Today's News
- Israel, Germany Plan International Summit to Stop Iran Nuke Program
Germany and Israel will try to initiate an international conference aimed at stopping Iran’s nuclear program, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed during their working meeting in Jerusalem on Monday.
Haaretz has meanwhile learned that Iran has provided Syria with more than $1 billion for arms purchases, reflecting Syria’s drive to build up its military power in the last year, as well as the strengthening of ties between the two countries.
- Posted on: 03/21/08
- Israel Shows Little Enthusiasm for Moscow Peace Conference
A senior Israeli official on Friday expressed reservations over a proposal for a Middle East conference in Moscow promoted by visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"Out of diplomatic courtesy, we didn’t reject the plan, but the truth is, we are not enthusiastic," the official said, asking not to be named.
- Posted on: 03/21/08
- Israel Deplores Swiss Natural Gas Deal With Iran
Israel lodged a complaint with Switzerland on Wednesday over a Swiss-Iranian natural gas purchase, calling the deal inconsistent with U.S.-led efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear program through economic isolation.
Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey announced the sale during a visit to Tehran on Monday and said her country was ready "to contribute to solutions" to the stand-off over Iranian uranium enrichment and other sensitive nuclear projects.
- Posted on: 03/21/08
- Israeli, Indian Companies Seek Natural Gas for Cars
Israeli company Energtek and Confidence Petroleum India announced on Tuesday the launching of a joint venture aimed at commercializing environmentally-friendly natural gas for vehicles in southeast Asia.
The venture will see Energtek introduce natural gas to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries in the region, the companies said during a press conference in Mumbai, India.
- Posted on: 03/21/08
Setting the Record Straight
Strategic Bridges
"New realities require a painful reassessment and giving up the warm sentiments built up over a nearly 60-year alliance. Bold steps are needed to bring the country back into the Western fold while blunting the damage an Islamist-led Turkey can do to Western interests."
–Daniel Pipes, "Turkey, Still a Western Ally?" Jerusalem Post, December 5, 2007
VS.
"Turkey is a very important power in our region, and it has a better understanding of Middle East geopolitics; thus it constitutes a strategic bridge between Europe and the Middle East. … Turkey has a natural role in certain mediation and has found a proper way to dialogue with Syria.”
–Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, February 14, 2008
Today's Feature
Israel & India: New Allies
by Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow, Saban Center, the Brookings Institution. Prior to his retirement in 2006 he was a senior adviser on Middle East issues for the last three presidents. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
On January 21, 2008 an Indian space launch vehicle lifted off from the Sriharikota spaceport on the Indian Ocean to put into space Israel’s most sophisticated spy satellite ever launched, the Polaris. The commercial launch of Polaris by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) underscored the growing military and intelligence connections between Israel and India. The United States helped inspire this relationship and has a strong interest in its success. Though unique in the military cooperation realm, this
Continue Reading Israel & India: New Allies
Indian PM Manmohan Singh and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert (AP)
"The cooperation between Israel and India, with U.S. blessing, provides important security to two democratic countries in a very unstable part of the world."
Middle East Analysis
- Friends in High Places
The Federal Republic of Germany waited until Israel was 17 years old before establishing diplomatic relations. But the two countries have since more than made up for the delay. This week the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, took half her cabinet to Jerusalem for an early celebration of Israel’s 60th birthday (in May). Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, greeted her at the airport as if she were an American president. On March 18th Ms Merkel addressed Israel’s parliament, an honour previously
- Posted on: 03/21/08
Background Basics
- Key Israeli Ties with Great and Emerging Powers
Israel-Brazil
Diplomatic relations began in 1950 and have focused recently on science and technology cooperation. In 2005 the two signed a joint industrial research and development agreement with the aim of increasing ties between private companies in both countries. Bilateral trade exceeded $1 billion in 2007. Brazil is Israel’s largest commercial partner in the Americas. Israel has since signed a free trade agreement with MERCOSUR, which Brazil helped to broker. Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso AmorimContinue Reading Key Israeli Ties with Great and Emerging Powers
- Posted on: 03/21/08
Heard on the Street
- Shared Regional Concerns
Briefing by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to Turkish journalists on March 4, 2008:
“The good news is that on the other side we found ourselves in the same camp with nations, states, and leaders with whom we may have had some conflicts in the past. We have Israel. We have Turkey. We have the Palestinian Authority, represented by Salam Fayyad, Abu Mazen, and Abu Ala, who are part of the national Palestinian movement but believe in the idea
- Posted on: 03/21/08
Upcoming Events
- No End in Sight: Conversations on Iraq
Keynote Address:
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)Introduction by:
Rudy deLeon, Senior Vice President of National Security and International Policy, Center for American ProgressFeatured Speaker:
Charles Ferguson, author, No End in SightModerated by:
Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American ProgressWhen: March 13, 2008, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Where: Center for American Progress, 1333 H St, NW, Washington, DC. 20005
RSVP for event or click here for more information
- Posted on: 03/10/08
- Middle East Progress
- 1333 H St. NW, Floor 10
- Washington, DC 20005
- info@middleeastprogress.org
