Israel-Palestine: the Palestinian position
Pronouncements from Hamas officials indicate that some in the movement hold a potential moderate position that could be conducive to peace. Said Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, “We have no problem with...
View ArticleThe Middle East remapped
Ralph Peters recently offered a map of how the Middle East might look if borders were redrawn to better reflect sectarian and ethnic divides. (Click on “Next” under the map, then click on the map to...
View ArticleExperts on US support for Israel
In the November 2006 Atlantic Monthly, 39 experts were asked about U.S. support for Israel. “How do you think U.S. support for Israel will change over the next decade?” 68% “It will stay about the...
View ArticlePalestinians: less intent on “returning”
The NYT reports on a key issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the Palestinians “right of return”. Some 700,000 Palestinians were driven or fled from their homes at Israel’s founding in 1948, and...
View ArticleSelf-determination: odds on 6 new states
Foreign Policy offers the odds on six new states achieving independence: 1. Kosovo Odds — “strong”: driven by US and EU support, it has a good shot at full independence from Serbia 2. South Sudan Odds...
View ArticleIsrael: considering Saudi peace plan
“Israeli leaders are seriously considering a dormant Saudi plan offering a comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for lands captured during the 1967 war,” reports say. The...
View ArticleIsrael’s Expanding Settlements
Middle East Progress this week interviewed retired Israeli colonel Shaul Arieli about Israel’s settlements, which are now arguably the chief obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace. Arieli made these...
View ArticleIsrael: Becoming Middle Eastern?
The International Crisis Group (ICG) issued a report today on Israel’s religious right and the settlements, arguing that this sector of Israeli society must be dealt with if a peace process is to...
View ArticleIran: Sanctions, Regime Change, Etc.
The US is preparing to push for new sanctions against Iran in light of its nuclear program, aiming to interfere with Iranian trade more broadly. A comprehensive sanctions approach has more chance of...
View ArticleMideast Turmoil: A Forecast Compilation
This is a roundup of some of the fast-accumulating forecasts for Egypt and the Middle East, particularly those taking a longer view (including some of my own). General Threats to US interests — “Were...
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