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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)

    The Issue of Prisoner Release

    Lieutenant General (Ret.) Orit Adato, former commissioner of the Israel Prison Service, updated for The Middle East Bulletin (published originally in Bitterlemons)
    September 26, 2007

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

    Israel’s announced release of 87 Palestinian prisoners as part of an effort to bolster Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas incited an old internal Israeli debate on the likely consequences the release of “security inmates” may entail. A broader look at the issue of security prisoners suggests that a breakthrough in this area can serve as an impetus for the whole peace process. Examining Northern Ireland’s experience sheds light on a few relevant aspects of the issue and how it is related to the risks and challenges accompanying the process unfolding between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. …

    The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has required and will continue to require goodwill gestures, confidence building measures and genuine concessions, including the release of security prisoners. As matters currently stand, international involvement will increase, and will demand that both leaderships prove by their actions their dedication and readiness to proceed. Prisoner release is undoubtedly a complex and sensitive issue. On the one hand it provokes an ethical and emotional debate among both politicians and common citizens; on the other, it could prove to be less difficult if implemented as part of a comprehensive plan that requires reciprocity between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including a Palestinian undertaking to engage in rehabilitation and supervision. …

    The conceptual breakthrough presented here requires suitable preparation and a gradual approach as well as reciprocity and cooperation rather than unilateral steps, convenient as they often are. Access the full article >>