Amid inflamed rhetoric in Jerusalem and strained ties with Washington, Israeli and Palestinian leaders must find ways to avoid an escalation of tensions, says CFR’s Robert Danin.

David Makovsky, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says that, with the scheduled withdrawal of Israeli settlers from Gaza, there is a “sense of a looming showdown” betwee…

Henry Siegman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the director of its U.S./Middle East Project, says that even though neither the Palestinian Authority nor the Israeli government…

Josef Joffe, an expert on European and U.S. politics, notes unparalleled European interest in the U.S. presidential campaigns--and unrealistic expectations as well.

Between enthusiasm for President Obama’s pro-democracy message and appreciation for the Democratic Party’s support for the anti-apartheid movement, South Africans strongly favor Obama’s reelection, s…