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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

    Smoke and Mirrors

    Arab News
    September 21, 2007

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

    Prince Saud hinted strongly that the Kingdom would have no part in any conference that did not have [the] fundamental issues on its agenda. His view has been echoed by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other Arab foreign ministers who want the event to host real negotiations and not merely be a diplomatic horse-and-pony show.

    Everything rests on the agenda of the proposed meeting. This, says the State Department, is still being formulated as part of intense diplomatic efforts. This strongly suggests the concerted use of smoke and mirrors. …

    However, if this is a genuine attempt for peace will be made clear by the focus and intensity of the agenda. The issues are well- known. No intense diplomacy is required. Just set them down clearly and all the participants will be there. Access the full article>>