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Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:09:47 GMT
The U.S. and the international community face great challenges in the 21st century—globalization offers more freedom and prosperity, but also new threats to our security. The Foreign Policy Studies scholars and research help policymakers and the public address these crucial issues.
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Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:58:15 GMT
The Saban Center conducts original research and develops innovative programs to promote a better understanding of the policy choices facing American decisionmakers in the Middle East.
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Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 14, 2009, 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
- November 16, 2009, 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
On November 14-16, 2009, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings brought together top Israeli and American policymakers, journalists, and members of the public and private sectors to Jerusalem for discussions on the most critical issues in the Middle East.
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Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 09, 2009, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
On November 9, the Brookings Doha Center hosted a policy discussion with H.E. Mohamad Chatah, the Lebanese minister of finance, H.E. Ghassan Khatib, director of the Palestinian Government Media Center, and H.E. Ayad Al Samarrai, speaker of the Iraqi Parliament on the project of inclusive national dialogue and state-building in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq. The speakers examined past and current nationally-driven conflict resolution efforts.
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Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- October 01, 2009, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
On October 1, Shibley Telhami, Saban Center nonresident senior fellow and Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland, presented results of the 2009 University of Maryland/Zogby International opinion poll, conducted in August 2009, that surveyed Israeli Arabs and Palestinian public opinion.
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Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- September 09, 2009, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
On September 9, the Saban Center at Brookings hosted a policy discussion with Alon Pinkas, former Consul General of Israel in New York and current President of the U.S.-Israel Institute at the Rabin Center in Tel Aviv. The discussion came in advance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to New York to attend the UN General assembly and amid debate over the health of the United States-Israel relationship.
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Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:24:11 GMT
This three-day program addresses key economic, social, political, and religious challenges and issues in the Middle East.
Course Date(s):
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Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In an interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, Martin Indyk downplayed the prospects of any confrontation over the Mideast peace process between President Barack Obama and new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their first meeting. Still, he said, Netanyahu could have trouble reconciling Obama's desire for a two-state solution with the Palestinians with opposition from his political base.
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Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- May 14, 2009, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
On May 14, Foreign Policy at Brookings held a journalist roundtable to discuss upcoming meetings between U.S. President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Martin Indyk, director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, senior fellow and director of the Middle East Democracy and Development Project, explored the issues and answered questions.
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Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- April 15, 2009, 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
On April 15, the Saban Center at Brookings hosted Nahum Barnea, Israel's leading political columnist and former Kreiz Fellow at the Saban Center. Barnea discussed Binyamin Netanyahu's second term as Prime Minister of Israel and was joined by Martin Indyk, Director of the Saban Center.
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Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- March 31, 2009, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
On March 31, 2009, the Brookings Doha Center hosted Saeb Erakat, Head of the Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department, for a policy discussion. Erakat opened the session by responding directly to the inauguration speech given a few hours earlier by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He expressed disappointment in Netanyahu’s failure to highlight the two-state solution in his speech and said that the Israeli leader's call for Palestinians to rule themselves is not a possibility when they must live in a continued state of occupation.
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Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- March 20, 2009, 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
On March 20, the Saban Center hosted Itamar Rabinovich, Charles and Andrea Bronfman Distinguished Visiting Fellow, to present a comprehensive analysis of the interaction of American, Israeli, and Syrian policies over the last three decades. He was joined by Frederic Hof, CEO of Armitage Associates, L.C.
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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In this Saban Center Analysis Paper, Itamar Rabinovich examines the history of the U.S.-Syrian relationship and the Israeli-Syrian conflict to offer policy options for the Obama Administration. Rabinovich presents a comprehensive analysis of American, Israeli, and Syrian interests that accounts for the successes and shortcomings of U.S. and Israeli engagements with Syria over the past three decades.
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Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- February 19, 2009, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
After voters split over who should lead Israel following parliamentary elections, Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni continue to woo smaller parties to build a coalition government. On February 19, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy hosted a discussion analyzing the results of the elections.
