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

"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)

Bush Approach Needs Refocus to Work

Shlomo Ben Ami, former Israeli Foreign Minister (YNet)

August 24, 2007

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)

The Mideast axis of evil summit attended by Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas held immediately after President Bush called for an international conference to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace, once again demonstrates the extent of which the problems of the area are intertwined.

The U.S. has always known this, but has for years conducted itself according to erroneous priorities. It failed to understand that if there is an Achilles heel in the Mideast problem, it can be found in the Palestinian question and not in the fight against terror, Iraq or in enforcing democracy in Arab states. Only after six years of stubbornness, Bush admitted that "Iraq was not the only key axis in the Middle East."

Bush’s initiative is his last effort to salvage America’s status in the region, after the United States has found itself on the defensive on all fronts… Bush has even come as close as possible to former President Clinton’s peace plan when he announced that "past borders, current realities and agreed changes" will define the solution… On the other hand, Bush’s strategy is consistently lacking on several fundamental points. Access the full article>>