Upcoming Events
November 17, 2009
Fateh and Hamas: a Decade of Love-Hate Relations
Khalil Shikaki, Senior Fellow at the Crown Center and Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah
Recent Publications
Middle East Brief
The Obama Presidency and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Shai Feldman and Khalil Shikaki
Middle East Brief
The Curious Case of Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani
Naghmeh Sohrabi
Crown Paper
The Uncommonality of "A Common Word"
Joseph Lumbard
In the News
Shai Feldman
August 18, 2009
Financial Times
Opinion Comment: The grand bargain that is the Mideast’s best hope
With Gilead Sher
June 4, 2009
WGBH Greater Boston
Analysis of President Obama's speech to the Muslim World
Video Available
Nader Habibi
August 2009
Economist
While a reversal of the decision to locate the GCC Central Bank in Saudi Arabia appears unlikely...“I am optimistic they will be able to resolve this issue. The desire to move forward is there.”
June 18, 2009
Energy Current
Op-Ed: "Commodity speculation must be regulated"
Abdel Monem Said Aly
August 18, 2009
The Washington Post
Op-Ed "Egypt's Essential Partnership"
August 18, 2009
NPR
"What President Mubarak is hoping to have from this trip is to convince Washington that the final contract is the one that is important"
Khalil Shikaki
August 12, 2009
Los Angeles Times
"Abbas realized how serious the challenges were and how fragmented and discredited his movement had become...He gave Fayyad the power he needed to restore his own credibility and control of the West Bank."
May 20, 2009
New York Times
Op-Ed: "Vote Fatah (or Hamas)"
Crown Center
New Middle East Brief
The Obama Presidency and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Prof. Shai Feldman and Dr. Khalil Shikaki
The first ten months of the Obama administration’s efforts to achieve a breakthrough in Arab-Israeli peacemaking have led to widespread disappointment among Palestinians and to growing anxiety among Israelis. This Brief first provides an account of the Obama promise to the Middle East, highlighting the innovations characterizing his approach to the region. It then offers an explanation of what went wrong—of how both the administration and Israeli and Palestinian leaders contributed to wasting this initial period. Next, the Brief sets forth options available to the administration if it seeks to overcome the present impasse and jump-start Palestinian-Israeli talks. Finally, it offers some guidelines for a more promising Middle East peace process.
Prof. Shai Feldman is the Judith and Sidney Swartz Director of the Crown Center.
Dr. Khalil Shikaki is the Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research and a Senior Fellow at the Crown Center.