CFR.org - Israel

The Tragedy of Palestinian Divisions

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:42:14 -0400

Expert Rashid Khalidi says it is crucial for Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah to reconcile to effectively negotiate a two-state solution with Israel or face a troubling status quo.

BBC: Bedouin Who Serve in Israel's Army

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:26:36 -0400

Rachid Sekkai reports on the experiences of Non-Jews in Israel's army, and proves that the traditional image of the Arab-Israeli conflict as one of Jews fighting Muslims is not always accurate.

Solving the Syrian Puzzle

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:27:11 -0400

CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says Syria continues to "meddle" in the business of many states in the Mideast but could be a useful partner for the United States in the region.

Start-Up Nation

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:45:08 -0400

Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies—produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.

Obama Looking for Negotiations to Produce Lasting, Not Interim Mideast Peace Solution

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:49:25 -0400

CFR's Steven A. Cook says it was significant that President Barack Obama was pressing for "permanent status negotiations" between Israel and Palestine and not another interim accord, but adds that "the conditions on the ground don't lend themselves to progress."

Briefing by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Mitchell on Obama's Trilateral Meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:38 -0400

Statement

UN Report on Human Rights in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories (Goldstone Report), September 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:34:26 -0400

Report

Hamas 2.0

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:10:21 -0400

The January war in Gaza overshadowed the fact that Hamas is in the midst of an unprecedented ideological transformation -- and it's time for the West to pay attention.

Stalling Over Israeli Settlements

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:45:47 -0400

Expert David Makovsky says there are unnecessary U.S.-Israel tensions over Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank. The dispute is impeding one of the few areas where progress can be made with Palestinians.

ICG: Israel's Religious Right and the Question of Settlements

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:02:19 -0400

Israel's Religious Right and the Question of Settlements, the latest report from the International Crisis Group, warns against underestimating the importance of a growing political and social phenomenon that, if ignored, could undermine a sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace.

U.N. Resolutions on the Suez Crisis

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:54:10 -0400

Resolutions passed to promote a cease fire among parties involved in the Suez Crisis, and to establish the creation and placement of an international force to maintain the peace.

Middle East Quartet Statement, June 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:58:16 -0400

Statement

Why Obama Should Listen to Bibi

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:20:13 -0400

Leslie H. Gelb writes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "made some significant points that Washington shouldn’t ignore," in his speech on Sunday.

Netanyahu Speech Aimed to Ease U.S. Relations, Unlikely to Assuage Palestinians

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:18:32 -0400

Aaron David Miller, a former senior U.S. negotiator in the Mideast, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closely watched speech on June 14 "was less about pursuing Arab-Israeli peace and much more about pursuing the U.S.-Israeli relationship."

Why the Jews?

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:54:24 -0400

Michael J. Gerson writes in response to the shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, "When the rights of Jews are violated, all human rights are insecure."

Benjamin Netanyahu's Speech on the Peace Process at Bar Ilan

Council on Foreign Relations — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:02:51 -0400

Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on foreign policy and the peace process delivered at Bar Ilan University on June 14, 2009.

Bibi Speaks

Council on Foreign Relations — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:55:54 -0400

Elliott Abrams argues, "In Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech today he took one major step toward the Obama administration, by endorsing a Palestinian state. In every other way, he resisted President Obama's pressure."

Why Obama Should Keep the Heat on Israel

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:20:33 -0400

Peter Beinart argues, "by taking on the Israeli government over the issue of settlement growth, Obama is showing that he's a gambler overseas" as well as at home.

Core Differences Remain After Netanyahu-Obama Meeting

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:14:50 -0400

CFR Middle East expert Steven A. Cook says President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu wanted to project "a friendly partnership" in their White House meeting, but remain divided on a two-state solution and how to confront Iran.

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, May 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:07:59 -0400

Speech

NYT: Israel's Fears, Amalek's Arsenal

Council on Foreign Relations — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:04:44 -0400

Jeffrey Goldberg argues that while President Obama wants Benjamin Netanyahu to endorse the creation of a Palestinian state, Netanyahu wants something else entirely: the president's agreement that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Syria Looking for Improved Relations with Obama Administration

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:31:03 -0400

Syria expert Joshua Landis says both the Syrian government and the Obama administration are looking to improve relations, but the renewal of sanctions by the United States, designating the country as a rogue state, may prove an obstacle.

Economist: A Chapter of Accidents

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:53:22 -0400

The pope's visit to the Holy Land adds another public relations disaster to an already numerable string that already exists. Why is this?

Time: Christians in Gaza Make Their Appeal to the Pope

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:41:09 -0400

Tim McKirk says to be a Christian in Gaza is difficult and requires discretion. Gaza once had a thriving Christian community, but now it is down to 2,500.

Pope Benedict XVI's Arrival Speech in Israel, May 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:59:28 -0400

Speech

A Conversation with Tzipi Livni (Video)

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:27:00 -0400

Watch Kadima Party Chair Tzipi Livni express her views on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and policy toward Iran.

A Conversation with Tzipi Livni (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:33:17 -0400

Listen to Kadima Party Chair Tzipi Livni, express her views on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and policy toward Iran.

The National: Purification Rites

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:16:59 -0400

As "nationalist demagogues" take power in India and Israel, Pankaj Mishra examines the histories of division, ethnic cleansing, and militant patriotism that have led both countries into a "moral wilderness."

U.S. Diplomatic Overture to Syria Unlikely to Narrow Gulf of Differences

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:42:57 -0500

Elliott Abrams, former chief Middle East adviser on the National Security Council, says the Obama administration's move to send diplomats to Damascus for talks marks "a real policy change" but he is doubtful it will amount to much.

Prospects for a Centrist 'Grand Coalition' in Israel

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:41:05 -0500

Gerald Steinberg, an adviser to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, says many in Israel, himself included, would prefer that Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the Likud Party, form a "a broad, centrist-based coalition" with Tzipi Livni of Kadima and Ehud Barak of Labor, but that a right-wing coalition may be easier to obtain.