Ariel Sharon

An Israeli View: Bibi's rival

Israel's relations with the Palestinian Authority combine security cooperation with diplomatic warfare. While the West Bank is relatively calm and its economy is growing, bitter rivalry prevails at the political level. The mutual dislike and mistrust between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was clearly visible in the failed New York summit imposed upon them by American President Barack Obama last month.

A Palestinian View: A conducive environment for unilateral Palestinian action

When Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon embarked upon a unilateral strategy that saw Israel consolidate its occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and withdraw from Gaza Strip settlements but put the Gaza Strip under a tight siege, it left the Palestinian side with a difficult political dilemma.

A Palestinian View: Israeli unilateralism undermines the peace process

It's been four years since Israel evacuated its settlers and army from the Gaza Strip. Since then, Israel has kept Gaza under a tight siege that has undermined the economy of the already impoverished Strip. Now there seems to be consensus among most Palestinians and Israelis, though for different reasons, that the withdrawal was not constructive as far as peacemaking and ending the conflict are concerned.

An Israeli View: We can do better

Revisited four years later, Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza offers several very important lessons. On the Palestinian side, they involve state-building. On the Israeli side, the lessons touch on demography, resettlement and, perhaps most important, Israel's failure to come up with an efficient post-disengagement strategy for dealing with the Gaza Strip and Hamas.

Stopping Construction, Building Peace

These are not easy times for all of us who care deeply about Israel. It has become clear that the governments in Washington and Jerusalem are at loggerheads, primarily over the issue of settlements on the West Bank.

As someone who even during the Carter administration, 30 years ago, called publicly for a halt to settlement building on the part of Israel, I remain even more steadfast in my belief that settlements are inimical to the interests of peace, and therefore inimical to Israel's long-term interests and viability.

An Israeli View: Still relevant

As we begin a review of the roadmap's three phases, it is fascinating to contemplate the enduring relevancy of this document. Back in 2003 when it was introduced, the clear impression of many observers, myself among them, was that the roadmap was stillborn. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat would interfere with the efforts of newly-appointed PM Mahmoud Abbas to restrain Palestinian violence. Israeli PM Ariel Sharon would insist on Palestinian compliance on ceasing violence before he froze settlement construction and removed outposts. US President George W.

An Israeli View: For our own good

Ever since the Israeli-Palestinian peace process began in earnest with the Oslo accords of 1993, the two sides' negotiations have been accompanied by Israeli settlement construction. Serious Israeli peace-seekers like Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert all continued building or at least expanding settlements even as they sought interim and final status arrangements with the PLO leadership. The latter, first Yasser Arafat and in recent years Mahmoud Abbas, proceeded with negotiations even as they protested settlement expansion.

The Eight Percent Solution

As a practical matter, I support the Obama's administration's position for a halt to all construction in Israeli settlements situated across the 1967 Green Line.  The Israeli argument that "natural growth" be allowed is fallacious.  Why should settlers benefit from a government guarantee that no one else enjoys?

A Palestinian View: Talking one way, walking the other

Ehud Olmert, who was elected three years ago as prime minister of Israel, will be remembered here as someone with an unprecedented and unique ability to combine peaceful and positive rhetoric with hostile and aggressive action vis-a-vis the Palestinians and Arabs in general.

A Palestinian View: Radical Trend Can Still Be Reversed

The results of the Israeli elections--a clear victory for the right wing bloc and further marginalization of the left--have proven correct the fears of many analysts that Israeli society is drifting to the right and that this is part of a general trend of radicalization in the region that includes Palestinian society as well.