In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

12/11/08: Toward Resolution —President of Israel Shimon Peres. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
11/25/08: U.S. Engagement with Iran: A How to Guide — Karim Sadjadpour, associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
11/20/08: Pakistan: Learning the Right Lessons from Iraq —Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

A Shared Interest

"With his enthusiastic embrace of the so-called Saudi peace plan, Olmert is committing Israel to accepting the Arab narrative of the Arab-Israeli conflict. … With Olmert now giving his stamp of approval to the Saudi plan, he is denying the country its moral right to defend itself both militarily and diplomatically."
—Caroline Glick, deputy managing editor, The Jerusalem Post; senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs, Center for Security Policy, "Tzipi and the Drug Lords," The Jerusalem Post, November 27, 2008

“Israel rejected the Initiative in the past without examining it in depth. According to the common wisdom, the more Arab partners involved, the more they’ll be pushing us and be in favor of the Palestinians. I think that in the present situation in the Arab and Muslim world, where we see strengthening of extremism that bothers moderate Arab states no less than it bothers us, the Arab states have an interest that such an agreement comes to fruition. And for that to happen, if there is a need to push the Palestinians or assist them, I think this is exactly the time to do that.”
—Maj. Gen (ret.) Danny Rothschild, president, Council for Peace and Security, interview, Israeli radio, Reshet Bet, November 2, 2008 (translated by Middle East Bulletin)

Middle East Analysis

Putting the Arab Peace Initiative Into Action —Ghaith al-Omari, director of advocacy, American Task Force on Palestine; former foreign policy adviser to Palestinian President Abbas. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
Peace Plan Needs PR Backing —Roula Khalaf (Financial Times)
A Comprehensive Agenda —Ezzedine Choukri-Fishere, former adviser to the Egyptian foreign minister, & Omar Dajani, former legal adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team (Al-Ahram Weekly)

Laying the Groundwork for Peace

May 14, 2007

Thirty-five members of the House of Representatives have written to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Frank Wolfe asking that the U.S. fund nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working in the field toward a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Members writing include Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Lantos, second-most-senior Democratic member of the Committe Howard Berman, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia Gary Ackerman, and Darrell Issa, senior Republican member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“This ‘Track-Two diplomacy’ is a critical U.S. foreign policy tool in addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict and improving America’s image in the region, particularly now, when diplomatic efforts are stalled,” they write.

According to the umbrella organization Alliance for Middle East Peace, people-to-people activities range from meetings of bereaved parents who lost their children to the conflict to cooperation among doctors and scientists.