In his testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, Elliott Abrams argues that the timing, conditionality and composition of U.S. aid to Egypt should be re-examined in light of governance issues that have stalled its progress toward democracy.
Asked by Michael Varacalli,
from New York University
Conflict between Israelis and Palestinians began even before the State of Israel was established in 1948, and the two populations have opposing claims to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea that have defeated numerous U.S. efforts to broker peace. Right now there is little hope of a comprehensive solution—one that resolves all the issues and involves not only Israel and the PLO but the Arab states as well. Today, the most that Israel can realistically offer is less than the least the Palestinians can realistically accept. For now, the best way forward is to continue talks, but to emphasize practical steps forward on the ground that move Palestinians toward construction of a state.
A former top National Security Council officer in the Bush White House tells the full inside story of the Bush administration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Elliott Abrams examines recent news of Jews in Denmark being warned against openly wearing religious symbols amid rising anti-Israeli sentiment in Copenhagen.
Elliott Abrams says recent Israeli press reports that Washington gave Europe the green light to summon Israeli ambassadors over settlement constructionmay not be wrong.
Elliott Abrams says if the recent truce announced in Cairo truly brings the Gaza war to a close, it is not too soon to assess who gained and who lost from this conflict.
In his testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Elliott Abrams argues that the recent conflict in Gaza brings forth the need to review regional developments and their effect on U.S. interests—both locally at the Israeli-Palestinian level, and at the broader regional level that includes Iran.
Elliott Abrams says, "The next three to six months in the Middle East will make Obama administration officials look back to 2012 with nostalgia as a quiet time when they were able to focus on the campaign. The coming year will be much tougher—starting now."
In the coming months after his reelection, President Obama faces a number of Middle East crises, the most pressing of which are Iran and Syria, says Elliott Abrams.
While Christian communities in the Arab Middle East are decimated or endangered, the Christian community in Israel grows. Yet the mainline Protestant denominations in the United States continue to assault Israel and demand cuts in American aid to that country while ignoring the plight of their Christian brethren, says Elliott Abrams.
In his testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Elliott Abrams argues that continued military and intelligence cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, improved political relationships, and a strong American policy which ensures the development of stable democracies in Arab Spring nations is critical to Israel's security.
Elliott Abrams says the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and attack on U.S. mission in Cairo raise troubling questions about leadership of these two countries.
In an op-ed in the Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams presents the argument for why President Obama should seek an Authorization for the Use of Military Force from Congress to be used against Iran.
Elliott Abrams says the return of Bandar bin Sultan as head of Saudi Arabia's intelligence service may "bring Saudi views and interests back to the center of Arab decision making as well as the inner circles in many other world capitals."
As Israel's governing coalition collapses, Syria unravels and a deal to halt Iran's nuclear program remains elusive. CFR's Elliott Abrams discusses the mood in Israel.
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