palestinian Author... Arabs Will Never Accept Israel and We Should Accept It
Ted Belman - 7/26/2007
Saudi Arabia gave birth to its baby The Saudi Plan just before the invasion of Iraq in the expectation that it would come of age in the Roadmap. Thomas Friedman was the midwife. The Roadmap, making reference to the baby, was announced just days after the invasion. I forcefully recommended that Israel Reject the Roadmap and later traced the genesis of the Roadmap in What Can Olmert And Abbas Do Now?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/14/2007
In completely objective, totally detached terms, there is a really great policy available in the aftermath of Hamass seizure of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Authority (PA) and PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah-dominated government in the West Bank could present their people with an attractive alternative. Cease terrorism, really purvey moderation (as an actual policy and not just in interviews with Western correspondents), and make a comprehensive peace agreement with Israel to create a Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem. Huge amounts of aid are pledged internationally, ... Reinforcing Failure In The Middle East
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 7/10/2007
Israeli responses to the news that Tony Blair has accepted the post of Quartet Middle East Envoy have ranged from the warmly supportive, via the mildly bemused, to the downright opposed. The former British prime minister is generally regarded as warmly disposed to Israel. He has often expressed himself in this regard. Blair's latest mission, however, is flawed in its very definition. Blair Boards The Bush Bandwagon
David Singer - 6/29/2007
Tony Blair couldn't even wait for the announcement of his appointment as special envoy for the Quartet - America, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations - to repeat this famous mantra in the House of Commons: "The only way of bringing stability and peace to the Middle East is a two-state solution, which means a state of Israel that is secure and confident in its security and a Palestinian state that is not merely viable in terms of its territory, but in terms of its institutions and government." Don't Bank On The 'West Bank First' Option
Ted Belman - 6/28/2007
Just as President Bush is in the process of embracing the West Bank First Option there are many detractors. Middle East Lesson Too Late for the Learning?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/26/2007
If you want to understand Arab politics, dont bother with what Western experts say, get a feel for what people like to refer to today as the local narrative. This doesnt mean you accept what is said as true, but that you understand how what is said makes things work (or rather, fail to work). West Bank and Gaza: Fairy Tales and the Media
David Singer - 6/6/2007
The failure by editors of supposedly impartial and respected newspapers to correct inaccuracies in media articles regarding the West Bank and Gaza prior to their publication, gives continuing credence to total Arab denial of any Jewish rights in those areas - and also seriously misleads and misinforms their trusting readers as to the nature of the conflict that is taking place. Pipes on the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
Ted Belman - 6/6/2007
Testimony by Daniel Pipes, Director of the Middle East Forum & Distinguished visiting professor, Pepperdine University before U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia February 14, 2007, 2:30 p.m. Palestine: The New Myth And Reality
David Singer - 6/1/2007
Jordan's Prime Minister, Marouf al- Bakhit, has now added one new myth to the countless many concerning Palestine that have been invented by Arab propagandists. Speaking at a recent seminar marking the 61st anniversary of Jordan's independence, the Prime Minister asserted that everyone should realise that "this small country [Jordan] was not accidentally born nor was the outcome of deals,conferences or conspiracies." Jordan's history is well documented and totally contradicts the Prime Minister's amazing assertion. West Bank Settlements Are Legal Under International Law
Ted Belman - 5/30/2007
The Independent just published an article which said Secret memo shows Israel knew Six Day War was illegal. The "Secret Memo" it referred to was the one written by Theodore Meron, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's legal adviser at the time and today one of the world's leading international jurists. Dividing The Land of Israel
Pete Fisher - 5/26/2007
This week all warring Palestinian factions are gathered in Mecca to find a way to stop killing each other. Using an obscure Islamic law, King Abdullah basically set these people at a table to force their hand at peace. King Abdullah II of Jordan has stated several times that the peace process in the Middle East must begin with the Palestinians and the Jews. Yet the past months of slaughter had nothing to do with Israel, only a power play between Palestinian factions to see who carries the rifles and calls the shots. Israels Arab Citizens And The Jewish State
Tashbih Sayyed - 5/26/2007
