1)     Post-Annapolis/Gaza Crisis Commentary: Current Israeli-Palestinian Issues and the U.S. Role

2)    Bush Mideast Trip: Key Statements, Speeches and Analyses

3)      Humanitarian/Economic Issues: Gaza Reports, UN Appeal, December Donors’ Conference

4)     Jerusalem News: Sharing/Dividing Now or Later?  

5)     Focus on Holy Land Christians: January Visits and Senators’ Letter

6)     Interreligious Letter to Bush: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Religious Leaders Support U.S. Leadership for Peace

The process begun at the November Annapolis peace conference and continued with President Bush’s trip to the Holy Land in early January provides a real opportunity for progress.  To succeed, movement on Israeli-Palestinian political dialogue must include tangible security and humanitarian changes on the ground and a solution for the current Gaza crisis that enables Israeli citizens to live without fear of rocket attacks and alleviates the deepening humanitarian crisis faced by ordinary Gazans due to border closures and limited access to vital supplies.  A new horizon for Gaza that gives substance to Secretary Rice’s June 2007 statement “that there is one Palestinian people and there should be one Palestinian state” can help lay the necessary groundwork for a durable peace.   

Ever since the President first announced his plan to renew two-state peacemaking efforts in a speech last July, there has been a great deal of skepticism from all quarters.  There are ample reasons to doubt that the current efforts can yield concrete results.  Yet regardless of the many challenges, there are also grounds for hope, with the incentives for peace far outweighing the risks of maintaining the status quo.  Indeed, failure to improve peace prospects this year would serve to bolster those who support violence.  Only a negotiated agreement that includes resolution of the core final status issues can bring lasting peace and security to Israel and the Palestinians, and further U.S. interests in the region.  The pledge to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement by the end of 2008, made at Annapolis and restated by the President in Jerusalem in January, is a welcome sign of American engagement and commitment.  Now, the U.S. must exercise active and bold diplomatic leadership to help Israel and the Palestinians step back from the brink and move forward on a path toward peace.   

1. Post-Annapolis/Gaza Crisis Commentary: Current Israeli-Palestinian Issues and the U.S. Role 

“360 Days”, M.J. Rosenberg, Israel Policy Forum IPF Friday, January 25, 2008

“…in 2008, the only way to resolve disputes between nations is through direct negotiations. That means that all the problems posed by Hamas in Gaza can only be resolved through negotiations that will end the Israeli occupation, create a West Bank/Gaza Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its shared capital and ensure the security of both Israelis and Palestinians. As the Israelis say over and over again, it needs a partner. In fact, it has one in Mahmoud Abbas. But, being essentially powerless, he is not a partner Israel can hold responsible for very much.  That needs to change. And that means moving on President Bush’s goal of establishing a Palestinian state by the end of his term. That state will not be a gift to the Palestinians, nor will it be a reward for good behavior. What it will be is a solution to a problem that plagues Israelis and Palestinians alike (while seriously damaging America’s interests worldwide). It’s been two months since Annapolis. It’s time for some urgency, especially now that we see mobs taking events into their own hands.  Is that what we want? Or is it the full-scale invasion of Gaza by the IDF which, according to press reports, Barak is considering?  Come on, Mr. President. You are running out of time. Don’t leave this one for the next president. A president has more running room on Arab-Israeli issues in his last year than at any time in his term. Use it. Only 360 days left.” 

Full article >

“Is it a budding partnership?”, Ziad Asali, Gulf News, January 18, 2008 

“…How do we keep the momentum for peace going beyond expressing wishes and hopes?  There are governmental policies that need to be implemented and there is a wider sphere of private, institutional, and individual endeavours that have to be undertaken to finally end this conflict…”

Full article > 

"Middle East Triangle", Hussein Agha and Robert Malley, The Washington Post, January 17, 2008

