Some feel that the current standoff between the US and Europe, on the one hand, and Russia, on the other, over Ukraine and Crimea will divert attention away from peacemaking in Palestine. While worrying developments at that end certainly pose a distraction, they should not neces

Unlike those who believe in dramatic solutions and sheer power, many in our region appreciate the Obama administration’s current approach to the region’s problems. Sober policies should always prevail over sombre politics. Diplomacy must come before militancy, becau

When looking at Arab countries in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, it is too hasty to conclude, as some have already concluded, that the drive for democracy has failed. Two basic lessons we have all, or should have, learned from the events of the past three years: democracy tak

The present round of negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, seen as perhaps the last chance to rescue the two-state solution and achieve durable peace, should not be allowed to fail. For one thing, peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis is long overdue.

Many found the statements of the minister of education about “illiteracy” in schools, made a few weeks ago, shocking. I find them shocking, but for an entirely different reason. According to the minister, who was taking part in a seminar on the “crisis”