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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

09/04/08
From Zero-Sum to Win-Win  —Mara Rudman, adviser, Middle East Progress; senior fellow, Center for American Progress. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
09/04/08
How Progress Is Possible  —
08/07/08
How to Deal with Jerusalem  —Lt. Col. (Res.) Ron Shatzberg, Project Director, Economic Cooperation Foundation. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

Two-State Solution Still Best Option

“In practical terms, we can reach two conclusions: First, a final-status agreement, although its details are known, cannot be secured in the foreseeable future. Second, the time has come to think about other solutions. One of them is a return not to the 1967 borders, but rather, to the reality that prevailed in 1967, when Jordan controlled the West Bank.”
—Major General (ret.) Giora Eiland, “The Jordanian Option,” YNet, September 3, 2008 versus
  • "On both sides of the green line and, indeed, wherever people think about solutions to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, a lot of old/new thinking is taking place. … Most of these ideas are patently unrealistic. Discussion of them often reflects despair, not pragmatic strategic thinking. … Precisely because there is no such alternative, other options more readily suggest themselves, ranging from temporary conflict management to three states or entities. Nor does failure today mean that tomorrow we cannot try again to arrive at a two-state solution, which remains the best option for all."
    —Yossi Alpher, coeditor of the bitterlemons family of internet publications & former director, Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel Aviv University, "One State Definitely Not an Option," bitterlemons.org, August 18, 2008

    • Middle East Analysis

    • How Progress Is Possible —Hiba Husseini, chair, Legal Committee to Final Status Negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis; former vice chairperson of the Palestine Securities Exchange (1998-May 2005). Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
    • Perils of an Israeli Transition —The New York Times, Editorial
    • The Arabs Will Look Differently Upon America —Ron Pundak, director general of the Peres Center for Peace and former architects and negotiators of the Oslo Agreement (bitterlemons.org)

    What to expect, what to hope for, after Prime Minister Olmert’s visit to Washington

    November 16, 2006

    Gadi Baltiansky - Director General of the Geneva Initiative and former Press Secretary to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

    We are pleased to invite you to a roundtable discussion with Gadi Baltiansky, jointly hosted by The Century Foundation and Center for American Progress and held at 1333 H Street, NW at 12:30 PM on November 16. Gadi Baltiansky will offer his views on the current Israeli political and public map and its possible impact on future decisions regarding Israeli-Arab relations. We plan to move to a discussion on related implications for U.S. policy in the last two years of the current Administration, with the newly configured 110th Congress.

    Gadi Baltiansky is the Director General of "Education for Peace Ltd.", an Israeli NGO whose focus includes promoting the Geneva Initiative model peace accord. Between 1999 and 2001, he served Prime Minister Barak’s press secretary. In this capacity, he handled the public aspects of Israel’s security and foreign affairs in general and the peace process in particular. He participated in Israeli negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians. He accompanied numerous Israeli prime ministerial visits to DC, and thus carries considerable experience in commenting on PM Olmert’s visit. Previously Gadi served as a career diplomat at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and among other postings was Press Counselor at the Embassy in Washington from 1995-98.

    Thursday, November 16, 2006

    Program: 12:30pm to 2:00pm

    Admission is free.

    Lunch will be served at 12:00pm