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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)

    Lebanon’s Political Crisis

    October 24, 2007

    September 2004: Lahoud’s Presidential Term Extended
    Under pressure from Damascus, the Lebanese parliament amends the constitution to allow pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud three more years in office. President Lahoud’s term ends November 24, 2007.

    February-March 2005: Rafiq Hariri Assassinated, “Cedar Revolution”
    Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri dies in a car bombing. Protests against suspected Syrian involvement in the assassination and international pressure lead to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the dissolution of the pro-Syrian government.

    May-June 2005: March 14 Coalition Becomes Parliamentary Majority
    Anti-Syrian March 14 Coalition, led by the son of former PM Rafiq Hariri, wins a majority in parliament. New cabinet led by March 14 member Fouad Siniora, but also includes pro-Syrian and Hezbollah members.

    November 2006: Shi’a Ministers Withdraw from Cabinet, Cabinet Approves Hariri Tribunal
    All six pro-Syrian ministers in the cabinet resign after Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah’s demands for 1/3 of the cabinet seats and veto power over key cabinet decisions went unmet and negotiations for a unity government broke down. Nasrallah aimed to stop government from agreeing to Hezbollah disarmament following the summer 2006 Hezbollah-Israel conflict, and also to protect Syria from an investigation into the 2005 killing of Hariri.

    Despite the vacancies, the remaining 18 cabinet ministers approve the creation of an international tribunal to prosecute those suspected of orchestrating PM Hariri’s death.

    December 2006-January 2007: Anti-Government Hezbollah Protests
    Hezbollah supporters camp in tents in downtown Beirut, increasing pressure on government to assent to Nasrallah’s demands. Violent strikes across the country on January 24 lead Hezbollah to rescind threats to dissolve government immediately, cooling sectarian tensions, but not resolving them.

    May 2007: Hariri Tribunal Established
    The United Nations Security Council establishes an international tribunal to investigate the death of PM Hariri at the request of PM Siniora.

    September 2007: Presidential Election Postponed
    Parliament is unable to elect a new president due to a boycott by pro-Syrian ministers. The elections are postponed until October 25 to give ministers time to decide on a consensus candidate.

    October 2007: Presidential Election Postponed Again
    Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri postpones elections for a second time, in hopes that a consensus candidate might still be found. The pro-Syrian opposition and anti-Syrian majority have until November 12 to decide on a candidate.