J Street’s National Conference: March 24-27, 2012
POMED is excited to be a participating organization in J Street's upcoming national conference. The event, called "Making History," will take place March 24-27 in Washington, DC. To see last year's impressive conference schedule, click here. To register for the 2012 conference, click here (more details on speakers and panels will be available soon). We hope to see you there!
Summary and Highlights of the FY12 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bills
On Wednesday 7/27, the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee held a markup session and voted to pass the 2012 State and Foreign Operations Appropirations Bill, as is, to the full committee. The bill would provide $39.6 billion ...
Abbas: “The Palestinian Spring Is Here”
Upon his return to Ramallah after asking the U.N. to recognize Palestinian statehood on Friday, President Mahmoud Abbas told a crowd of supporters that "the Palestinian spring is here. A popular spring, a populist spring, a spring of peaceful struggle ...
Senate Releases State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced S.1601, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012 and its accompanying report. The press release noted the committee’s difficult task of funding more with less, including “responding to the turbulent events in the Middle East and North Africa,” with a total budget of $44.64 billion, which is $6.15 billion below the President’s request. On the Middle East and North Africa: ...
POMED Notes: Congressional Hearing on U.S. Assistance to the PA
On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on the issue of U.S. financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority and more broadly, to the United Nations. For full event notes, continue reading. Or, click here for the PDF. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) chaired the committee hearing and opened the hearing with an opening statement. Ros-Lehtinen stated that the purpose of the hearing was to “address the troubling turn of events ...
Jordan: Protests Reveal Rift over Palestinian Issue
The protests planned via Facebook for Thursday evening outside the Israeli embassy, which prompted the early departure of the Israeli diplomatic mission in Amman, drew a turnout of 200 mostly young protesters. The discussion of the Palestinian bid for ...
Dep. Secretary Burns Visits Saudi Arabia and UAE
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is visiting Saudi Arabia and the UAE this week to meet with top officials. After his Tuesday meeting with Assistant Minister of the Interior Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Burns met with King Abdullah ...
Op-Ed: Veto of Palestine Vote at U.N. May Jeopardize U.S.-Saudi Ties
In a New York Times op-ed, Prince Turki al-Faisal warns that if the United States vetoes Palestine's bid for statehood in the United Nations later this month, "the little credibility has in the Arab world" will likely be lost ...
POMED Notes: Hearing on U.S. Aid to the Palestinian Authority
On Tuesday, July 12, the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia held the first of two hearings on “Promoting Peace? Reexamining U.S. Aid to the Palestinian Authority.” The hearing was presided over by Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH), and ranking member Gary Ackerman (D-NY). Also in attendance were Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA), Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), ...
POMED Notes: “An Israeli-Palestinian Agreement? What’s Possible and What Isn’t”
On Tuesday, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a panel titled “An Israeli-Palestinian Agreement? What’s Possible and What Isn’t.” Haleh Esfandiari, the director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, introduced the panel, which was moderated by Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl. Panelists included Brandeis University professor Shai Feldman, author and Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar Aaron David Miller, and Hussein Ibish, a ...
NPR: “What The Arab Spring Means For Israel And Palestine”
Robert Malley, from the International Crisis Group, gave a lengthy interview on NPR's Fresh Air program about the Arab Spring and the situation in Israel/Palestine. Malley believes the Arab Spring movements in the MENA region could be a "game changer" for Israel and the United States. He discusses the Palestinian movement for U.N. recognition in September, the Fatah/Hamas unity government, and how the Arab Spring has affected the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.
Granger and Lowey Discuss Aid to Egypt and Palestine
Josh Rogin, writing at the Cable, states that during a panel discussion at the AIPAC policy conference in Washington, House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations subcommittee chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) expressed her disapproval of President Barack Obama's aid ...
McCain Outlines Strategic Objectives for the Middle East
Last week, following President Barack Obama's address on the Middle East, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the Dean Acheson Lecture at the United States Institute of Peace where he discussed the Arab Spring. McCain opened by noting that the uprisings in the Middle East represent a repudiation of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and stated that Arab Spring should be "a clarifying event for the United States" which presents an ...
President Obama Delivers Major Address on Middle East Policy
On Thursday, President Barack Obama addressed the nation to discuss U.S. policy towards the Middle East and North Africa. He noted that over the past six months, the people in the region "have risen up to demand their basic ...
Palestine: Elections Postponed, Abbas Calls for Statehood
On Tuesday, the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that municipal elections would be postponed from July to October, stating that more time was needed to ensure the vote can be held in both the West Bank and ...
Secretary Clinton Meets with Jordanian King Abdullah
In remarks with Jordanian King Abdullah before their meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the king "is a strong and steady voice in the incredible changes that are going on around the world." King Abdullah noted that the discussion will include the challenges facing the Middle East as a result of the Arab Spring and stated that "the role of the United States is going to be ...
George Mitchell to Resign
The Obama administration’s special Mideast envoy, former Senator George Mitchell, plans to resign after more than two years of trying to press Israel and the Palestinians into peace talks, U.S. officials said. The White House is scheduled to announce ...