Preparing for a Post-Abbas Palestine?

by Mitchell Plitnick On December 31, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas closed out a year of stinging defeats by signing on to 18 international accords. Included among these was the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).… Continue Reading →

Explainer: US Law & Abbas’ Post-UNSC Moves

by Lara Friedman As anybody who follows Israeli-Palestinian issues knows, on December 31, 2014, after the UN Security Council rejected a Jordanian-backed resolution that would have imposed terms of reference and a timeline for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Palestinian President Abbas… Continue Reading →

New Optimism Over Iran Talks Tempered by Threat of Incoming Congress

by Derek Davison The new year may have brought with it some signs of progress toward a comprehensive deal between world powers and Iran, lending credence to one of Graham Fuller’s 2015 predictions for the Middle East. However, any movement toward a… Continue Reading →

Lindsey Graham Says Congress Will “Follow [Bibi’s] Lead”

by Jim Lobe Lindsey Graham, who is not a stupid person, can be so embarrassing. Speaking at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Saturday, Graham said the following in response to Bibi’s call for “more… Continue Reading →

Obama’s Interesting Fourth Quarter

by Paul R. Pillar “My presidency is entering the fourth quarter. Interesting stuff happens in the fourth quarter, and I’m looking forward to it.” — Barack Obama, December 19, 2014 One should be careful about drawing conclusions concerning the intentions… Continue Reading →