July 15th

The Annapolis Summit In Print by Ziad Asali - The Washington Times (Opinion) - November 5, 2007 - 1:00am The skeptics have unassailable arguments: History and a consistent record of failure are on their side. Weak Israeli and Palestinian governments, an American president in the last stretch of his second term, dysfunctional Israeli and Palestinian body politics, and cynical media coverage all dampen any reasonable expectations of success for the Middle East summit in Annapolis. » Read more

Op-ed: Mideast-the Definite Conflict In Print by Ziad Asali - Middle East Times (Opinion) - November 8, 2007 - 1:00am It has festered for decades and has been at the core of other related conflicts across the Middle East that threaten global peace and security. Although the contours of its ultimate resolution have been known for sometime, the efforts to bring it about peacefully by creating a state of Palestine alongside Israel have been stymied by political forces on all sides that have exercised veto powers to block it. » Read more

Building Momentum For Peace In Print by Ziad Asali - The Washington Times (Opinion) - December 12, 2007 - 1:00am In the wake of the resuscitation of peace talks on the Middle East achieved at the Annapolis meeting, security issues will be among the most crucial to building on this momentum. » Read more

Is It A Budding Partnership? In Print by Ziad Asali - Gulf News (Opinion) - January 17, 2008 - 1:00am Even the most skeptical of us would have to concede that things are better now than they were a few months ago, as they hasten to add that we have been here before and that this too shall pass. Yes, things are better: Palestinian and Israeli officials are talking, and final status issues are being discussed, though they are not being resolved. » Read more

Bolstering Palestinian Moderates In Print by Ghaith al-Omari - The Washington Times (Opinion) - February 10, 2008 - 1:00am The recent breach of the Gaza-Egypt border was an avoidable setback to the newly revived Palestinian-Israeli peace process. It has shown what happens when grand political commitments — made by Israeli, U.S. and Arab leaders — fail to translate into concrete policies, structures and behavior. Had the situation been addressed in a timely fashion, control of the Gaza crossings to Egypt and Israel could have been a major political gain for the moderate government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. » Read more

Palestinian-American Experts Available for Comment on Bush Mideast Trip Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - December 3, 2007 - 1:00am Six weeks after the Annapolis meeting, the dynamics between Israelis and Palestinians are on the verge of falling back on familiar patterns of obstruction and finger pointing resulting in a faltering of the process of negotiations. Read more

Mideast Peace Prospects In Print by Ziad Asali - The Washington Times (Opinion) - April 20, 2008 - 12:00am Though I have been to the region many times, my most recent trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan confirmed the alarming new obstacles facing the quest for peace in the Middle East and the urgency with which they need to be addressed by all parties. » Read more

New Har Homa Settlement Expansion Undermines New Peace Efforts and Future Negotiations Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - December 5, 2007 - 1:00am Washington, DC, December 6 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) expressed grave concern today about reports that the Israeli government has invited bids to build more than 300 new housing units in the Har Homa settlement in occupied East Jerusalem. Read more

ATFP Board Member Partners With North Carolina State Investment Grant Worth $23 Million to Create 205 New Jobs Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - December 9, 2007 - 1:00am The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) is proud to announce that Mr. Adnan Mjalli, Ph.D, Chairman, President and CEO of TransTech Pharma, has partnered with the state of North Carolina to invest more than $23 million and create 205 jobs in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry fields during the next five years in High Point, North Carolina. The expansion was made possible in part by a state Job Development Investment Grant and was announced by North Carolina Governor Mike Easley. Read more

U.S.-Palestinian Partnership Concludes Trip to Palestine-Israel Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - January 14, 2008 - 1:00am A delegation of the newly-created U.S.-Palestinian Public-Private Partnership has just concluded its first trip to Palestine-Israel. The delegation was led by the Partnership chair and President and CEO of the Aspen Institute Walter Isaacson and included co-chairs ATFP president Ziad Asali and Case Foundation CEO Jean Case, Mickey Bergman and Toni Verstandig of the Aspen Institute, Ambassador Margaret Scobey and Andrea McDaniel from the Department of State, and George Laudato from USAID. Read more