As another sign of the growing power of Global Jihad, Israel's Arab minority has rejected the idea of Israel as a Jewish state. In a manifesto, "The Future Vision of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel", drafted by 40 academics and activists under the sponsorship of the Committee of Arab Mayors in Israel and endorsed by an unprecedented range of Arab community leaders, Arab leaders have declared that Israel is a bi-national state and Arabs are an indigenous group with collective rights, not just individual rights. The Palestine Conspiracy - Book Review
David Storobin, Esq. - 5/12/2007
Pros: Fast-paced spy-thriller to an unbelievable ending. Cons: Everyone thought this couldn't happen, then it did. Mr. Spirko discusses all the issues confronting the Middle East through the minds of both the Palestinians and Israelis. His understanding of the collective mindsets (those who are continually at war with each other) brings a new dimension of reality to the Palestinian question, which has now become the ever-persistent Israeli obstacle. How to achieve peace in the Middle East? If the Palestinian problem can be solved where both sides achieve peace, then world terrorism will go away. Implications of the Israel-Hezbollah War
Gary C. Gambill - 4/14/2007
The July-August 2006 conflagration between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite Islamist Hezbollah movement defies the common presumption that the Arab-Israeli conflict is inherently zero sum - that Israel's loss is always a commensurate gain for its adversaries, and vice versa. As UN Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown remarked during the fourth week of fighting, this was an "odd war" in which "both sides think they're winning."[1] Should The West Stand With The Jews?
Baron Bodissey - 2/25/2007
Full disclosure: I am not a Jew. I am a practicing Christian, non-evangelical, from a background of tolerant Protestantism. I read eclectically, am well educated, and consider myself an intellectual. And I stand with the Jews. Israel & the Palestinians: Who Needs Enemies ...
Imran Khan - 12/29/2006
Can anyone believe that weapons could be brought into Gaza Strip ( Palestine) openly with the approval of Israel to be used by the Palestinians? I hope no one would believe it. But it has happened whether we believe it or not and it's a reality. Egypt transferred a large quantity of arms and ammunition in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday 27th December, 2006, with Israel 's approval. Infect it was done purposely and reason behind that was to strengthen the Palestinian Security Forces loyal to Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, The president of Palestinian National Authority. Palestinian security forces mainly bel... Middle East: Exacting A Pound Of Flesh
Iqbal Latif - 8/9/2006
Wounds and scars from history cannot become the basis of inter-human relationships. With a bloodthirsty Jew at its centre, "The Merchant of Venice" is Shakespeare's most divisive play. Anyone who thinks this 400-year-old Shakespearean character is forgotten and superseded is mistaken. Shylock in the play offers Antonio this loan at no interest. Instead, if Antonio does not repay him in time, he will cut off a pound of his flesh. Meanwhile, Shylock's daughter, Jessica, elopes with Bassanio's friend Lorenzo taking a significant chunk of her father's wealth with her. Enraged by her betrayal, Shyl... Hate Against Hate
Imran Khan - 7/28/2006
Many agree that the killing of eight Israeli soldiers and the capturing of two others was an unprovoked act of war by Hezbollah. But many should also agree that in retaliation, the killing of dozens of innocent civilians in Lebanon by Israel is worse than that action. Eighty Palestinians have lost their lives since Israeli tropes entered Gaza after 1 Israeli soldier was kidnapped there. Israeli soldiers can enter any time Palestinian territory and capture anyone. If abduction of its soldiers is an illegal move, than why did Israel capture hundreds of Palestinians without charges? Retaliatory a... Hizballah's Adventurism Leads It Into Isolation
Manuela Paraipan - 7/27/2006
The attack of Hizballah on Israel compelled me to reconsider the decades-old war by the Muslims against the Jewish state. This conflict is but a small piece of the puzzle. In the middle of the conflict between the Iranian supported Hizballah and Israel, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a fresh verbal attack on Israel by saying that the Jews are the "most detested people" on the planet. The comment came after Iran's top national security official, Ali Larijani, had voiced Irans decisive support for the militant Palestinian groups and for the Hizballah, and basically for anyone who figh... Boosting Extremists With Bombs: Hezbollah's popularity rises, dimming the prospects for democracy
Dilip Hiro - 7/26/2006
Israels air strikes on Southern Lebanon boost support for Hezbollah in the Arab world, as many lose faith in already struggling Arab democracies. Outlining the history of Hezbollah in a region prone to setbacks and violence, Middle East analyst and author Dilip Hiro predicts that the present fighting paves the way for more Arab rulers to resort to repressive measures in order to control dissent or extremism. Hezbollahs attacks may have been just one more step in their long struggle over prisoner exchanges with Israel, but Israels fierce retaliation could have much wider consequences. The Is... Can Media Bias Prevent the Next World War?
