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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

08/07/08
How to Deal with Jerusalem  —Lt. Col. (Res.) Ron Shatzberg, Project Director, Economic Cooperation Foundation. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
08/07/08
How to Deal with Jerusalem  —
08/05/08
Why Did Maliki Call for a Timeline?  —by Christopher Kojm who teaches at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and is a former senior advisor to the Iraq Study Group. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

Already Divided

“Even the Arab minority in the city has shown its preference for living under Israeli rule, as many have moved to the Israeli side of the security barrier being built around Jerusalem. Their choice is reasonable, as Jerusalem offers the quality of life of a modern western city while only a few kilometers away the norm is a third world standard of living, chaos and religious intolerance. An undivided Jerusalem is the best guarantee of a better life for all Jerusalemites.”
—Nathan Diament, Director of Public Policy, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, July 23, 2008 versus
  • “Those who believe that Jerusalem should not be divided, and mean by that that the Arab neighborhoods should not be separated from the city, should be the first to insist that an active policy be adopted by the government and the municipality to improve the lot of local Arab residents. Barring that, Jerusalem will continue to remain a divided city.”
    —Moshe Arens, former Israeli defense and foreign minister (Likud), “A Story of Neglect,” Haaretz, July 28, 2008

    • Middle East Analysis

    Hamas the Cripple, Gaza the Doomed

    Bradley Burston (Haaretz)
    September 12, 2007

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

    It may be said that, from the military standpoint with respect to the Gaza front, Hamas has become Israel, its hands effectively tied by a wide range of political and diplomatic considerations.

    The first difference, of course, is that Israel’s economy continues to boom, undeterred by war last summer in Lebanon, unaffected by threats of war this summer.

    The second difference is that Israel has found the perfect foil in Hamas, which, if it fails to act against Israeli attacks, is viewed at home as weak, and if it decides to attack - whether by rocket, mortar, sub-machinegun ambush or suicide bombing - is viewed abroad as terrorist. …

    When Hamas was formed in 1987, it pledged to eradicate the occupation and, in due course, the State of Israel. Hamas is in charge now, and the lights are off. Hamas is in charge now, and it is time to work on eradicating poverty, restoring health care, and attending to education.

    Israel has responsibilities to participate in the effort, but as long as Hamas cannot bring itself to rescind its pledge to erase the Jewish state by force, the Jewish state can convince the world that it need do nothing. …

    Hamas is in charge now. It must start acting like it is. Now. Access the full article>>