Yarden Gazit

Sixty-five years ago, Friedrich Hayek asked whether there was “a greater tragedy imaginable than that, in our endeavor consciously to shape our future in accordance with high ideals, we should in fact unwittingly produce the very opposite of what we have been striving for?” Sadly, the Obama administration’s Middle East policy is a Hayekian tragedy in the making. The administration’s attempt to pressure Palestinians and Israelis into negotiations -- undertaken, no doubt, in pursuit of peace -- may well cause another outbreak of violence in the Holy Land. (more)

Vice President Joe Biden's condemnation of the decision by Israel to approve a construction project in a Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem became the focus of his visit to the Holy Land, at least as far as the international media are concerned. But for average Israelis, both Jews and Arabs, Biden's visit caused problems of a much more practical nature — major traffic jams. (more)

The Herzliya Conference has become Israel's foremost policy conference, where the country's political and security elites meet
with academics and media experts to discuss the balance of Israel's national security. The prime minister's speech which concludes the conference has become somewhat of a "state of the union" address where previous prime ministers have announced major policy initiatives. Foreign participants include heads of state, senior diplomats and Nobel laureates. (more)

Dr. Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said on Monday that American standing in the world will decline relative to other powers. (more)

President Barack Obama told Time Magazine's Joe Klein this week that the Middle East peace process "has not moved forward." He admitted his administration overestimated its ability to persuade Israelis and Palestinians to engage in negotiations which run contrary to each side's domestic politics. "If we had anticipated some of [the] political problems on both sides earlier, we might not have raised expectations as high," said Obama. Nevertheless, he said, "we are going to continue working with both parties to recognize what I think is ultimately their deep-seated interest in a two-state solution." (more)

A year after taking office, with approval ratings dropping every week, the Obama administration is desperate to claim a foreign policy achievement. In a White House press release made public on Tuesday, the administration claims to have "strengthened our enduring alliances and our standing in the world." A debatable claim in most places, but an undoubtedly false one when it comes to Israel. (more)