May 29th, 2009

Netanyahu: "What the hell do they want from me?" Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Foreign Policy - May 28, 2009 - 12:00am » Read more

Obama tells Israel to halt expansion Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Boston Globe - May 29, 2009 - 12:00am WASHINGTON - President Obama received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House yesterday with an invaluable welcoming gift: a toughly worded, categorical US demand for Israel to stop expanding settlements in the West Bank. But hours before the two men met, the Israeli government flatly rejected the demand. Spokesman Mark Regev said that "normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue," including some construction. » Read more

May 28th

High stakes for Obama-Abbas talks Media Mention of Ziad Asali In BBC News - May 28, 2009 - 12:00am When they met last summer in Ramallah, on the West Bank, Barack Obama promised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas he would be an active partner for peace, if he made it into the White House. A year later, President Obama is sitting in the Oval Office, keeping his promise to tackle the Middle East conflict from the start of his term, but he is probably wondering whether Mr Abbas is the partner he was hoping for. » Read more

May 27th

University of Iowa Arab Student Association Forum Features Ibish Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Washington Report On Middle East Affairs - May 27, 2009 - 12:00am THE ARAB STUDENT Association (ASA) at the University of Iowa sponsored a public forum in Iowa City on Feb. 21 at which the featured speaker, Dr. Hussein Ibish, senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), delivered a presentation titled “Is Obama Ready for a Middle East Change?” » Read more

May 14th

A New Plan for Mideast? Media Mention of Ziad Asali In Khaleej Times - May 14, 2009 - 12:00am There has been much chatter in recent days that Middle East peacemakers are on the verge of a major breakthrough with some predicting that there may be an announcement when Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanhayu comes to Washington on May 18 to meet with President Barack Obama.   » Read more

May 6th

Partnering for peace Zionist, Arab groups share interns for summer Media Mention of Alison Becker In Washington Jewish Week - August 20, 2008 - 12:00am Every June, countless young people descend on Washington, D.C., and immerse themselves in the traditional internship experience: attending think tank briefings, conducting research at the office and, of course, networking at happy hours. This summer, Ben Schildkraut, Dana Montalto and Dana Pozza took part in this ritual, though it differed in some respects from the average internship program: They spent their time working to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and they did it on behalf of organizations on "each side" of the conflict. » Read more

May 5th

AIPAC delegates lobby for two-state solution Media Mention of Ziad Asali In Arab News - May 5, 2009 - 12:00am WASHINGTON: To thunderous applause, former Republican House leader Newt Gingrich attacked President Barack Obama’s policies in the Middle East, promoted military action against Iran, and assailed diplomatic engagement as weakness at the American Israel Political Action Committee’s (AIPAC) annual conference in Washington. Just before he went on stage late yesterday, Gingrich told The Jerusalem Post that the president’s policy with Israel and Iran was a “fantasy” and that Obama was “endangering Israel” by trying to work toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. » Read more

April 27th

Obama move alarms Israel supporters Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Los Angeles Times - April 27, 2009 - 12:00am The administration seeks changes that would permit aid to Palestinians even if officials backed by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist group, become part of a unified Palestinian government. By Paul Richter Reporting from Washington — The Obama administration, already on treacherous political ground because of its outreach to traditional adversaries such as Iran and Cuba, has opened the door a crack to engagement with the militant group Hamas. The Palestinian group is designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization and under law may not receive federal aid. » Read more

Different Agendas Of Netanyahu, Obama Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Bulletin - April 27, 2009 - 12:00am President Barack Obama and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the new leaders of their respective democratic nations, are like two horses bound to a carriage, each pulling in a different direction as it relates to Middle East policy. For Mr. Netanyahu however, the Middle East is home turf, and any wrong move might have critical if not existential consequences. For Mr. » Read more

Numerous Odds against a Lebanese Model for Palestinian Unity Government Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In Dar Al-Hayat - April 26, 2009 - 12:00am The Lebanese Model that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to last week as a possible mechanism to work with a Palestinian unity government is becoming less likely due to the numerous odds against Hamas and Fatah in reaching an agreement. » Read more