”The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has gone from a violent, intractable, clear-cut duel to a violent, intractable, three-way chess match. Today, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas each fears that the other two will reach a deal at its expense. And each is determined to prevent that outcome…In tandem, no two parties are capable enough to deliver; any one party is potent enough to be a spoiler. There can be neither Israeli-Palestinian stability nor a peace accord without Hamas's acquiescence. Intra-Palestinian reconciliation will not last without Israel's unspoken assent and willingness to lift its siege. Any agreement between Hamas and Israel over Abbas's strong objection is hard to imagine.  For any of these dances to go forward, all will have to go forward. Synchronicity is key. Fatah and Hamas will need to reach a new political arrangement, this time not one vigorously opposed by Israel. Hamas and Israel will need to achieve a cease-fire and prisoner exchange, albeit mediated by Abbas. And Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will need to negotiate a political deal with Abbas, who will have to receive a mandate to do so from Hamas. The current mind-set, in which each side considers dealmaking by the other two to be a mortal threat, could be replaced by one in which all three couplings are viewed as mutually reinforcing. For that, the parties' allies ought to cast aside their dysfunctional, destructive, ideologically driven policies. Instead, they should encourage a choreography that minimizes violence and promotes a serious diplomatic process. Otherwise, no matter how many times President Bush travels to the region, there is no reason to believe that 2008 will offer anything other than the macabre pattern of years past.” 

Full Op-Ed >   

“After Annapolis . . .”, Amb. Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. (Ret.) moderates commentary by Ziad Asali and Ori Nir, Middle East Institute Viewpoints, January 9, 2008

“Many Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians are convinced that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is intractable because neither side has abandoned the goal of defeating the other, and neither really believes in compromise. This is a myth…The situation demands on the diplomatic front what Ori Nir calls for, ‘a more assertive, active American role.’ It also calls for, as Ziad Asali urges, a more powerful ‘American national alliance’ here at home of diverse parties who agree on the critical need for negotiating a solution based on ‘two viable secure states.’…If George W. Bush takes advantage of his Annapolis initiative and intervenes more actively to help Ehud Olmert and Mahmud ‘Abbas resolve final status issues they are unlikely to resolve by themselves, he would offer them a desperately needed lifeline that they would certainly grasp. In doing so, he could summon support from and help empower a large American pro-peace majority. Herein lies a bright opportunity for President Bush to help overcome America’s travails in the Middle East, leave a powerful legacy, and help rescue our Israeli and Palestinian friends from a bleak future.” 

Full Article > 

2. Bush Mideast Trip: Key Statements, Speeches and Analyses

During his January 29^th State of the Union Address, President Bush referred briefly to his recent trip:

“This month in Ramallah and Jerusalem, I assured leaders from both sides that America will do, and I will do, everything we can to help them achieve a peace agreement that defines a Palestinian state by the end of this year. The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace.” 

Key Statements and Speeches:

“President Bush Discusses Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process”, King David Hotel, Jerusalem, January 10, 2008

“…Achieving an agreement will require painful political concessions by both sides. While territory is an issue for both parties to decide, I believe that any peace agreement between them will require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949 to reflect current realities and to ensure that the Palestinian state is viable and contiguous. I believe we need to look to the establishment of a Palestinian state and new international mechanisms, including compensation, to resolve the refugee issue.   I reaffirm to each leader that implementation of any agreement is subject to implementation of the road map. Neither party should undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudices the final status negotiations. On the Israeli side that includes ending settlement expansion and removing unauthorized outposts. On the Palestinian side that includes confronting terrorists and dismantling terrorist infrastructure. I know Jerusalem is a tough issue. Both sides have deeply felt political and religious concerns. I fully understand that finding a solution to this issue will be one of the most difficult challenges on the road to peace, but that is the road we have chosen to walk. Security is fundamental. No agreement and no Palestinian state will be born of terror. I reaffirm America's steadfast commitment to Israel's security. The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it. And it will enhance the stability of the region, and it will contribute to the security of the people of Israel. The peace agreement should happen, and can happen, by the end of this year. I know each leader shares that important goal, and I am committed to doing all I can to achieve it.”  

