On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on the issue of U.S. financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority and more broadly, to the United Nations. For full event notes, continue reading. Or, click here for the PDF. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) chaired the committee hearing and opened the hearing with an opening statement. Ros-Lehtinen stated that the purpose of the hearing was to “address the troubling turn of events ...

On Tuesday, July 12, the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia held the first of two hearings on “Promoting Peace? Reexamining U.S. Aid to the Palestinian Authority.” The hearing was presided over by Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH), and ranking member Gary Ackerman (D-NY). Also in attendance were Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA), Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), ...

On Tuesday, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a panel titled “An Israeli-Palestinian Agreement? What’s Possible and What Isn’t.” Haleh Esfandiari, the director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, introduced the panel, which was moderated by Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl. Panelists included Brandeis University professor Shai Feldman, author and Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar Aaron David Miller, and Hussein Ibish, a ...

Robert Malley, from the International Crisis Group, gave a lengthy interview on NPR's Fresh Air program about the Arab Spring and the situation in Israel/Palestine. Malley believes the Arab Spring movements in the MENA region could be a "game changer" for Israel and the United States.  He discusses the Palestinian movement for U.N. recognition in September, the Fatah/Hamas unity government, and how the Arab Spring has affected the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.  

Last week, following President Barack Obama's address on the Middle East, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the Dean Acheson Lecture at the United States Institute of Peace where he discussed the Arab Spring.  McCain opened by noting that the uprisings  in the Middle East represent a repudiation of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and stated that Arab Spring should be "a clarifying event for the United States" which presents an ...

  In remarks with Jordanian King Abdullah before their meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the king "is a strong and steady voice in the incredible changes that are going on around the world."   King Abdullah noted that the discussion will include the challenges facing the Middle East as a result of the Arab Spring and stated that "the role of the United States is going to be ...

French President Nicholas Sarkozy told L'Express (French) that if peace negotiations are still stalled by September, "France will assume its responsibilities on the central question of recognizing the Palestinian state." The Palestinian Authority intends to seek a vote for statehood before the United Nations General Assembly in September. Sarkozy added that the "idea that we have time is a dangerous one." He also called upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ...

Following the final signing of a Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement yesterday many international leaders and negotiators weighed in. Benjamin Netanyahu announced in London: "What happened today in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism."  Ha'aretz reports that leaked Israeli Foreign Ministry documents state that the agreement could offer Israel a "strategic opportunity", which is in stark contrast to statements coming from Israel's leadership.  Quartet Representative Tony Blair announced that ...

On Wednesday, Fatah and Hamas signed the proposed reconciliation agreement in Cairo following final negotiations. The deal has been heavily criticized by the Israeli Government, who is currently withholding $90 million in  tax revenue owed to the Palestinian Authority. Israel collects nearly a $1 billion annually in tax revenues  and customs on behalf of the PA. The revenue is transferred in accordance with terms of the Oslo accords. Hamas has announced ...

Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman will travel to Amman, Jordan on May 2-4 to meet with King Abdullah, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan, and members of civil society.   Secretary Feltman will continue bilateral dialogue that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Judeh held in Washington D.C. in April, discuss the King's reform agenda and regional issues ...