Washington Post Columnist David Ignatius writes about moderating a panel discussion at Davos that erupted into a minor international incident between Israel and Turkey. At the event, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres launched into a long rebuttal to the other speakers, defending Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip. Trying to respond, Turkish Prime Minister Recep […]
According to the new Freedom House Press report, Israel dropped from Free to Partly Free status. The new ranking, though, remains just beyond the threshold to obtain a Free ranking. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority ranked as Not Free and Israel maintains the best overall free press score in the region. A quick summary of the […]
As U.S. attorneys dropped the espionage case against two former AIPAC officials, Vice President Joe Biden will headline the groups annual meeting. Other prominent speakers include House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Reps. Jane Harman and Eric Cantor. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will address the […]
The number of Americans opposing settlements jumped 23-percent since 2002 to approximately 75-percent, according to a new poll. The U.S.-backed Road Map for Peace calls for an immediate freeze on settlements while Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s posture towards settlements remains in question. Almost exactly half of those questioned, though, expressed equal sympathy for both […]
A judge has ordered the release of four generals that were being held in connection with the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Belgian judge Daniel Fransen ordered the men to be freed Wednesday after it was determined that the evidence being used to hold them was insufficient. The four generals […]
The most recent Palestinian reconciliation talks concluded with only one breakthrough, as negotiators postponed the renewal of negotiations to May 16 and 17. Both Hamas and Fatah officially state that they are willing to compromise, but many observers deem the process futile. The delay to mid-May occurred to permit faction delegates to discuss proposals with […]
Following Jordanian King Abdullah’s visit to the White House last week, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh spoke with Middle East Progress, stressing the need for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike representatives from other Arab nations, he stated that the Arab Peace Initiative does not expire, but he urged a quick resolution to the […]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came to Beirut this past weekend to voice American support for the pro-Western March 14 coalition of Sunni and Christian leaders in the upcoming election. She delivered a letter to President Sleiman from President Obama declaring that the United States would not “sell out” Lebanon in any deal made in […]
Palestinian reconciliation talks in Cairo managed a minor breakthrough, even though the entire discussions seem futile in achieving a final agreement. Fatah and Hamas negotiators agreed to permit the PLO to serve as a “national reference,” essentially a de-facto decision making body until proper elections for a legislative council occur. Hamas initially sought a more […]
State Department Special Envoy Dennis Blair will visit the Gulf and Egypt next week in a likely effort to obtain support for U.S. initiatives aimed at curbing the Iranian nuclear program. While the State Department did not specify the details of issues to be discussed, Ross may also attempt to enlist support for a resolution […]
The transition from Memorial Day directly into Israeli Independence Day remains analogous to the historical evolution of the country. Tonight, Israelis gather across the state, paying homage to the sacrifices of fallen soldiers in defense of the country during multiple wars over the last 61 years. Tomorrow, the entire demeanor of the country changes, with […]
Here is a translation I did of a March 2009 article by Salaama Ahmed Salaama (of Al-Ahram fame, now at Al-Shorouk) about recent US policy in the Middle East and America’s relationship with the Israel lobby. It’s no surprise here that despite Salaama’s comfortable relationship with the Egyptian government, he is disappointed with Egyptian policy […]
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