“President Bush and Prime Minister Olmert Participate in Joint Press Availability”, Prime Minister's Residence, Jerusalem, January 9, 2008

“…It's in the interests of all of us that that vision come to be. I'm under no illusions, it's going to be hard work. I fully understand that there's going to be some painful political compromises. I fully understand that there's going to be some tough negotiations. And the role of the United States is to help in those negotiations...The only way to have lasting peace, the only way for an agreement to mean anything, is for the two parties to come together and make the difficult choices. But we'll help, and we want to help. If it looks like there needs to be a little pressure, Mr. Prime Minister, you know me well enough to know I'll be more than willing to provide it. I will say the same thing to President Abbas tomorrow, as well…” 

Full Press Conference > 

“President Bush and Palestinian Authority President Abbas Participate in Joint Press Availability”, Muqata, Ramallah, January 10, 2008

“…there are three tracks to this process, as far as we're concerned. One is the negotiations to define a vision that will be subject to the road map. Secondly is to resolve -- help resolve road map issues…And thirdly is to help the Palestinians develop the infrastructure necessary for a democracy -- an economy -- and security forces that are capable of doing what the President and the Prime Minister want to have done. ..I am confident that with proper help, the state of Palestine will emerge. And I'm confident that when it emerges it will be a major step towards peace. I am confident that the status quo is unacceptable, Mr. President, and we want to help you…”

Key Analyses:

“Moving Closer to the 'Clinton Parameters'”, Glenn Kessler, The Washington Post, January 11, 2008 

" ‘I'm the only president that's really articulated a two-state solution so far,’ President Bush declared during his visit to Israel and the West Bank yesterday, when he issued his most comprehensive statement yet on what a potential peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians should look like. However, a close look at Bush's words reveals that his vision for Middle East peace has moved quite close to the ‘Clinton parameters,’ which President Bill Clinton sketched out in 2000, just weeks before Bush took office.” 

Graph comparing Jan 10^th Statement by President Bush and "Clinton Parameters" >

Background: Text of “Clinton Parameters” (as delivered in speech to Israel Policy Forum) >

“Parsing Bush's words”, Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, January 11, 2008  

“Picking apart President Bush's summarizing of his Palestinian-Israeli peace brokering is a little like reading the fine print in the nutritional information on comfort food: There is empty puffery, to be sure, but there are also nuggets of substance.  Bush, speaking Thursday at Jerusalem's King David Hotel, was summing up two days of working meetings with the leaders of the Israeli and Palestinian governments, his first presidential visit to the region.  Much of what Bush put forward was not new or was symbolic, but there were a few groundbreaking items, including his clearest call yet to the Israelis to freeze settlement expansion and a call for compensation for Palestinians dispersed after the creation of Israel in 1948…” 

Full Article >  

3. Humanitarian/Economic Issues: Gaza Reports, UN Appeal, December Donors’ Conference

 “Gaza Humanitarian Situation Report”, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), January 29, 2008

“Despite access to Egypt, 1.5 million Gazans still rely on Israel for all their supplies Since January 18, a total of 32 truckloads of goods have entered the Gaza Strip from Israel. Israel is allowing a restricted amount of fuel to enter Gaza. Due to limited reserves of fuel, the Gaza power plant has reduced its power output to 45 megawatts, causing power cuts of up to eight hours per day everywhere in Gaza except Rafah...”

Full Report >

“Breaching the Wall in Gaza”, Mercy Corps, January 25, 2008

“Gazans' frustration at their isolation and border closures boiled over this week, with Palestinians blasting down the wall separating Gaza from Egypt and tens of thousands flooding through the breach.  Since 2005, Mercy Corps has been working to address dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza through provision of humanitarian assistance to the occupied territory's most vulnerable families. Our work has included the distribution of much-needed material aid — like emergency food, cooking fuel and kitchenware — as well as the creation of short-term employment opportunities in areas such as construction, clothes making and food production.  This evening local time, Isdud Al Najjar, who manages Mercy Corps' work in Gaza, spoke from Gaza City about the mood of the territory, how the situation has affected the agency's programs, and what's likely to happen now…” 

“Crisis in Gaza: Catholic Relief Services Responds”, Cairo, Egypt, January 24, 2008 

“As thousands of Palestinians stream from Gaza into Egypt following cutoffs in fuel and supplies, Catholic Relief Services has joined other aid agencies responding to the territory's humanitarian crisis. Already facing an unusually cold winter for the region, many Gazans now lack food, heating, and medical supplies.  While some are buying goods on the Egyptian side of the town of Rafah, those who don't cross into Egypt—or don't have money to spend—could feel the pinch as Gaza shortages continue. ‘This situation has been building for months,’ says Tom Garofalo, CRS Country Representative for Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. ‘The mass exodus highlights how desperate Gazans are for basic goods like dairy products and children's clothing, which have been extremely scarce and expensive since the border crossings between Israel and Gaza were closed in June 2007. With the closures, it's the innocent who suffer most, not political leaders.’…” 

