Middle East peace process « Previous Entries Next Entries »

For Zionists, the obsession with Jerusalem is a recent phenomenon

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations recently “reaffirmed its longstanding position that a united Jerusalem should remain the sovereign and eternal capital of Israel,” according to a JTA story. Some left-of-center groups were against it but they could not stem the tide. Anyone with the slightest familiarity with Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in […]

Suddenly, the two-state chorus grows louder, more diverse

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

Something seems to be brewing out there, something new. I’ve been doing Middle East peace work, on and off, since the mid-1980s. I have never heard so many people from so many different corners of America defying right-wingers (and ultra-left-wingers) on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and saying the same things at the same time.
What do a […]

The peace process, Iran and the law of unintended consequences

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

At a luncheon panel on Israel and Iran at the Century Foundation yesterday, I was taken aback by some thoughts shared by Trita Parsi, author of the new and highly regarded Dangerous Alliance -The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the United States, and Daniel Levy, the former Israeli negotiator who is now Director […]

Heartwarming holiday surprise: Philip Weiss praises liberal Zionists and Israel Policy Forum

Saturday, December 8th, 2007

In a post that recounts an Israel Policy Forum dinner that I also attended (hat tip to Richard Witty), Philip Weiss describes his joy at discovering what has been available for years, waiting for him to encounter it: a community of American Jews who care about Israel, who consider themselves part of the Israel […]

A diplomatic tool: the “freyer” factor

Monday, December 3rd, 2007

So just how much pressure can and should the U.S. apply to both Israelis and Palestinians after the Annapolis conference? The “P word” -pressure– still sends chills down the spines of too many mainstream American Jewish leaders, including those who know full well that, at times, Israeli Prime Ministers have desparately needed American pressure […]

What would you do if you were Israel’s Defense Minister?

Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

There has been no shortage of commentary about the prospects –or lack therof–for successful negotiations after Annapolis. I have yet to read much that is not predictable. But Yediot Aharonot’s military correspondent, Alex Fishman, wrote an original piece today about the concrete challenges facing Israel’s security establishment. It is, of course, politically incorrect […]

An approach to the different “narratives”: Don’t let them prevent Arab-Jewish coalition-building

Wednesday, November 21st, 2007

There is a remarkable essay by Hussein Ibish, a Palestinian American who is a Senior Fellow with the American Task Force On Palestine, on the ATFP’s web site.
Called “Sense, Nonsense and Strategy in the New Palestinian Political Landscape,” it allows us to eavesdrop on the internal Palestinian American conversation about what is to be done. […]

Rally for peace in Annapolis on Nov. 27th…

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

A number of Jewiish peace groups are trying to cobble together a rally in Annapolis next week (11/27). As of now, they include Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, Meretz USA, Union of Progressive Zionists, Kesher ARZA, Habonim Dror and Hashomer Hatzair. One of the problems that haunts peace-seeking people is that, […]

The best line ever written about Israeli settlements…

Sunday, November 18th, 2007

Lords of the Land, by Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar, is one of the most heartbreaking books I have ever read (or, more accurately, started to read, as I am half-way through). Written in 2005 and just released in translation by Nation Books, it tells us everything Diaspora and Israeli Jews must be forced […]

Are pro-Israel doves part of the “lobby?”

Thursday, November 8th, 2007

Apologies for the recent lack of blogging activity. Too many work and family obligations, not enough hours in the day.
Last week, there was a dyspeptic attack on Americans for Peace Now by my friend Philip Weiss on his blog, MondoWeiss. (Check it out at http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/11/foreign-affairs.html). It deserves a belated response.
In taking on a […]

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