Abukar Arman - 7/26/2006
Perhaps now more than any other time in human history, objective media is desperately needed - media to inform the masses; to provide voice to the voiceless; and to function as the objective counterweight that scrutinizes the powers that be. We currently live in an era that can only be described as the most volatile in contemporary history; a time when extremism and terrorism, with all their methods and motives, are on the rise; when human rights violation and political polarization are rampant, and when respect for the international law that protectes state sovereignty is systematically corro... Lebanon: Hijacking the Cedars March to Freedom
Anwar Wazen - 10/31/2005
A fallacy has been promoted by Druze chieftain Walid Jumblatt, the Hariri family, their TV station and their other media outlets pretending that the crowds of Lebanese that flocked to Liberty square on March 14 did so because they wanted to know the truth about the crime perpetrated against ex- prime minister Rafik Hariri. Palestinians and Israelis: Peace Is A Matter Of Mentality
Manuela Paraipan - 10/8/2005
US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice called Hamas to disarm if interested to play a significant political role on the Palestinian political stage. "Hamas, stands for a one-state solution, not a two-state solution. Hamas, therefore stands for the destruction of Israel. Hamas is an organization that asks Palestinian mothers and fathers to give their children up to make themselves suicide bombers. And it is a real detriment and block to further peace in the Middle East." Israeli Withdrawal From Gaza Has Implications For Internal Politics
Angelique van Engelen - 7/26/2005
The much disputed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the West Bank is rapidly becoming an issue that people are using to recycle years' worth of violence and political tensions into. Events in the Middle East tend to succeed one another in quicker a fashion than most political twists and turns you can digest compared to, for instance, Europe or even the US, but this does not take away any of their validity. All the more so because the drama simply doesn't get hollowed out but, on the contrary, more extreme. Peace Process and Land Claims
Manuela Paraipan - 5/10/2005
Truth be told, there is no peace process in the Middle East today. Substantive Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli negotiations have ceased, and the George Bush administration has demonstrated neither the will nor the desire to expend political capital on a diplomatic process that would involve difficult compromises. Simply put, Bush would rather negotiate with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon about the details of an imposed, American-Israeli solution to Israeli security and settlement problems than mediate between Israelis and Palestinians. The road map, the Sharm al-Sheikh and other meet... Barring Talks, Settlements Are The Barometer for Peace
Angelique van Engelen - 4/20/2005
Israeli settler policies are often seen not only as highly controversial but also as highly surprising. Last Monday's news that a bid had been put out for the construction of 50 houses on the West Bank was both as surprising and controversial as Sharon's plan to remove 8,000 settlers from Gaza earlier this year and the announcement a few days after he'd won Knesset approval of plans to expand in the West Bank town of Maalah Adumim. Sharm al-Sheikh Summit: Facts Speak Louder Than Words
Manuela Paraipan - 2/22/2005
The summit between PM Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas the Palestinian Authority Chairman was held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al-Sheikh in the presence of President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah II of Jordan. President Mubarak called for the other Arab countries to join the negotiation process. In this direction, he particularly named Syria and Lebanon. Under his patronage and with the support of the Jordanian King Abdullah, thus a team of only Arab mediators, PM Sharon and PA Chairman Abbas agreed to put an end to the violence. But, did those who are in theirs orders agree to do the same? |