Full Press Release >

“Gaza: worsening violence and humanitarian conditions”, Margo Sabella, World Vision Jerusalem, January 21, 2008  

“A wave of violence between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces broke out last week with more people injured and killed. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is getting worse as borders are shut and fuel reserves run low… ‘The psychological impact of this conflict has exacted a heavy toll, especially on the children of both communities, who constantly experience violence in some form or another. The safety of children must be prioritized by both parties at all times,’ said Charles Clayton, National Director for World Vision Jerusalem, West Bank, Gaza…”  

Full Article >

“Episcopal Relief and Development responds to emergencies in Indonesia and the Gaza Strip”, ERD News Room, January 2008 

“…Episcopal Relief and Development is providing emergency assistance to Ahli Arab Hospital in the Gaza Strip.  The closing of Gaza’s borders on January 17 has created fuel shortages throughout the territory, resulting in the closing of Gaza’s main power plant.  The blockade was eased this week to allow for emergency fuel shipments.  Suhaila Tarazi, the Ahli Hospital Director, sent a message stating the severity of the crisis.  ‘Life in Gaza has become terrible and people suffer from fear, humiliation, and poverty.’  Episcopal Relief and Development is providing critical support to help the hospital procure fuel to operate its generator and steam boiler.  With ERD's help, the hospital can secure enough fuel to remain open and continue to serve the community.”  Full Press Release >     

“Consolidated Appeals Process 2008 Press Release”, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), January 22, 2008

The UN and humanitarian partner agencies launched their largest ever appeal for Palestinians - $462 million - as the population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is forced into greater dependency on humanitarian assistance in 2008. 

“In 2007, political, economic and social conditions continue to deteriorate in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)…In addition to continuing fatalities from direct Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 2007 saw a dramatic increase in deaths and injuries due to internal Palestinian violence. The poverty rate stands at 57% and food insecurity affects 34% of the population. The impact has  been particularly severe in Gaza which has been effectively sealed off from the rest of the world since mid-June. Few residents can now exit Gaza, even in the case of medical emergency, and only limited commercial and humanitarian supplies can enter Gaza. A complete halt to the import of raw materials and exports to Israel and the wider world resulted in 75,000 Gazan employees laid off by mid-September. Dependency on agencies such as UNRWA and WFP in Gaza now stands at 80%, which will further increase due to the continuing closure of Gaza’s external borders…”

Summary of CAP 2008 >

“Statement by Middle East Quartet at Paris Donors’ Conference”, United Nations Department of Public Information, December 18, 2007 

“…The Quartet reaffirmed the importance of Palestinian economic and institutional capacity-building in order to lay the foundation for a viable and prosperous Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza.  In that regard, the Quartet expressed its strong support for the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan presented by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, welcomed the generous support of the international community at the Paris Donors' Conference, and urged donors to maximize the resources available to the Palestinian Authority…The Quartet condemned the continued rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and called for an immediate cessation of such attacks…The Quartet reiterated its deep concern over the humanitarian conditions facing the population of the Gaza Strip and emphasized the importance of continued emergency and humanitarian assistance without obstruction.  The Quartet called for the continued provision of essential services, including fuel and power supplies.  It expressed its urgent concern over the continued closure of major crossing points, given the impact on the Palestinian economy and daily life.  The Quartet encouraged contacts between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to consider ideas such as Prime Minister Fayyad's proposal for the Palestinian Authority to assume responsibility for the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossings in order to improve operations and oversight for the passage of goods and people…”

Full Statement >

 4.     Jerusalem News: Sharing/Dividing Now or Later?    

“PM: Delay talks on Jerusalem to avoid derailing peace process”, Barak Ravid and Yair Ettinger, Haaretz, January 28, 2008

“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that discussion over the future of Jerusalem should be held off until a later phase in negotiations with the Palestinians, to avoid the risk of derailing peace talks. 
‘The topic of Jerusalem is very sensitive in this regard,’ the prime minister told a Kadima faction meeting. ‘It is preferable to begin with subjects where there is a chance to reach understandings than to open with matters that have high initial opposition.’  Olmert told Kadima members, ‘the negotiations will cover all the pending issues, but not necessarily with the same intensity. It's better to start with issues on which the gap between the two sides is not that wide.’ Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday in response to the suggestion that ‘all contentious questions were on the table, and that the Palestinians don't exclude any issue.’…” 

