Syria Spotlights Problematic International Law

by Mitchell Plitnick Russia is not staying silent as the US appears to be positioning itself for an attack on the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. Defending its last key ally in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned… Continue Reading →

US on Israeli Settlements: A Policy Without A Policy

by Mitchell Plitnick Some days, it must be really difficult to be the State Department’s spokesperson. It doesn’t seem like a bad job to have at all, but on certain questions it’s impossible to not look like an idiot. A… Continue Reading →

Israeli-Palestinian Talks: Why Now and To What End?

by Emile Nakhleh The recently restarted talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are the only peaceful political activity amidst on-going violence in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain and elsewhere in the Arab world. Neither Secretary of State… Continue Reading →

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 →

Still Seeking Strategy

by Robert E. Hunter For Secretary of State John Kerry, the good news this past week is that he has finally got Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to agree to talk directly about peace. The bad news is… Continue Reading →