Lots of listening, no grand initiatives expected on Obama’s Mideast trip

Published on March 12, 2013

When President Obama visits Israel next week, Gavriel Yaakov wants him to jump-start the peace process.

Romney blames Obama for ‘daylight’ with Israel in second debate

Published on October 17, 2012

Mitt Romney accused President Obama of putting "daylight between us and Israel" in the second presidential debate.

Romney’s triumph eases GOP Middle East policy rhetoric

Published on April 17, 2012

The Republican primaries are effectively over, and gone with them is the sharp-edged rhetoric and departures from past U.S. policy on the Middle East.

For Mideast foes’ Oscar films, family trumps flag

Published on February 17, 2012

As their nations warn of war, the Israeli and Iranian directors facing off at next week's Academy Awards share a reluctance to see politics read into their movies, both of which are portraits of troubled families. Joseph Cedar, director of Israel's "Footnote," and Asghar Farhadi, maker of Iran's "A Separation," stress that their works are about human issues and not conflicted governments that seem to be slipping into ever deeper diplomatic isolation.

Economy more worrying than Mideast for Florida Jews

Published on January 30, 2012

Newt Gingrich describes the Palestinians as an invented people and seeks covert action against Iran, while Mitt Romney accuses President Barack Obama of throwing Israel under a bus. But the Republican presidential candidates' tough talk on the Middle East in Florida before Tuesday's primary is doing little to sway the state's large Jewish population from its longstanding support for the Democrats.

Rice: ‘No shortcut’ to Mideast peace

Published on January 26, 2012

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, told a Jewish group that there is “no shortcut” to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

No breakthrough on Mideast peace, talks to go on

Published on January 3, 2012

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators made no breakthrough during their first high-level discussions in more than a year on Tuesday, but agreed to hold further talks in Amman on a confidential basis, Jordan's foreign minister said.

Iran threatens to cut off Mideast oil

Published on December 27, 2011

Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz if its oil exports are subjected to foreign sanctions, the Islamic Republic's official news agency reported.

Egypt votes in first post-Mubarak election

Published on November 28, 2011

Egyptians voted on Monday in their first election since a popular revolt ousted Hosni Mubarak, amid fears the generals who replaced the deposed leader would try to cling on to power.

Egypt vote tests troubled political transition

Published on November 27, 2011

Egyptians vote on Monday in the first big test of a transition born in popular revolutionary euphoria that soured into distrust of the generals who replaced their master, Hosni Mubarak.

French Jewish groups call country’s UNESCO vote a betrayal

Published on November 1, 2011

French Jewish groups said they feel betrayed by their country’s vote in favor of extending UNESCO membership to the Palestinians.

Granger warns UNESCO: Admit Palestinians, lose funding

Published on October 6, 2011

A top congressional appropriator, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, warned UNESCO that granting the Palestinians full membership could mean a cutoff in U.S. funding for the cultural body.

France’s Sarkozy proposes 1-yr Mideast peace map

Published on September 21, 2011

French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations give the Palestinians status as a U.N. observer state while setting out a roadmap for peace within one year.

Obama rejects Palestinian U.N. statehood bid

Published on September 21, 2011

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday rejected Palestinian plans to seek U.N. blessing for statehood and urged a return to peace talks with Israel as he tried to head off a looming diplomatic disaster.

Obama to UN: Consider Israel’s security

Published on September 21, 2011

President Obama appealed to the United Nations to recognize Israel’s security concerns in considering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Is rift looming in U.S.-Israel ties?

Published on September 20, 2011

In recent months, the tensions that have characterized relations between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government have largely receded into the background.

France Mideast envoy: Opposition to Palestine bid cost my job

Published on September 7, 2011

France's special envoy to the Middle East said she was fired because she opposed a Palestinian plan to ask the United Nations for statehood.

U.S. lawmakers talk Palestinian statehood, Iran at Mideast confab

Published on June 23, 2011

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin said supporters of Israel must be prepared for a U.N. General Assembly vote recognizing a Palestinian state in September, saying the Palestinians have "the upper hand" in pushing through such a resolution.

Obama’s morally confused Mideast policies endanger Israel

Published on June 21, 2011

Israel and America are at a dangerous crossroads in which the survival of Israel and the safety of the United States both hang in the balance. Year after year, the forces of terrorism become stronger, and the claims of terrorists become more acceptable to our European allies and more powerful in the United Nations. Year after year the Iranian dictatorship, with its openly stated desire to annihilate Israel and defeat the United States, moves closer to having nuclear means to do so. Year after year, Hamas grows stronger in Gaza and Hezbollah grows stronger in Lebanon.

Poll: Americans’ views on Mideast largely unchanged

Published on June 14, 2011

Americans' views on Middle East issues have not changed in recent months, despite major headlines from the region, according to a new poll.