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Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Following parliamentary elections in Israel, Martin Indyk writes that even though the right-wing bloc won a majority and a hard-liner has become the kingmaker, it is premature to declare the end of the two-state solution and the death of the Middle East peace process.
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Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Bilal Saab writes that Israeli and Palestinian leaders are either incapable or unwilling to think strategically about ways they can resolve, or at least effectively manage, the many issues that have divided their people for more than sixty years.
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Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Following a three-week war with Israel, Hamas officials have recently emerged from weeks in hiding for a "victory celebration." Bilal Saab argues that while support for Hamas remains strong, anger and fears have been on the rise among Palestinians. Saab examines the war in Gaza and where Hamas can go from here.
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Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 28, 2009, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
With a fragile cease-fire in place in the Gaza Strip, President Obama is sending very different signals to the Middle East and the larger Arab world than his predecessor. In a web chat moderated by Politco’s Fred Barbash, Brookings expert Tamara Cofman Wittes answered questions on how these new messages are being received and the challenges that await the new president in the region.
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Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Martin Indyk, director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, argues that there is an opportunity in the Gaza crisis for the new president to achieve a better future for Palestinians and Israelis. The immediate objective, says Indyk, is a sustainable cease-fire, but then President Obama should urgently to paint his vision of a comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, summoning all leaders of goodwill to the task.
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Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 14, 2009, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
The latest conflict in Gaza has exacerbated an already fragile humanitarian situation and created another humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted a discussion on the humanitarian situation in Gaza within the broader context of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
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Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bruce Riedel and Gary Samore write that attempts to stop Iran's nuclear program have failed. They offer suggestions to the incoming Obama administration on how to move forward with a new approach to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.
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Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
President Barack Obama will face a series of challenges in the Middle East demanding urgent attention: an Iraq that could still unravel, an Iran approaching the nuclear threshold, a faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and weak governments in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. Martin Indyk and Richard Haass outline what the initial goals of the Obama administration should be in the region.
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Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Martin Indyk and Richard Haass argue to be successful in the Middle East, the Obama administration will need to move beyond Iraq, find ways to deal constructively with Iran, and forge a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement.
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Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- December 05, 2008, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- December 06, 2008, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- December 07, 2008, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
On December 5-7, in the month before the new U.S. administration enters office, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings brought together top Israeli and American policymakers, journalists, and members of the public and private sectors, as well as leaders from Britain and Turkey to discuss the most critical issues in the Middle East.
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Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Martin Indyk and Richard Haass note that President-elect Obama will face a series of critical, complex, and interrelated challenges in the Middle East that will demand his immediate attention: an Iran apparently intent on approaching or crossing the nuclear threshold as quickly as possible; a fragile situation in Iraq that is straining the U.S. military; weak governments in Lebanon and Palestine under challenge from stronger Hezbollah and Hamas militant organizations; a faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace process; and American influence diluted by a severely damaged reputation.
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Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bilal Saab provides an examination of the true nature of Hezbollah, which he argues is an essential pre-requisite for sound policy making toward the organization. He recommends a rethinking of the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament through a proper assessment of the challenge it poses and a thorough understanding of its organic connection with Iran.
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Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As tensions between Syria and Israel remain high, Bruce Riedel and Bilal Saab believe that the indirect negotiations which began last May between the countries have gone as far as they can. Now, they argue, it is time for direct talks between the countries with the United States as a mediator.
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Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- September 05, 2008, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted Senior Fellow Kenneth Pollack for a discussion of his book A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East. In the book, Pollack offers a long-term strategy to improve the political, economic and social problems that underlie the region’s many crises.
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Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Kenneth Pollack joined washingtonpost.com readers to discuss his new book A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East.
