Washington Watch Articles From 2016
What Kerry Did
Secretary of State John Kerry's valedictory speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unleashed a firestorm of criticism from the very same folks who had just finished hyperventilating over the US abstention on a Security Council resolution a few days earlier.
Middle East Perceptions of the Roles Played by Global and Regional Powers
The tumult that has rocked the Arab World, has contributed to dramatic changes in the Arab public's attitudes toward important global and regional powers.
GCC Countries Score High in "Quality of Life" Survey
Citizens in several of the Arab Gulf states appear to have a higher appreciation for the quality of life available to them in their countries than do citizens in most European countries.
Strong Words Must Be Followed by Strong Action
I was both understanding of and puzzled by the Obama Administration's reaction to Israel's announcement of new settlement construction in occupied Palestinian lands.
Ghassan's Prediction and the Emerging New Palestinian Reality
During the past year, I've had the pleasure of receiving visits from Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, and most recently Basel Ghattas—as they passed through Washington. All are Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Bad Policy, Bad Politics
To understand why the United States fails so miserably in efforts to achieve an Israeli/Palestinian peace, all you need to do is take a look at the mix of bad policy and bad politics found in the Israel/Palestine sections of platforms of both the Republican and Democratic parties.
The Need to Recognize Reality
At last week's Democratic Party platform drafting meeting, I introduced Bernie Sanders' amendment to the Israel/Palestine section calling for an end to the occupation and settlements.
Benjamin Netanyahu Did It Again
For weeks now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been engaged in public negotiations designed to bring Isaac Herzog, Chair of the "centrist" Zionist Union bloc, into his coalition government.
Dangerous and Delusional
The performances by four of the five remaining presidential candidates at AIPAC's policy conference made this a perfectly strange and unsettling week in Washington.
AIPAC’s Anti-BDS Campaign
When the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) comes to town this week for their annual policy conference, high on the agenda of issues they'll be pushing Congress to support are bills designed to "fight the boycott of Israel".
New York Times' Attempted Whitewash of Israel Poll
This past week the Pew Research Center released the results of a massive poll of Israeli public opinion - focusing on their attitudes toward religion, identity, values, and political issues facing their country. In the days that followed the release, a number of articles appeared in Israel and the US commenting on the study's findings
Trump/Netanyahu Meet: an Exercise in Fawning, Fantasy, and Anti-Palestinian Incitement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump was overshadowed by dramatic and unsettling events that preceded and followed their perfectly bizarre press conference.
Silencing Critics of Israel
Israel doesn't accept criticism. In fact, whether from friend or foe, even mild criticism is viewed as an existential threat prompting Israeli officials to unleash a torrent of abuse in an effort to silence and/or punish critics.
Don’t Mess with Jerusalem
In just a matter of days, President-elect Donald Trump will have to decide on whether or not to make good on his promise to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.