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.

The Israeli and Palestinian leaders focused on different conflicts in their UN speeches, underscoring the difficult path for Washington in the region, writes CFR's Robert Danin.

With envoy George Mitchell's departure, U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict changes, from the quest for an end of the conflict to the search for a strategy to manage the current crisis, says CFR's Robert Danin.

The Israeli and Palestinian leaders launched new Mideast talks with seriousness and without theatrics but face a looming deadline on settlements and a tight timeline for success, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Progress is possible in the newly announced Mideast talks, but the Obama administration will need to display deft leadership to overcome deep mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians, writes CFR's Robert Danin.

Israel's response to a humanitarian aid flotilla off Gaza marked another setback for U.S.-Turkish relations and could complicate the latest U.S.-brokered Mideast peace talks, says CFR's Steven Cook.

An in-depth, multimedia look at the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its geopolitical repercussions.

President Obama should make a trip to the region soon to signal a renewed commitment to helping resolve the conflict between Palestine and Israel, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Benjamin Netanyahu's agreement with the Kadima Party reflects a public more concerned about economic and social issues than whether to strike Iran, says CFR's Robert M. Danin.

Palestinians are committed to a two-state solution despite losing a UN membership bid, says Mideast expert Daniel Levy, but moving forward requires addressing Israeli political entrenchment and a lack of Palestinian unity.

Following full UNESCO membership, Palestinians have increased efforts for statehood recognition, but the United States is continuing its push to bring them back to the negotiating table for direct talks, says CFR Mideast expert Robert Danin.

The prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas could indicate a shift in Hamas' willingness to deal with Israel, but the release of convicted terrorists could also mean renewed violence, says former U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk.

Palestinian President Abbas's plan to seek statehood status at the UN next week has spurred new crisis-diplomacy efforts, but political pressures on all sides could make a deal hard to come by, says analyst Ziad Asali.

Israelis and Palestinians are watching nervously to see how the tumult in the region shakes out, but with both sides using more advanced weapons technology and the peace process in the doldrums, the U.S. needs to reengage, says CFR's Robert Danin.

To break the Israeli-Palestinian impasse, the U.S. should present a two-state "vision" for each side to vote on, says expert Sari Nusseibeh. Failing that, Palestinians should press to be absorbed into Israel and given civil rights, even without the right to vote.

The end of Israel's ban on settlement building creates political problems for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a dilemma the Obama administration in part brought on itself, says Mideast expert Michele Dunne.

If Israelis and Palestinians can't reach an accommodation on settlement construction, talks will end and credibility on all sides--including that of the Obama administration--will suffer, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Severe political constraints on Israeli and Palestinian leaders cloud the prospects for progress in direct talks due to start later this week, says CFR's Steven A. Cook.

Palestinians are pleased at the uproar against Israel after its raid on a Turkish-led aid flotilla, but what they--and Israelis--want is more active U.S. engagement in the peace process and an agreement that looks like the one proposed in 2000-2001, says Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki.