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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

    European Activity in the Mideast: A Primer

    February 13, 2008

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

    Iran
    In 2003, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany formed the EU3 to try to halt the Iranian nuclear program, in part out of concern that a lack of effective diplomatic effort to change behavior would lead to United States action to try to change the Iranian regime. Iran agreed to suspend the enrichment of uranium while negotiating with Europe. Among the EU3, there are differences. Britain and France tend toward a harder line while Germany is more reluctant to support economic sanctions (Germany has $5.7 billion in exports to Iran in 2006 while France had only $2.6 billion and Britain less than $1 billion). Nevertheless, the EU3 continues to support sanctions on Iran, working toward a new, more comprehensive UN Security Council resolution sanctioning Iran even after the release of the U.S. Iran National Intelligence Estimate.

    Iraq
    While a number of European countries have had troops in Iraq at one point, the United Kingdom committed the largest number and had control over the southeastern part of the country. Recently, the UK decided to withdraw troops from Iraq and handed over control of Basra on December 11, 2007. NATO continues to operate a training facility in Iraq. European countries have donated extensively to Iraq’s reconstruction. European countries are also actively pursuing Iraq’s fossil fuel resources as an alternative to Russia and European ministers recently met with Iraq’s oil minister in Brussels.

    Israeli-Palestinian efforts
    • Quartet: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was appointed Quartet special envoy in June, 2007, and is responsible for securing international support for Quartet efforts and promoting Palestinian economic development. International support for institution building is considered vital for the establishment of a secure and stable Palestinian state, and Blair, along with other international organizations, is planning or currently executing a variety of development projects. Blair met recently with President Bush and has emphasized the Palestinian Authority’s progress on the road map as well as increasing regional support for peace.
    • Paris Donor Conference: Following the Annapolis Conference, nearly 90 countries and international organizations gathered in Paris on December 17, 2007 for a major Palestinian donors conference. The participants pledged $7.4 billion over the next three years to support Palestinian development, exceeding the $5.6 billion sought initially.
    • Aid and reform: The EU is targeting its aid to the Palestinian Authority to economic and other reforms consistent with Prime Minister Fayyad’s reform program. The aid package includes nearly $5 billion over three years, replacing a program of direct assistance to destitute Palestinians instituted following the January 2006 legislative election that brought Hamas to power.

    Lebanon
    France has historic ties to Lebanon dating back to 1920-1946 when France was the ruling mandate power in the region. It established Lebanon’s borders and helped shape the country’s confessional political system. France spearheaded international efforts to resolve the presidential crisis and has been one of the most vocal Western critics of Syrian interference in Lebanon’s affairs. Most recently, France has supported the negotiations of Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and the Arab League’s three point plan to end the continuing stalemate. Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Patricia Santinelli also recently visited Lebanon, reiterating the close ties between Lebanon and Italy.


    The Gulf
    France recently signed an agreement heightening military cooperation with United Arab Emirates (UAE), including the establishment of a military base holding 500 troops. Other than the United States, France is the only foreign country with a permanent military presence in the Gulf. Further, joint war games between France and the UAE have been scheduled. In return, among other things, the UAE will receive civilian nuclear benefits with the possibility of a nuclear power plant. This base is positioned near the Strait of Hormuz.