Stay Informed

Sign up to receive the Middle East Bulletin!

Support Middle East Progress

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)

    Via Hezbollah, Syria Bears Some Responsibility

    April 30, 2008
    "I owe it to the transparency between me and my brothers, the Arab leaders, to clarify that what has been circulating about the so-called Syrian interference in Lebanon ... I would like to say to you, honestly, that what is happening on the ground is the exact opposite. Pressure has been exerted on Syria for over a year aimed at obliging us to interfere in the internal affairs of Lebanon. But we have refused to do so … They [Lebanese] have their own country, their own institutions and their own constitution and they are capable of achieving a solution themselves."
    --Syrian President Bashar al Assad, opening address, Damascus Arab League Summit, March 29, 2008

  • "The disarming and disbanding of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias is a necessary element to complete the consolidation of Lebanon as a sovereign and democratic State. ... I reiterate my position that the disarming and disbanding of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias should be carried out through an inclusive political dialogue that addresses the political and economic interests of all the Lebanese. I urge renewed political dialogue in Lebanon to affirm the commitment of all parties to the disarmament of militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, in fulfilment of the terms of resolution 1559 (2004). In this context, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which maintain close ties with [Hezbollah], bear a significant responsibility in supporting such a process, for the sake of the security, stability and welfare of both Lebanon and the wider region."
    --Seventh semi-annual report of the Secretary General on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1559 (2004), April 2008