Politics

One paradox stands out in the Middle East. The lands of the three monotheistic faiths – essentially messages of peace – remain awash in conflict. The Holy Grail is peace in this region. The search for it has included Arabs – despite orientalist stereotypes to the contrary. Thomas Hardy’s apt observation that ‘war makes good … Continued

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launches an intense week of Middle East diplomacy in Egypt Tuesday, joining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for their next round of face-to-face peace talks. She begins in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, then plans to move on to Jerusalem on Wednesday and the … Continued

On Thursday, September 2, as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepare to meet in Washington, DC for a new round of direct negotiations, the Palestinian American community will convene at the State Department to demonstrate their support for Palestinian collective rights and reject the ongoing negotiations that marginalize and … Continued

The Obama administration is hosting a new round of peace talks between The Palestinian Authority and Israel tomorrow September 2, 2010. This comes in the midst of accelerated demolitions of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem and Al-Naqab (Negev) and renewed promises by top Israeli officials to accelerate settlement building on occupied Palestinian land. Al-Awda, The Palestine … Continued

White House Press Office East Room 7:05 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good evening, everyone. Tomorrow, after nearly two years, Israelis and Palestinians will resume direct talks in pursuit of a goal that we all share —- two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. Tonight, I’m pleased to welcome to … Continued

Statement by the Press Secretary on Today’s Attack in the Southern West Bank The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack today perpetrated by Hamas in which four Israelis were killed in the southern West Bank. We express our condolences to the victims’ families and call for the terrorists behind this … Continued

Say what you will about the Arab world, it’s hard to earn its gratitude. President Obama went to Egypt and not Israel. He demanded that Israel cease adding new settlements in the West Bank. He treated Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with a chilling disdain. For all of that, though, Obama’s approval rating in Arab countries … Continued

As a group, Americans of the Muslim faith give President Barack Obama the highest job approval rating of any major religion. A Gallup Poll of 275,000 adults released late last week finds that while the Democrat’s overall approval rating has dropped across all faiths — even those Americans without any — Muslims continue to approve … Continued

President Barack Obama’s adviser to the Muslim world is coming to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn on Sunday to discuss U.S. foreign policy at a Ramadan dinner hosted by U.S. Rep. John Conyers. Rashad Hussain, 31, is the special envoy of the U.S. to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, a group of … Continued

Republicans have dug a deep hole for themselves on matters related to the Middle East and Islam reflecting the extent to which the Party has become captive of the neo-conservative “clash of civilization” crowd and their partners on the evangelical Christian right. This drift becomes clear listening to statements by Republican leaders and surveying the … Continued

Barack Obama’s popularity has plummeted in the Arab world, where most people support an Iranian nuclear weapon, according to a poll released on Thursday. The survey of almost 4,000 people in six countries will come as a blow to the White House, which has argued that positive perceptions of Mr Obama – particularly after his … Continued