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

"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)

Freezing out old friends

March 19, 2007

Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and John Ensign (R-NV) have softened the language�of a letter they circulated urging Secretary Rice to continue withholding aid to the new Palestinian government.

In its original form, the letter clearly�asked for a ban on�contact with any PA officials. The new version, changed in response to a widespread lobbying campaign by Americans for Peace Now and other progressive organizations, leaves room for interpretation.

The�Bush Administration already said that it might allow contact with members of the government, according to a spokeswoman for the United States Consulate in Jerusalem.

Barring all contact would prevent diplomatic engagement with Palestinians who seek peace with Israel, such as President Mahmoud Abbas and Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, who won praise from President Bush (via spokesman Ari Fleischer) after a 2005 meeting:

“The President told the Finance Minister, one, that he viewed the Finance Minister as a real reformer. He is. He’s a man who has really worked hard for honesty and transparency, and fought corruption in the Palestinian Authority. And the President stressed his strong views that Prime Minister Mazen is also a reformer. He finds in each of them qualities that the United States can work with because they’re good leaders.”