European rabbis urge religious tolerance in Mideast

Published on June 1, 2011

Senior European rabbis urged the European Union to ensure that the burgeoning democratic movements sweeping across the Arab world also guarantee religious freedom in the region. During a meeting Monday at the European Commission in Brussels, the four-member Conference of European Rabbis delegation stressed the importance of reversing decades of dictatorship and human rights abuses in some Middle Eastern countries.

Obama and the quest for Mideast peace

Published on June 1, 2011

So, why was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu steaming when he came out of his tête-á-tête with President Barack Obama on May 20? The president’s inherently pro-Palestinian, con-Israeli stance may have been another rude awakening for the prime minister, but the handwriting’s been on the wall for some time now. Take, for example, candidate Obama’s statement in March 2007 that “nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people.” How about the Israeli people, who have had to live with the daily threat of terrorist attacks and bombings and hostile Arab armies on their borders since the inception of the Jewish state in 1948?

Peres: Israel needs to formulate its own Mideast peace plan

Published on April 22, 2011

Israel needs to draft its own Mideast peace initiative if it wants to avoid international pressure over a reported U.S peace plan, President Shimon Peres said on Friday, following a report claiming Washington was working on a plan to restart stalled peace talks.

UN urges bold steps to relaunch Mideast peace talks

Published on April 21, 2011

The United Nations called on Thursday for "bold and decisive steps" to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian peace process as the region awaits a possible new initiative by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Obama: Changes in Mideast make Israel-Palestinian peace more urgent than ever

Published on April 5, 2011

United States President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that with the winds of change sweeping the broader Middle East it was "more urgent than ever" to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Peres to Clinton: Israel is ready to assist in Mideast transition

Published on April 5, 2011

Shimon Peres told Hillary Rodham Clinton that Israel was ready to do what it could to facilitate transition among its neighbors to democracy. "We see this occasion as an occasion for better and for good will to cooperate in every possible way to enable this change to take the course into the 21st century for all the Middle East people and escape their poverty and problems and wants," the Israeli president told the U.S. secretary of state before their meeting Monday afternoon.

Warren Christopher, overseer of Mideast talks, dies

Published on March 21, 2011

Warren Christopher, the U.S. Secretary of State whose intensive shuttling shepherded talks with Syria, Jordan and the Palestinians in the mid-1990s, has died. Christopher died March 18 at home in Los Angeles of complications from cancer. He was 85. As secretary of state under President Bill Clinton, Christopher traveled to the Middle East 18 times in an effort to bring peace to the region.

First Tunisia, then Egypt: Which Mideast autocracy will be next to fall?

Published on February 15, 2011

With popular uprisings having toppled two Arab dictators in the space of just a few weeks and unrest reverberating across the Middle East, are other regimes likely to fall, too? Nearly everywhere in the region, autocratic leaders seem to be on the defensive. Using carrots or sticks, and sometimes both, they’re struggling to curb growing protest movements.

Battle over Mideast transit ads heating up across U.S.

Published on February 8, 2011

With public bickering over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict already having spilled over into university student senates, corporate pension boards and even local farmers markets, the latest battlefield in the debate over the conflict is municipal transit systems.

Egyptian unrest stokes oil fears, but Mideast markets relax

Published on February 2, 2011

Investors began separating the losers and the gainers from Egyptian unrest on Wednesday, as fears the turmoil would interrupt the world oil trade lifted petroleum prices to their highest level in more than two years while share markets in the Middle East rebounded. The price of North Sea Brent crude futures held above $100 a barrel on Wednesday and just below the 28-month high they reached a day earlier, amid concerns the standoff between Egypt’s government and the opposition might close the Suez Canal. Investors also remained jittery about the risk of unrest spreading to the Middle East’s oil exporters.

Palestinians gain ground in PR, diplomatic war

Published on December 21, 2010

In the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict, score some recent victories for the Palestinians.

Obama talks Iran with Security Council envoys

Published on December 14, 2010

President Obama emphasized containing Iran's nuclear ambitions in a meeting with envoys to the United Nations Security Council.

Settlements are the issue

Published on November 23, 2010

While clearing away the rubble from Dennis Prager’s latest attack on “liberals,” which he likes to think is not ad hominem (unless, of course, one understands the term literally), we have to acknowledge that he may have a point. One can debate whether Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are “the major impediment to peace in the Middle East.” After all, there are weighty factors other than settlements that complicate prospects for a negotiated settlement, including Israeli political opinion, Palestinian public opinion, the attitude of neighboring Arab states, and the lack of resolve of the international community to offer carrots and sticks at the appropriate moments.

Netanyahu updates Cabinet on U.S. settlement freeze proposal

Published on November 14, 2010

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present to his Cabinet an American proposal to convince Israel to again freeze settlement construction in an effort to resume peace talks with the Palestinians.

Conductor Barenboim awarded German peace prize

Published on November 1, 2010

Conductor Daniel Barenboim was awarded a German peace prize for his efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians together.

