The Washington Post's Colum Lynch analyzes the Palestinian quest for UN state recognition, which highlights the role of the international organization despite its inability to resolve the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

In light of the region's latest agitations, former ambassador Hajrudin Somun reviews the history of Western proposals to draw and redraw Middle East borders.

Jeffrey Goldberg analyzes the issues between Palestine and Israel in the wake of the September UN vote on Palestinian independence.

Writers for the Economist argue that President Obama will have a difficult time trying to convince Palestinians that they should direct their arguments and conduct negotiations for statehood through Washington as opposed to through the United Nations in September.

Mahmoud Abbas explains the significance of the UN Assembly Vote on Palestinian Independence.

In this New York Times op-ed, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, lays out his case as to why the General Assembly, meeting in September, should admit Palestine to the United Nations.

Yousef Munayyer offers a fact sheet on the impact of the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

While the Obama administration has rejected any notion of a U.S.-Israel crisis, the announcement of plans to build sixteen hundred new housing units in East Jerusalem during Vice President Joseph Biden's recent trip to Israel has stirred considerable debate about whether the announcement was a snub, whether the U.S. overreacted, and how to move forward.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden, in the Middle East to build support for revived Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, issued a strong denouncement of Israeli plans to build another sixteen hundred housing units in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a Palestinian state. Commentators included those writing about the bad timing and substance of Israel's announcement; others speculated about Israel's stance on Iran and the readiness of both sides for real compromise.

In this The Guardian op-ed, Aluf Benn talks about the discrepancy between how Israelis view their country and how it is viewed from the outside, offering an explanation for why American efforts to resume the Israeli-Palestinian talks fail to interest Israelis.

Congress is interested in issues related to Middle East peace because of its oversight role in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, its support for Israel, and keen constituent interest. It is especially concerned about U.S. financial and other commitments to the parties, and the 111th Congress is engaged in these matters. Congress also has endorsed Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, although U.S. Administrations have consistently maintained that the fate of the city is the subject of final status negotiations.

Thomas Friedman argues that it is time for the Obama administration to take a "radically new approach" towards Israel and Palestine by halting the peace process altogether.

Tim McKirk says to be a Christian in Gaza is difficult and requires discretion. Gaza once had a thriving Christian community, but now it is down to 2,500.

Navtej Dhillon says that reconstruction of the Gaza Strip requires policymakers to understand the importance of Pakistan's fragmented economy.

Among the scores of Palestinian prisoners whom Hamas wants freed in exchange for Israeli Sgt. Gilad Shalit is Marwan Barghouti, the most popular man in Fatah, says Ilene R. Prusher.

Libya's autocratic leader Muammar Qaddafi presents his plan for Middle East peace in a rare op-ed contribution to the International Herald Tribune.