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