News stories by Mitchell Plitnick, page 2

WASHINGTON, Jul 30 (IPS) - Six months of United States diplomatic efforts have finally restarted talks between Israelis and Palestinians, yet pessimism about their potential for success persists.

WASHINGTON, Jul 23 (IPS) - There is a real opportunity for peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians, even though the obstacles are more formidable than in the past. That was the assessment of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, speaking Monday at a public event which posed the question "Can the Two-State Solution Be Saved?"

WASHINGTON, Jul 18 (IPS) - Samantha Power, U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee for the post of ambassador to the United Nations, made a strong case for her confirmation Wednesday with strong pro-Israel and interventionist statements that will appeal to many of the hawks in the U.S. Senate.

WASHINGTON, May 07 (IPS) - The Oslo peace process has failed and Europe must take stronger leadership in the Middle East, according to a distinguished group of former European leaders that is pushing for a stronger and more independent European stance on the Israeli occupation.

WASHINGTON, Apr 30 (IPS) - Despite indications that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is committing a substantial amount of time and effort to revive the long-stalled Israel-Palestinian "peace process", a growing number of experts believe a two-state solution is no longer viable and the lack of a realistic discussion of the issue in the United States is leaving the country without an alternative policy.

WASHINGTON, Apr 19 (IPS) - Despite repeated pledges of his determination and enthusiasm for resolving the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian impasse, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's recent trip to the region has provoked more scepticism than hope among observers in Washington.

WASHINGTON, Mar 19 (IPS) - With Barack Obama set to travel on his first trip to Israel as president, expectations for a major breakthrough on the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian "peace process" are low to nonexistent.

WASHINGTON, Feb 01 (IPS) - The optimism expressed by U.S. President Barack Obama and newly confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry about restarting the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has been met with scepticism from many seasoned Middle East observers and experts.

WASHINGTON, Dic 06 (IPS) - Rabbi Brant Rosen leads a congregation in Evanston, Illinois and is author of the new book, Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi's Path to Palestinian Solidarity.

WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (IPS) - Amidst reports of an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, U.S. President Barack Obama sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the region Tuesday in apparent hopes of gaining some credit for sealing the deal.