Stay Informed

Sign up to receive the Middle East Bulletin!

Support Middle East Progress

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

    Bank Hapoalim Ordered to Postpone Break with Gaza

    Avi Shauli (Ynet)
    October 29, 2007

    The Bank of Israel on Wednesday ordered Bank Hapoalim to postpone its planned financial break with the Gaza Strip. Bank Hapoalim decided to cut all financial ties with the Strip in late September, following the security cabinet’s decision to declare Gaza a "hostile entity".

    Hapoalim and Discount are the only two Israeli banks still working with the Palestinian Authority. Both decided to break with the Gaza Strip… The Israeli Shekel is the major currency used in Gaza and West Bank commerce; should both banks cut their ties with the Strip, it would create a cash-flow problem and cause significant harm to the Palestinian economy.

    Access the full story >>