September 23rd, 2011

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

Palestine between fact and fiction Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In NOW Lebanon - September 21, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ announcement that he intends to seek full United Nations membership from the Security Council raises a wide range of interesting, and in some ways alarming, scenarios for the coming weeks. However, the move is unlikely to ultimately bring Palestinians any closer to actual independence. » Read more

How The Palestinian Statehood Bid May Backfire Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty - September 20, 2011 - 12:00am On September 19, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas formally told United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon that he would be submitting an application for full UN membership for the state of Palestine after his speech to the General Assembly on September 23. This reiterates the plan outlined by Abbas in a speech to the Palestinian people last week. » Read more

September 20th

The Palestinian Bid for UN Membership: Rationale, Response, Repercussions Featuring Ghaith al-Omari, Amos Yadlin, and David Makovsky Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In South Asian Pulse - September 20, 2011 - 12:00am On September 12, 2011, Ghaith al-Omari, Amos Yadlin, and David Makovsky addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mr. al-Omari, executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, previously served as director of international relations in the Office of the Palestinian President and as advisor to then prime minister Mahmoud Abbas. General Yadlin, the Institute's Kay fellow on Israeli national security, served for more than forty years in the Israel Defense Forces, including the last five as head of defense intelligence. Mr. » Read more

September 19th

Barack Obama caught between Israel and his Palestinian 'promise' Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Guardian - September 19, 2011 - 12:00am Barack Obama has good reason to ask what the present Israeli government has ever done for him. When the White House asked it to halt construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories to give peace talks a chance, the building went on. After Washington pressed Binyamin Netanyahu to embrace the promise of Palestinian independence within months, the Israeli prime minister did his best to scupper any prospect of new talks. » Read more

A Palestine State: A Discussion with Ghaith al-Omari Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In - September 19, 2011 - 12:00am The Oberlin College Dialoge Center will facilitate a discussion led by Ghaith al-Omari, former senior research fellow with New America's American Strategy Program in 2008 and early 2009. Before joining the New America Foundation, al-Omari served in various senior positions within the Palestinian Authority, including foreign policy advisor to the Palestinian president, director of the International Relations Department in the Office of the Palestinian President, and senior advisor to former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. » Read more

Palestinian leader's path to statehood is a dangerous road to nowhere Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Augusta Chronicle - September 19, 2011 - 12:00am This week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas intends to propose a resolution requesting admission for a Palestinian state to the United Nations. Refusing to return to direct negotiations with Israel, Abbas has chosen instead to pursue a unilateral declaration of independence, ceasing all efforts to reach an agreement through negotiations. Unfortunately, if Abbas goes ahead with his plan at the United Nations, no one will suffer more than the Palestinian people themselves. » Read more

September 16th

Avoiding an Israeli-Palestinian 'Train Wreck' Media Mention of Ziad Asali In Council On Foreign Relations - September 16, 2011 - 12:00am Though Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to seek Palestinian statehood status at the UN General Assembly meeting next week, efforts are underway by the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians to avoid a major collision on the issue, says Ziad J. Asali, president of the American Task Force on Palestine. » Read more