Dr. James Zogby

Viewpoint with James Zogby: March 19, 2009 Episode

Posted on Friday March 20, 2009

On this episode of “Viewpoint with James Zogby”, Dr. Zogby talked to David Hale,, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who recently accompanied Special Middle East envoy George Mitchell and Secretary Hillary Clinton on their trips to the Middle East, about what it means to the Arab-Israeli peace process.

Hale said that as soon as a new Israeli government is formed, they will discuss all the issues with the new leader in order to move forward and achieve peace. At the same time, Hale said that they would like to see “a Palestinian authority that is committed to peace and committed to a two-state outcome.”

Hale said that government’s top priorities are to first, achieve a seize-fire in Gaza, and secondly, talk about the measures that both sides can take “to create a climate that is more condusive to successful negotiations.”

On the second segment, Dr. Zogby and Kenneth T. Walsh, Chief White House correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, discussed President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan. “Obama is really trying to transform the government in some fundamental ways,” Walsh said. “He’s doing well in terms of getting legislation through, but whether it works or not is the big question.”

When asked about the structure of the administration, Walsh explained that the President Obama has created a system “that puts a lot of pressure on him,” describing it as a “team of egos.”

“They’re the supreme policy makers in their areas,” he said.

The show concluded with a special tribute to Marwan Burgan, an Arab American activist and longtime friend to the Arab American Institute, who passed away on March 5, 2009 after a long battle with cancer.

Please note that John Miller, Assistant Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was scheduled to be on the show, but could not make his appearance in time for his segment.