Mideast Peace Talks Get New Lease on Life

by Mitchell Plitnick via IPS News Six months of United States diplomatic efforts have finally restarted talks between Israelis and Palestinians, yet pessimism about their potential for success persists. On Monday, negotiators from both sides met in Washington for the… Continue Reading →

Indyk to be US Rep. to Israel-Palestinian Peace Talks

by Mitchell Plitnick Martin Indyk is about to be named the US representative for the resuscitated Israel-Palestinian talks, according to a report from Israel’s Channel 2. (Though it seems Channel 2’s Ehud Yaari was not first with the news. That was… Continue Reading →

New Israel-Palestine Talks: Is Peace Really Possible?

by Mitchell Plitnick I’m always pleased when something surprises me in the realm of Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy. It doesn’t happen often. Today’s announcement that Secretary of State John Kerry has apparently succeeded at bringing Israel and the Palestinian Authority back to… Continue Reading →

Power Woos Critics with Pro-Israel Charm Offensive

by Mitchell Plitnick via IPS News Samantha Power, U.S. President Barack Obama’s nominee for the post of ambassador to the United Nations, made a strong case for her confirmation Wednesday with strong pro-Israel and interventionist statements that will appeal to… Continue Reading →

Limited US Influence in Egypt Can Still Do Some Good

by Mitchell Plitnick When is a coup not a coup? When calling it that carries repercussions that make a bad situation worse. US President Barack Obama is struggling with recent events in Egypt. Once again he’s presented with a situation… Continue Reading →