Policy Analysis

A keynote address by Martin Indyk, special advisor to President Bill Clinton and senior director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the National Security Council at The Washington Institute's 1993 Soref Symposium.

In the contemporary Middle East, threats of political instability are both real and imagined, and differentiating between the two is no easy task. Myths, such as the region's near-congenital predisposition for instability, abound, but when rapid change (e.g., Iraq's invasion of Kuwait) does occur, Western governments are often caught off-guard

Preface Ever since its adoption by the United Nations Security Council on November 22, 1967, Resolution 242 has provided context for peacemaking efforts between Arabs and Israelis. It was the basis for the only peace treaty ever signed between Israel and an Arab country, Egypt, in 1979, and the foundation

The Commission on U.S.-Israel Relations was formed in May 1992 to examine the future of a unique and special relationship as both countries entered a new era. Its mandate was shaped by three dramatic developments that had emerged from the end of the Cold War and conflict in the Gulf

Although the uncertain status of the Palestinians lies at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, without Syria there simply can be no progress in the peace process. In the past, Syria was satisfied with the status quo and saw little need to establish peaceful relations with Israel. With the collapse

Executive Summary The government of Islamic Iran has long been split between "radicals" and "moderates" on matters of economic and social policy. The principal changes instituted by the moderates after they came to power with the election of Hachemi Rafsanjani as President in 1989 have been a greater reliance on

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In the Middle East, the Gulf War shattered many stereotypes and preconceived notions, not least among them, about the so-called “Arab street.” Commentators regularly depict a mythologized and often demonized “Arab street”—an ominous urban mass that is sometimes depicted as intimidating regimes, sometimes as being held captive by them; and

The end of the Cold War has created a unique opportunity to promote a comprehensive peace settlement between the Arabs and Israel. American interests are still vitally engaged in this troubled region and lasting Arab-Israeli agreements can help to protect and promote them. With the next administration inevitably preoccupied with

Formerly, in the Middle East, many countries used to earn their living from the conflict between the two superpowers; first, between the French and the British, and later on between the United States and the Soviet Union. As a result of this conflict, many countries got aid, financial, political, and

Keynote addresses by Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. With Michael Mandelbaum, Martin Indyk, Steven Spiegel, Mordechai Gur, James Roche, Geoffrey Kemp, and Stuart Eizenstat.

Under the leadership of President Hafez al-Assad, Syria has emerged as the leading Arab military power. With Egypt at peace with Israel and Iraq weakened and isolated, Syria remains the only Arab state which currently poses a military threat to Israel. Future decisions concerning war or peace in the region

The period in which we live today is unique, and we cannot assume that the conditions and forces that have created this moment in history will continue to be the same in the coming years. From the point of view of Israel, we live in a unique period created by

Arabs and Israelis alike recognize the critical importance of water to the peace process and the future of regional economic cooperation. It is estimated that between 100 and 150 million cubic meters of the Yarmuk River waters flow to the Jordan River and are lost, unused in the Dead Sea

Of the many strategic interests that United States and its allies have in the Middle East, surely one of the most crucial is securing energy supplies from the region. The Gulf War of 1991 demonstrated the importance of Middle East oil in the international community’s strategic calculus. Since the oil

We are approaching an anniversary that I'm sure is etched in your minds, the thirtieth anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when we faced hostile, nuclear- tipped missiles less than 100 miles from our shores. As President Kennedy prepared to respond to this threat, he sent envoys to each of

Now that we in Kazakhstan have won our independence we clearly see how far we are lagging behind the rest of the world. Our state policy is aimed at opening doors to the world. We seek the cooperation of the U.S. and the rest of the industrialized world, not only

Keynote addresses by Gordon Oehler and Gary Kasimov. With Zalmay Khalilzad, Bulent Aliriza, Peter Rodman, Shimon Shamir, and others.

Hamas--the Islamic Resistance Movement--arose during the intifada as the organization of Palestinian Muslim fundamentalists of the West Bank and Gaza. Because it views the Arab-Israeli conflict as a religious struggle between Islam and Judaism that can only be resolved by the destruction of the State of Israel, it opposes the