Full Article >

“Olmert Hints Jerusalem Division Is Inevitable”, Jeffrey Heller, Reuters, January 1, 2008

“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signaled on Tuesday Israel might have no choice but to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians in a peace deal, citing international pressure for compromise over the holy city.  ‘The world that is friendly to Israel ... that really supports Israel, when it speaks of the future, it speaks of Israel in terms of the '67 borders. It speaks of the division of Jerusalem,’ Olmert said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.  Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in a move that failed to win international recognition. It regards all of Jerusalem as its ‘eternal and indivisible’ capital.  Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the state they aspire to establish in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.  The future of Jerusalem is one of the core issues Israel and the Palestinians agreed to tackle in peace talks they renewed after a U.S.-hosted summit in Annapolis, Maryland in November.  Olmert's comments appeared to be another move by the prime minister to prepare Israeli public opinion for the possibility of a deal that would loosen Israel's control of all of Jerusalem…” 

Full Article >

5. Focus on Holy Land Christians: January Visits and Senators’ Letter

“North American And European Bishops Offer Hope And Prayers For Just Peace In The Holy Land: USCCB’s President Cardinal George Visits Holy Land to Express Solidarity”, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, January 16, 2008

“Bishops from North America and Europe gathered in the Holy Land this past week to demonstrate their solidarity with the local Church and to provide support and encouragement to Israeli and Palestinian leaders for a just peace. The meetings, held from January 11 – 16, were a part of the annual Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land, begun at the urging of the Holy See in 1998. Its purpose is to advocate on behalf of the Christian community in the Holy Land, press for a peaceful resolution to violence in the Middle East and to communicate to the wider Catholic Church conditions of the Church in the region…” 

Full Press Release >

“President Bush Visits Church of the Nativity, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Office of the Press Secretary, January 10, 2008

“Madam Minister, thank you very much for your hospitality.  It's been a -- it's been a moving moment for me and the delegation to be here at the Church of the Nativity. For those of us who practice the Christian faith, there's really no more holy site than the place where our Savior was born.   And I want to thank the government for arranging this trip. I also thank very much the three different churches for welcoming me here. It's a fascinating history in this church, so not only was my soul uplifted, my knowledge of history was enriched. I want to thank the people of Bethlehem for enduring a presidential trip -- I know it's been inconvenient for you. I very much appreciate your tolerating my entourage. Some day I hope that as a result of a formation of a Palestinian state there won't be walls and checkpoints, that people will be able to move freely in a democratic state. That's the vision, greatly inspired by my belief that there is an Almighty, and a gift of that Almighty to each man, woman and child on the face of the Earth is freedom. And I felt it strongly here today.  Anyway, thank you very much.”  

Full Statement >

“Senators’ Letter to President Bush on Palestinian Christians and Holy Land Peace”, Sens. Christopher Bond (R-MO) and John Rockefeller (D-WV), December 25, 2007 

“We commend your efforts to reinvigorate the peace process with last month’s international meeting in Annapolis, and your vision of ‘two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.’ As you work to achieve this vision…we wish to draw your attention to the  decline of the Holy Land’s Christian community.  A necessary element of a peaceful, stable Middle East— in which Jews, Christians and Muslims can live together—is the vitality of Christianity in the land of its birth. The small Palestinian Christian community is increasingly emigrating and it is clear that the achievement of a peaceful, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would greatly benefit the long-term viability of this vulnerable population…”   

6. Interreligious Letter to Bush: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Religious Leaders Support U.S. Leadership for Peace

"Jewish, Christian and Muslim Religious Leaders Support U.S. Leadership for Peace”, National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, January 31, 2008

“In a letter to President Bush supporting his pledge to provide active U.S. leadership for Israeli-Palestinian peace in 2008, American Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders, including heads of more than 20 national organizations, are advocating 'urgent U.S. engagement to achieve an effective  comprehensive ceasefire covering Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and other simultaneous steps by Israel and the Palestinian Authority to improve conditions on the ground and restore people’s hopes that a peace agreement is possible.'..." 

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