The stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was clearly reflected at the 2015 UN General Assembly. The speeches of Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu lacked vision and hope, and
The annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, which occurs every fall, affords heads of state from across the globe the opportunity to lay out their vision and policies for the
The meeting of the Middle East Quartet, which convened in the margins of the annual debate of this year’s United Nations General Assembly, was part of an attempt to breathe new life into the
The Palestinian President has recently announced his resignation from the position of Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee. This move took place in parallel to the intensification of power
The fact that Israel came into existence at the expense of a Palestinian state has been the cause of much hostility between Israel and its Arab neighbors and was the reason for many armed
Dr. Abdullah Swalha, Director of the Center for Israel Studies in Jordan, was the keynote speaker at a symposium held by Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies on 13
The deal reached between Iran and the six world powers is likely to have significant implications for Iran’s role in the region, Israel-US relations, domestic American politics, Israel’s foreign
The post-Arab Spring period, which witnessed the collapse of dictatorial regimes, the eruption of civil wars and the possible disappearance of several sovereign Arab states, created opportunities
The Knesset election results have put the left on the defensive. It has since had to explain why it lost, and the blame was placed on the usual suspects: An ineffective campaign, a lack of
In the immediate aftermath of Israel’s recent elections and the formation of its 34th government, and not long after a period of conflict with Gaza and heightened tensions amongst Israel’s Arab
Thomas Friedman’s interview with President Barack Obama on the Iranian nuclear issue evoked many responses, both positive and negative. In this interview, Friedman attempted to describe Obama’s
Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies and Global Political Trends (GPoT) Center held their 5th policy dialogue on March 23rd, 2015, in Washington D.C. The event which was
The right-wing victory in the Israeli election is likely to have significant impact on Israel’s foreign policy, specifically on ties with the US and the Palestinians. Statements made in the
Israel lacks a coherent foreign policy. This has a harmful effect on its position in the world, on the role of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in decision making processes, and on the conduct of
A few months ago, former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni traveled in secret to New York to a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of several Arab countries, Arab League officials and European
In light of the prolonged fighting between Israel and Hamas, forty experts, diplomats and journalists, from Israel and abroad, convened in Jerusalem on July 24, 2014 for a policy planning
Palestinian inner strife which started in June 2007 seems to be on its way to an end. The two major Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas, entered into deliberation after realizing that current
A week after he was attacked in Ramallah, Israeli reporter Avi Issacharoff was invited by President Abbas to his office to condemn the attack and grant him an exclusive interview. Among the
Turkey’s former Foreign Minister, H.E. Yaşar Yakış, visited Israel on 20-21 May 2014, upon the invitation of Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. The visit was
The Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement is being harshly condemned by Israeli government officials, including the Prime Minister himself. However, Israeli foreign policy experts from Mitvim
On Tuesday night, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing live on television, signed the documents necessary for the Palestine Liberation Organization to seek membership in 15
Palestinians see the delay in prisoners release by Israel as a negation of their commitments to halt the international campaign; Abbas is looking to increase his leverage, but the US should be
Despite the unshakable and quixotic optimism of John Kerry’s Middle East negotiating team, the prevailing prognosis in Jerusalem and Ramallah is that even an attempt to implement an interim
In December 2013, the EU has offered Israel and the Palestinians an unprecedented package of political, economic and security support in the context of a final status agreement. This package
As Secretary of State John Kerry hammers out the principles for an Israeli-Palestinian “framework agreement,” many are speculating that he has formally adopted Jerusalem’s demand that the
About six months ago, I sat in a coffee shop in al-Tireh, a suburb of Ramallah, and interviewed a senior official within Fatah. The official, wanting to talk about the internal dynamics within
New circumstances within the U.S. and the Middle East open a window for a more effective American role in transforming the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a role that must convey a sense of
In the time it took John Kerry to announce that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would be starting again, a microcosm of the past couple years in the conflict played out. Initial
The Arab Spring influenced the Palestinians as well. The younger generation of Palestinians began demanding to end the political division between Fatah and Hamas. In response, the veteran
The Arab Spring upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East started in Tunisia at the end of 2010, and subsequently spread into Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, triggering repercussions in a wide
With the chaos of the Syrian civil war escalating, tensions on the Israeli-Syrian ceasefire line on the Golan Heights are running high. Israeli defense officials stated just over a week ago that
A pre-election foreign policy debate was held today on the campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Candidates in attendance were from four of the major Israeli parties, and in many ways,
As the celebrations commenced in Manara Square in Ramallah, and the votes were tallied in New York, the Palestinian delegation had done something almost entirely unique to the post-Arafat era: it
On July 23rd 2012, Mitvim—The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies has conducted a workshop in cooperation with U.S. Embassy, Tel Aviv on the topic: “Spoilers of Peace and the Dilemmas
AS the dust settles over the Israel-Gaza border, attention shifts to New York, where the Palestinian delegation will ask the United Nations next Thursday to upgrade its status to that of
The claim that there is no one to talk to on the Palestinian side is a common one in Israeli discourse, seemingly an axiom. The Netanyahu-Barak-Lieberman government has managed to stick the
The democratic process was alive and well in at least one part of the Middle East this past weekend, as the West Bank saw a frenetic end to its campaign season. Municipal elections were held on
Most Israelis do not really understand the Middle East. This is true for the general public as well as for decision makers. Israelis get their information about regional realities from certain
The composition of a broad coalition government presents opportunities to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in several directions, including the possibility of renewed dialogue with the
Four years ago this Friday, on Friday, February 17, 2008, the Republic of Kosovo declared its independence. This move, which followed years of failed international efforts to broker a compromise
Mitvim representatives participated in meetings with a series of key Palestinian figures from Ramallah and Nablus. The meetings focused on the implications of the Palestinian UN statehood bid of