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Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- July 01, 2008, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Arab public sentiment and opinion present critical challenges to the struggle for peace, stability and economic growth in the Middle East. On July 1, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted a discussion of Shibley Telhami’s new analysis paper, Does the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Still Matter? with Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org and the Program on International Policy Attitudes, who presented data from his recent poll of 18 nations focused on attitudes towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In this Saban Center Analysis Paper, Shibley Telhami analyzes emerging trends in public attitudes and whether there has been a change over time in the degree to which Arabs assign importance to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the prospects of Middle East peace. In addition, Telhami addresses the ramifications of the divide between Hamas and Fatah, between the government appointed by President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and the Hamas-appointed government in Gaza.
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Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria continue in Turkey, Ariel Kastner writes about the current climate in both countries regarding a possible breakthrough. One party that is so far missing in these talks, he contends, is the United States as a mediator or participant.
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Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- April 25, 2008, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
The Saban Center and the American Task Force on Palestine hosted Yasser Abd Rabbo, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and policy adviser to Palestinian President Abbas, for an assessment of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the prospects for a final status agreement before the end of the Bush administration.
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Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In congressional testimony, Martin Indyk argued that the current policy of isolating Syria has had mixed results. He believes that the next U.S. president should consider a different approach that could foster a more productive relationship allowing mutual goals to be realized in the troubled region.
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Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Testifying before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Peter Rodman argued "the conditions do not exist for an improvement of relations with Syria as long as Syrian policies remain hostile to important interest of ours in the Middle East." He concluded that Syria must change course in relation to Iraq, Lebanon, and Arab-Israeli peace before the U.S. reaches out to the country.
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Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Daniel Byman traveled to Israel and Jordan in March—a time of crisis in the Middle East. During Byman’s trip, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired rockets against the Israeli cities of Sderot and Ashkelon, an attack occurred in the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and Israel took retaliatory measures in the Gaza Strip. In both Israel and Jordan, Byman found that the predominant mood was one of frustration and gloom. Israelis felt trapped between their sense that inaction would encourage more violence and their recognition that the military and political options looked unpromising. Jordanians fretted that the Israeli reaction to the violence would strengthen the radicals politically.
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Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bruce Riedel addresses the Israeli-Indian relationship in light of increased military and intelligence cooperation among the two nations. Arguing that the United States has played a role in fostering the friendship, he believes that the "connection in commercial military and space intelligence fields is good for both countries and for the United States."
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Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Lebanon is mired in a long running political crisis and the country has been without a president since November 2007. Bilal Saab writes that "three years after the withdrawal of Syrian troops, Lebanon has become less, not more stable." He offers suggestions for the U.S. to reshape its policy towards the country.
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Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bilal Saab investigates the likely responses from Hezbollah in light of the recent killing of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh.
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Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:29:37 GMT
As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held talks in the Middle East to discuss peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, Martin Indyk stressed that a resolution to the conflict is imperative for those two parties and the region as a whole.
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Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- March 04, 2008, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
On March 4, Brookings hosted journalist and author Robin Wright for a discussion of her new book, Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East. Wright focused on the pivotal countries and regions of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and Morocco, drawing on first-hand interviews with many of the region’s key players.
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Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Itamar Rabinovich discusses the phenomenon of John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt's recent book The Israel Lobby and notes that it should give Israel and its friends pause.
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Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 24, 2008, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Often overlooked in the headlines, Lebanon continues to flirt with renewed civil strife that could be devastating to a region that does not need any more. Bilal Y. Saab joined Nadim Shehadi and David Schenker to discuss this critical and delicate region.
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Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 16, 2008, 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy held a policy luncheon discussion with Israeli Minister Ami Ayalon. Ayalon discussed policy recommendations regarding how Israel should deal with Hamas. He argued that pursuing negotiations with President Mahmoud Abbas and creating political progress on the ground in the West Bank would marginalize Hamas’s message of violence and resistance.
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Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Shibley Telhami writes that the United States could make a costly mistake by believing that Arab nations are currently motivated by a perceived Iranian threat and that the specter of Iran alone brought the Arab nations to the Middle East conference in Annapolis last fall. Telhami notes that the Bush Administration reliance on this belief was clearly reflected in the President’s recent speech in the United Arab Emerites.
