History and Politics of the Modern Middle East
Published in Your Middle East on Feb. 2, 2012.
During the first Palestinian intifada (uprising) against Israel in 1988, renowned scholar and former Israeli intelligence chief Yehoshafat Harkabi argued in his book Israel’s Fateful Hour, that in order for Israel to sustain its majority Jewish and democratic character, Israel’s options were not between good and bad but between bad and worse. Continue reading “Revisiting the Arab Peace Initiative – A Novel Approach to Failed Talks”
Published in the Huffington Post on Jan. 31, 2012.
Last week, I asserted that it was unlikely that the Israelis and Palestinians would achieve a diplomatic breakthrough by January 26. The history of failed bilateral negotiations shows that it may be time to try a novel and multilateral approach advocated by the Arab Peace Initiative. Continue reading “Taking Advantage of the Calm Before the Storm”
Published in the Huffington Post on Jan. 24, 2012.
The series of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians which began in Amman on January 3 are scheduled to end on January 26. While the Middle East Quartet may extend this deadline to continue negotiations, it appears this would have little effect in formulating any comprehensive agreement. Neither side genuinely believes a breakthrough will occur. The PLO has threatened that if Israel does not halt all settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it would not only abandon diplomacy, but it would pursue “harsh” unilateral measures to gain statehood and recognition. This would include a popular “civil disobedience” aimed at forcing Israel to evacuate from the West Bank. Continue reading “Reexamining the Arab Peace Initiative”
Michael Sharnoff, PhD 