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

"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)

Rice Meetings Raise Questions

Uzi Benziman (Haaretz)

October 19, 2007

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

The picture that emerges from the meetings Rice had is one of division in the Israeli leadership, which is similar to the instability of the Palestinian leadership. The visiting secretary of state may rightly doubt whether Olmert’s leadership abilities, and his ability to deliver the diplomatic goods, are any better than those of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The emerging government position is different from the message of the last Knesset election. In March 2006, Kadima and Labor presented their constituencies with an attitude on the diplomatic front that challenged the Likud outlook and that of the parties on the right. Kadima under Ariel Sharon was behind the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, and Olmert’s Kadima spoke of giving up most of the territory in the West Bank. Labor under Amir Peretz backed a platform similar to that of Meretz on the peace issue.

These two parties came to the Knesset with 49 MKs, substantially larger than all other factions in the plenum. They have a moral and political mandate to stick to the line on whose basis they sought the backing of the voter - to lead the state toward relinquishing the territories and bring an end to the cancerous conflict with the Palestinians. Access the full article>>