Clinton: Only talks will result in a state

Published on October 21, 2010

Hillary Rodham Clinton told a Palestinian-American audience that the only path to statehood is through direct talks with Israel.

Olmert: Netanyahu leading Israel to political isolation

Published on October 12, 2010

Former prime minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday harshly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on the stalled peace process with the Palestinians.

Palestinians reject offer of recognition in exchange for freeze

Published on October 11, 2010

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would reinstate a West Bank construction freeze if the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Clinton, Syrian FM discuss Israel-Syria talks

Published on September 28, 2010

Hillary Rodham Clinton met with the Syrian foreign minister and discussed reviving Israeli-Syrian peace talks.

Sides work to save Mideast peace talks as freeze expires

Published on September 26, 2010

Israel allowed a politically charged freeze on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank to expire on Sunday, but the Palestinians did not carry out a threat to quit peace negotiations, setting the stage for further frantic efforts to keep the talks alive.

Abbas threatens to resign if talks fail

Published on September 19, 2010

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to resign if peace talks with Israel fail.

Havel joins Israel-friendly initiative

Published on September 16, 2010

Former Czech President Vaclav Havel joined an initiative to defend Israel in Europe and the West.

U.S.: Direct talks on track, no deadline

Published on August 19, 2010

An Obama administration official said direct Israeli-Palestinian talks are on track, but would not set a time frame.

Israel will reject preconditions for talks

Published on August 16, 2010

Israel said it will reject any preconditions set forth by the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators on resuming direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

U.S. missile plan spreads defense throughout Mideast

Published on May 11, 2010

The Obama administration's new missile defense plan means batteries located in Israel could be relocated to other nations in the region depending on the threat, a top U.S. official said.

U.S. official stumping Middle East on water issues

Published on April 16, 2010

A top U.S. official is traveling to Israel, Jordan and Egypt to promote cooperation in the use and sharing of water.

The visit this week by Maria Otero, the undersecretary for democracy and global affairs, "will underscore the need to elevate our diplomatic efforts surrounding water; harness the power of science and technology; leverage the full range of relationships; and build capacity at local, national and regional levels," a State Department statement said.

Jane Fonda responds to Toronto backlash

Published on September 14, 2009

I recently signed a letter protesting the Toronto International Film Festival's decision to showcase and celebrate Tel Aviv. This in the very year when Gaza happened.

Iran policy reveals split between U.S. Jewish and Israeli left

Published on September 7, 2009

Israel's highest-ranking female soldier, Brig. Gen. Yisraela Oron, was sounding all the right notes for her J Street hosts.

U.N. Watchdog Reports Iran’s Increased Capability

Published on September 2, 2009

Iran significantly increased its ability to make nuclear fuel this summer, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said in a new report. According to The New York Times, the report released Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency detailed an increase in the number of centrifuges installed, which are used to enrich uranium. The current number of more than 8,300 centrifuges is more than 1,100 above the June total.

Iran Sanctions, Peace Talks Linked

Published on September 1, 2009

Timing, if not intent, inevitably is weaving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process into the efforts to end Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program.

The major powers are meeting this week in Germany to coordinate Iran policy ahead of the U.N. General Assembly later this month. At the same time, Israeli officials are in Washington planning a joint summit of the Israeli, Palestinian and American leaders during the General Assembly.

The Euphrates is drying up; the End is near

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on July 16, 2009

AJC ad: ‘Not everyone wants Israel to live in peace’

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on June 11, 2009

Arab king calls Holocaust ‘wound to the collective memory of mankind’

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on June 9, 2009

An AIPAC must-read: ‘No American solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict’

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on June 1, 2009

Analysis: Obama sounding similar to Bush on foreign policy

By Ron Kampeas
Published on December 3, 2008

Not only is Barack Obama inheriting President Bush's Middle East, it looks like he's adopting his strategies.

Obama administration must pursue Mideast peace

Published on November 19, 2008

In the course of his campaign, Obama turned to the Jewish community to declare his support for Israel, saying that Israel's security is "paramount."
But if he really believes this to be true, he will have to understand that words of support are not enough. He will have to work to achieve the one thing that can bring the Jewish state true security: true peace.

McCain advisors:
No to Syria talks, little interest in Middle East peace process

By Ron Kampeas
Published on September 22, 2008

Two McCain advisers told participants in a weekend retreat that his administration would discourage Israeli-Syrian peace talks and refrain from actively engaging in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Biden, Palin lead campaign clash on Mideast

By Ron Kampeas
Published on September 4, 2008

The two vice-presidential candidates led the way Wednesday as the Obama and McCain campaigns worked to draw clear battle lines on Iran and Israel.

Ticking clock

By Steve Greenberg
Published on July 17, 2008

You want a peace of the Zohan?

By Tom Tugend
Published on June 3, 2008

The creative team behind "Don't Mess With the Zohan" insists that there is a somewhat serious message of coexistence to be gleaned from the Adam Sandler send-up about an Israeli commando-turned-New York hairstylist