Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 6, 2017



Shibley Telhami, Brookings: Why Is Trump Undoing Decades Of U.S. Policy on Jerusalem?

It is almost impossible to see the logic of the Trump administration’s expected recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and possibly moving the U.S. embassy to Israel there—before it even unveils what’s certain to be a controversial plan for Middle East peace, which will be tough enough to sell.

The White House is probably betting that, despite the noises in the Arab world against such a move, their key allies in Saudi Arabia and Egypt will limit their opposition—already publicly voiced—to lip service, as they are all interested in protecting relations with Trump over more urgent issues, such as fighting militancy and confronting Iran. It’s also betting that the Arab and Muslim public outcry will be limited, both because of efforts by their governments to contain dissent, and because administration officials may have swallowed the arguments that Arabs no longer care about Palestine, or even Jerusalem.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 6, 2017

Jerusalem for Dummies: Why the World Doesn’t Recognize It as Israel’s Capital -- David B. Green, Haaretz

Trump’s Jerusalem Speech Won’t Kill the Mideast Peace Process: It’s Already Dead -- Christopher Dickey, Daily Beast

Trump and the Middle East: a new course -- AFP

Trump Teaches Palestinians About the New Middle East -- Zev Chafets, Bloomberg

Trump move on Jerusalem highlights Arab divisions -- Zeina Karam, AP

Why Syria Could Become the Black Hole of the Middle East -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest

No takers yet for US ceasefire in Euphrates valley -- M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times

America Can't Win the Drug War in Afghanistan -- Ted Galen Carpenter, National Interest

Time for détente with North Korea -- Robert E. McCoy, Asia Times

Vladimir Putin says he'll run for reelection. Nobody is surprised. -- Washington Post

Brexit or No Brexit, the Irish Border Won't Disappear -- Megan McArdle, Bloomberg

How to Save Trump's State Department -- Ronald Neumann, National Interest

Undermined and Understaffed, Tillerson Arrives in Europe Like a ‘Ghost Ship’ -- Judah Grunstein, WPR

Everyone's Wrong About Impeachment -- Jonathan Bernstein, Bloomberg

Guns in America -- Esmé E Deprez, Bloomberg

Fix the roof while the sun is shining on the global economy -- Martin Wolf, Financial Times

2 comments:

jac said...

Jerusalem: that's 20 years the Congress vote for what Trump did just now. While people question the logic of Trump, we can easily question the logic of his predecessor's. If countries are angry, that's their problem: the policy of America is done at Washington and nowhere else.

Unknown said...

People are too sensitive and tip toe around the Arabs/Muslims, but no more with Trump. The carrot has been tried and it failed big time, for decades, now comes the stick.