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Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 28, 2007, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
International leaders, including representatives from the United States, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, met in Annapolis to develop a foundation upon which the Israelis and Palestinians can move toward a negotiated peace agreement. Brookings hosted a discussion to assess the talks and address the future of the Middle East peace process. Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Authority's chief negotiator, participated.
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Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:51:43 GMT
President Bush will host a meeting of international leaders to help revive the Arab-Israeli peace process. Research fellow Tamara Wittes says the talks are critical for the future of the entire middle east.
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Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Bruce Riedel discusses the recent air strike conducted by Israel against a suspected Syrian nuclear installation in context of the broader Middle East and a possible future Israeli strike targeting Iran's nuclear program.
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Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Shibley Telhami examines the probability of successful negotiations at the upcoming Annapolis meeting between United States and Middle East leaders. Telhami writes that unless the U.S. can take a new approach to controlling Hamas and also drastically improve Palestinians' lives, progress will be short-lived.
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Sat, 03 Nov 2007 12:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 03, 2007, 12:00 PM to 11/5/2007 12:00 PM
Just weeks before a U.S.-sponsored peace meeting on the Middle East in Annapolis, Maryland, the Saban Forum held its fourth annual U.S.-Israel dialogue from November 3-5, 2007, bringing a high-level, bipartisan U.S. delegation to Jerusalem for discussions with their Israeli counterparts on the theme of “War and Peace in the Middle East.”
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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Yosef Kuperwasser examines intelligence reforms in Israel by identifying a number of geo-strategic changes and new understandings. He also offers lessons for the United States to consider as the post-September 11, 2001 examination of the American intelligence system continues.
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Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Martin Indyk disusses the possibility of a Middle East peace agreement at the upcoming international peace conference. He asserts several middle eastern states may become more cohensive due to the Iranian extremist threat.
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Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- October 18, 2007, 12:00 PM to 01:30 PM
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy hosted a policy luncheon discussion with Itamar Rabinovich and Murhaf Jouejati. The discussion focused on current tensions between Israel and Syria, and whether there is a possibility of an Israel-Syria peace agreement.
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Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The authors of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy caused a sensation on the Beltway and on campuses across the U.S. Bruce Riedel joins them and as they explain to an MIT audience through their argument that Israel does not deserve unconditional support from the U.S.
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Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Bilal Y. Saab argues that the outcome of the Lebanese presidential election on September 25 is a crucial event which could have major implications for the future stability of Lebanon.
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Sun, 09 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Hady Amr, The Daily Star (9/10/07
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Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Bruce Riedel, Middle East Roundtable (8/16/07)
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Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Paper by Terree Haidet (August 2007)
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Sat, 21 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT
A central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been finding a solution for Jerusalem. Hady Amr argues that American leadership on "shared" sovereignty for the city can help bring peace, but that the U.S. must remain committed to making it happen.
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Fri, 08 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- December 08, 2006 at 12:00 AM
- December 10, 2006 at 12:00 AM
The third annual Saban Forum brought together high-level, bipartisan, American and Israeli officials and opinion leaders to Washington, D.C. to discuss developments and viable strategies for the Middle East in the face of the current turmoil there. Speakers included Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, former President William J. Clinton, Israeli Vice Premier and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Statement by Khalid Koser, Seminar on Displacement, Protection of Civilians and the Law of Armed Conflict in the Current Middle East Crisis (8/15/06)
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Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Interview with Martin S. Indyk, Weekend Edition NPR (1/7/06)
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Thu, 05 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Interview with Martin S. Indyk, Australian Broadcasting Corp. (12/5/06)
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Sun, 17 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Martin Indyk, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Washington Post, March 17, 2002
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Tue, 13 Nov 2001 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 13, 2001, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
To discuss the potential for resuming Middle East peace talks, the Brookings-Sadat Forum presented a policy forum with former Israeli Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin and Palestinian Authority Minister of Information and Culture Yasser Abd Rabbo.
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Sun, 02 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Syria, Israel must give to get, Opinion in The Baltimore Sun by Shibley Telhami, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution