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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

11/20/08
Pakistan: Learning the Right Lessons from Iraq  —Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
11/13/08
The View from Gaza  —Taghreed El-Khodary, New York Times journalist in Gaza and Harvard University Nieman Fellow (2005-2006). Interviewed by Middle East Bulletin.
11/04/08
Getting on the Right Track  —Dalia Rabin, chairperson, Rabin Center, and daughter of the late Yitzhak Rabin. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

Keeping Focus on Long-Term Objectives

“[W]hile we do need to have a cooperative approach that involves many of our friends and allies in meeting with the Pakistanis, … as we work out with them a rough division of labor, the U.S., I believe, ought to be taking the lead in addressing the issues in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. And given the difficulty of doing so, I suspect that we will not have a great deal of difficulty in convincing them to allow us to take the lead there. But as we all know, there is a real tension between our short-term tactical aims in trying to capture or kill terrorists across the border and militants in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and our longer- term counterinsurgency pacification goals. We very much need to be focusing on the end state. What is it that we want this area to look like? ... In that context we need to have a common agenda with the Pakistani government and very much to include the military on counterinsurgency in that area. There needs to be, therefore, a focus on combining military efforts with economic, development and political development in those areas.”
—Robert L. Grenier, managing director and chairman for Global Security Consulting, Kroll, event, “Partnership for Progress: Advancing a New Strategy for Prosperity and Stability in Pakistan and the Region,” Center for American Progress, November 17, 2008

Middle East Analysis

Status of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

December 14, 2007

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

Political Track
A joint Israeli-Palestinian steering committee, led by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, met for the first time since the Annapolis conference on December 12. Despite significant tensions fueled by recent developments, the two sides pledged to continue, in the coming weeks, talks aimed at reaching a final agreement by the end of 2008, and the creation of an independent Palestinian state by 2011.

Economic Track
International Donors Conference: A conference, featuring 90 countries and international organizations, is scheduled to take place December 17 in Paris, at which PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad will present a Palestinian development plan seeking $5.6 billion in foreign aid. The conference will be the first forum for donor states to make pledges to the Palestinian Authority since 1996.

Development Plan: The Palestinian Authority submitted an aid proposal to the International Monetary Fund on December 11. The package includes a request for more than $5 billion in foreign aid during a span of three years. Twenty six percent of the proposed aid would go to government reforms, including reforming security services and the judicial system, 21 percent would be spent in the economic sector, and 23 percent would be used for infrastructure. The remaining 30 percent would be dedicated to internal development.

Security Track
West Bank: On December 3, it was reported that Palestinian policemen were involved in the killing of an Israeli settler in the West Bank. PA President Abbas has recently begun efforts to gain greater control of security in the towns of Nablus and Tulkarem. This week, female Palestinian police officers were also deployed in the West Bank for the first time.

Gaza Strip: On December 12, militants in the Gaza strip fired 17 Qassam rockets into Israel. On December 13, Israel continued its limited incursions into the Gaza Strip, including an IAF airstrike that killed three militants in the Gaza City.

Humanitarian Track
In a gesture of goodwill after Annapolis, Israel released 429 Palestinian prisoners on December 3. Of the total, 273 were arrested during the second intifada from 2001-2005, while approximately 10 percent were arrested in the last year.

Institution Building
Fatah and Hamas sources confirmed that the two sides have been holding secret negotiations in the Gaza Strip, Damascus and Beirut. On December 11, Damascus-based Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal stated that Hamas would return control of security and government institutions in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. This transfer of power may begin with the holding of new parliamentary and presidential elections.

PA officials have recently criticized Egypt for working directly with Hamas, and temporarily reopening the Rafah border crossing, to allow a small group of Gazans to perform Hajj. PA officials also criticized Saudi Arabia for accepting a Hamas delegation headed by Mashaal.

Arab League Follow-Up
Egypt: Egypt is reportedly trying to organize a meeting in Cairo between Fatah and Hamas at the end of December. The meeting aims to open formal negotiations between the rival factions.

Saudi Arabia: Hamas officials confirmed that Saudi Arabia is also working to bring about a settlement between Fatah and Hamas.

International Participation
United States: President Bush is scheduled to make his first official presidential visit to Israel from January 10-11. In addition, the United States plans to increase its economic aid for the PA from $50 million to $400 million beginning in 2008.

Britain: On December 11, the government pledged $500 million over three years in foreign aid for the Palestinians, dependent upon progress in the peace process.

Quartet: The Quartet will meet on the sidelines of the December 17 international donors conference in Paris for the first time since the Annapolis summit. The meeting will take place at the ministerial level, and will bring together officials from the United States, United Nations, European Union, and Russia.

Russia: The United States and Russia are tentatively planning a post-Annapolis follow-up conference to be held in Moscow in early 2008. The conference would bring together Annapolis’ Arab participants and would launch negotiations on the Israeli-Syrian track.