September 28th

U.S. hopes to not use veto to aid Israel Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In The Washington Times - September 28, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinians have yet to lock down a nine-vote majority in the U.N. Security Council for their statehood bid, raising U.S. hopes that it could be spared the embarrassment of using its veto power in defense of an increasingly isolated Israel. Amid indications that Colombia and the Security Council’s four EU member states will abstain from any vote, attention has focused on Nigeria, Gabon and Bosnia, which have offered few signals about how they will vote. » Read more

September 27th

UN Showdown Ushers in Critical a Period for U.S. Middle East Peace Efforts Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Bloomberg - September 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinians’ bid for statehood at the United Nations has shaken up Mideast peace efforts, fueling a sense of crisis among Israeli and Palestinian allies that the U.S. says can drive a return to direct peace talks. “We know that there’s a trust deficit that needs to be overcome,” Michael Hammer, acting assistant secretary of state for public affairs, said yesterday. The two sides “have an opportunity here that we hope they will seize.” » Read more

September 26th

After Palestinian Statehood Bid, Where Do Mideast Talks Stand? Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In PBS - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am RAY SUAREZ: Now two assessments of the speeches and what's next from Ghaith Al-Omari, a former adviser to President Abbas, now executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, and David Makovsky, director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former executive editor of The Jerusalem Post. Well, Ghaith, earlier this week, the Obama administration tried to convince Mahmoud Abbas not to go ahead with the bid. Obviously, they didn't succeed. But why now and why this? » Read more

Commentary: Peace negotiations best for Mideast Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Detroit News - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am The tailwind of the Arab Spring appears to be propelling the Palestinians toward their own political revolution. On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas presented a resolution requesting the admission of an independent state of Palestine to the United Nations. Many have explored the wisdom of a Palestinian Unilateral Declaration of Independence, a diplomatic end-run that allows them to circumvent the negotiating table. If this is indeed the tactic chosen, there is one thing that must be made clear: both sides will suffer for this decision. » Read more

Congress Moves To Punish Palestinians, But Even Israel Objects Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Jewish Daily Forward - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am Washington — A congressional drive to punish the Palestinian Authority for its statehood bid by cutting American aid is being greeted with enthusiasm by lawmakers of both parties. But the White House is giving the move a cold shoulder, and even Israel itself and its strongest supporters have serious reservations. The legislation being discussed in Congress would cut all or part of the nearly $600 million annual aid package if Palestinians move ahead with their plan to seek statehood at the United Nations. » Read more

Netanyahu, Abbas Emerge Unscathed at UN Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Bloomberg - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas emerged from their showdown at the United Nations buttressed domestically though no closer to peace talks. » Read more

September 23rd

Go-it-Alone Strategy Leaves Palestinians Divided Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Huffington Post - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am For months Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has traversed the globe, lobbying members of the United Nations to vote in support of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state. This is the week when he will take this long-threatened action, and when the member states will decide to support or oppose the Palestinian bid. » Read more

U.S. Makes Security Preparations for After Palestinian Bid at UN Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Bloomberg - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am The U.S. has laid the groundwork for maintaining security in the aftermath of the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN, including the possibility of violence. The effort includes discussions with Gulf countries, planning with Israeli and Palestinian security forces, and aid to ensure the Palestinian Authority can pay its personnel. The U.S. has made clear its intent to block a Palestinian request for United Nations recognition. To avoid needing to exercise its veto power, the U.S. has been working with Israel to persuade members of the Security Council to abstain from voting. » Read more

Domestic Politics Produce Three-Way Collision at United Nations Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Bloomberg - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am The collision this week over Palestinian statehood at the United Nations has been coming since Israel and the Palestinian Authority hit an impasse in negotiations a year ago and U.S. President Barack Obama was unable to get them back to the bargaining table. » Read more

September 21st

Palestine progress seen up in air with U.N. bid Media Mention of Ziad Asali In USA Today - September 21, 2011 - 12:00am In the past two years, Palestinians who live in the West Bank have seen economic growth that would be the envy of other nations. The Israeli checkpoints that aim to stop terrorists but make travel difficult have been reduced by half. And there is an explosion of construction projects ranging from industrial parks to the first planned city in modern history in a territory that fails to treat much of its sewage. » Read more