Policy Analysis

Israelis have to make three different sorts of peace. The first, surprisingly, is with ourselves; the second is with our neighbors; and the third is with the age in which we live. The three cannot be separated. The Arab reaction and that of the press have nothing to do with

Keynote addresses by Winston Wiley, Shimon Peres, and Nabil Sha'ath. With Faisal Husseini, Reuven Merhav, Ephraim Yaar-Yuchtman, Walid Abu Zuluf, Robert Hunter, Robert Blackwill, and others.

It is a pleasure for me to deliver the keynote address to The Washington Institute. During the last several years, many of us in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have found the Institute's publications and policy fora highly useful, if for no other reason than they give us the chance

Unlike the nearly two hundred other world leaders who spoke at last week's Millennium Summit, virtually every Arab head of state delivered a speech that avoided the conclave's main theme--meeting the economic and political challenge of globalization. Instead, they spoke about preserving Arab rights in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian

Last Sunday, the world breathed a sigh of relief as the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council voted to postpone a declaration of statehood until at least November 15, 2000. Less noticed, however, has been the internal battle over what is perhaps the second most important political issue on the

At a time when U.S. global power seems absolute, the presidential candidates are assiduously avoiding thorny international security issues. Such complacency is misguided because the U.S. faces a greater terrorist threat now than at any point in the past. The next president will have to confront not just the challenge

Only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (and the breakaway Chechen government) recognize the Taliban state, but the self-styled Islamic Emirate is a fact of life. Taliban rule began in 1994, when students from madrasas (Islamic seminaries) in Pakistan and Afghanistan took up arms to end civil strife

The stunning success of several prominent opposition candidates in Lebanon's recent parliamentary elections has been portrayed by much of the Western press as a "defeat" for Syrian interests in Lebanon, and a "loosening" of Syria's grip over its smaller neighbor. Now that the elections are over, the next step in

President Clinton will again meet his two Camp David partners--though not yet in scheduled three-way talks during this week's Millennium Summit, six weeks after the conclusion of their inconclusive Camp David negotiations. In the August interval, each side sent leaders and diplomats jetting about Europe, Asia, and the Middle East

During 1997 and 1998, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy organized a series of seminars in Washington, D.C., to examine changing dynamics and trends in Turkish foreign policy. The decision to organize the seminars was prompted by the realization that Turkish foreign policy in the post-Cold War era was

A decision whether to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at a reconvened Camp David Summit may be made next Wednesday, but as it stands now, the prospects seem very uncertain. President Bill Clinton is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority chairman Yasir

Iranian President Muhammad Khatami's international charm offensive continues at the UN Millennium Summit, where today he hosts a "Dialogue of Civilizations" and tomorrow he speaks to the General Assembly. Meanwhile, at home, Khatami faces violence rather than dialogue, raising doubts about Iran's peaceful reform. The Iranian Charm Offensive. Last week

Last week, a seemingly arcane argument produced a political crisis in Turkey that set back, at least temporarily, the government's longstanding anti-Islamist campaign. What began as a dispute over constitutional interpretation of presidential powers embittered relations between the nation's two top officials-President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit-to

Hizballah is shifting its focus from armed resistance to internal matters in anticipation of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Hizballah hopes to translate its "victory" over the IDF and South Lebanon Army into a greater share of domestic political power. Hizballah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah acknowledges the shift in priorities, stating

Today, following last weekend's deployment into southern Lebanon by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Lebanese security forces fulfilled their commitments and deployed into Israel's former occupied zone. The lack of major incidents and the relative restraint of Hizballah since the IDF withdrew in May surprises some observers, but

In the aftermath of Camp David II and with the start of the Knesset summer recess yesterday, there appears to be a 40-90 day "window" for Israelis and the Palestinians to determine whether a diplomatic breakthrough is still possible or whether the parties will move in alternative directions. Political Standing

On July 28, 2000, The Washington Institute hosted a special symposium on the tenth anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, featuring presentations by Lt. Gen. Bernard Trainor, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; Peter Rodman, director of national security at the Nixon Center; and Daniel Pipes, editor

Previous public opinion polls conducted in the Arab East, especially in the Levant, have revealed that "inching toward peace" with Israel has not produced definitive changes in Arab perceptions. Instead, the peace process seems to have given rise to a kind of resignation born of a pervasive sense of helplessness

With a couple of minor exceptions, there was scant criticism of U.S. policy by Arab leaders. Contrary to expectation, officials from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority volunteered very few complaints. Israel's discontent with the relationship, on the other hand, was manifest and unmistakable. Israeli representatives from both ends

Achievements Although the failure of the Camp David II summit to reach a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is certainly sad, it is important to emphasize that this two-week meeting was not a waste of time. For the first time, Israelis and Palestinians sat together in an