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Dr. Zogby — Washington Watch
Monday June 15, 2009
I am just returning from the Middle East, where, in the wake of President Obama’s Cairo speech, the victory of the March 14th Coalition in Lebanon, and the return of Senator George Mitchell to the region, some “brave” souls are allowing themselves to feel a bit hopeful. I say “brave” because, while there is widespread admiration for Barack Obama and appreciation for his spoken word, daring to have confidence in any US President or to believe that peace may be possible requires a “leap of faith.”
Questions abound. One, in particular, that I was repeatedly asked, was made up of four deceptively simple words–“can he do it?” Each time this question was posed, I listened carefully in order to discern precisely what was being asked.
In every instance, of course, the subject, “he,” was Barack Obama. His election raised expectations for many across the region, and these have not been let down by his early actions as President. The two verbs, “can” and “do,” suggest questions about the capacity, the commitment and the political will of the President.
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Monday June 08, 2009
There are times I am struck by how fortunate we are that Barack Obama was elected President on November 4th, 2008. This is one of those times. Having spent the last 30 years of my life working to bridge the divide between the US and the Arab World, I became increasingly concerned, during the past 8 years, as I watched that divide grow into what I feared might develop into an unbridgeable chasm. The damage done by the alternately reckless and neglectful policies of the last Administration had taken an enormous toll.
How could we change direction? Watching the President addressing the Muslim world from a podium at the University of Cairo provided an answer.
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Monday June 01, 2009
Following on the heels of his meetings with a number of Middle East leaders, President Barack Obama is en route to Egypt where, on June 4th, he will deliver a much anticipated speech to the Muslim world.
Already the topic of great speculation, there are several elements that should be considered by both The President and his audience in anticipation of his remarks.
First, expectations for the speech are high, and not without justification.
Throughout his short, but extraordinary, career, Obama has displayed a penchant for taking on big issues with big speeches. He rebounded from a defeat during the Presidential primaries with a remarkable speech in New Hampshire that helped to define and infuse new hope into his campaign. When confronted with a media assault over his pastor’s intemperate words, that threatened to derail his campaign, Obama responded with an inspiring speech on race, so insightful and eloquent that it will be quoted for generations.
As President, he has also taken on serious challenges with major speeches. His remarks before a joint session of Congress provided the new President the opportunity to lay out his plans to respond to the growing economic crisis.
With this background, it is reasonable for many across the Arab world to assume that Obama is coming to Cairo to deliver a “big speech.”
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Tuesday May 26, 2009
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Friday May 22, 2009
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Monday May 18, 2009
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Saturday May 16, 2009
If, as seems likely, Benjamin Netanyahu’s previous tenure as Israel’s Prime Minister demonstrates the path he will take as he assumes that position once again, Dr. Zogby’s writings from that time could serve as a cautionary tale.
Behind the cut are summaries of and links to the articles Dr. Zogby has written about Israel’s Prime Minister. As Washington prepares for his arrival, we would do well to read these articles once again.
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Monday May 11, 2009
On April 24th, 2009, President Barack Obama issued a statement commemorating Armenian Remembrance Day–the day when Armenians worldwide recall the genocidal assault on their community that ultimately took the lives of 1.5 million in the post-WWI era.
In the weeks leading up to the 24th, both Turks and Armenians held their breath in anticipation, or dread, of the language the President would use in describing the Armenian tragedy.
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Monday May 04, 2009
One hundred days do not make a Presidency. But that didn’t stop the media circus that unfolded last week. Major networks and newspapers designed “one hundred day logos,” created “scorecards,” and devoted unending coverage to an evaluation of the President’s performance.
The White House continued to insist that the one hundredth day was a day like any other. Nevertheless, determined not to let the story spin out of control, the President held a prime time news conference, ensuring that the White House stamp would be on the stories of the day.
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Monday April 27, 2009
The American electorate is deeply divided on issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with voters who backed Barack Obama and John McCain holding dramatically divergent views on the conflict, what should be done to solve it, and the role the U.S. ought to play.
This is the most startling finding of a Zogby International interactive survey conducted in April, 2009, for the Doha Debates, a BBC-TV program emanating from Doha, Qatar. The survey engaged 4,230 U.S. adults, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5%.
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Monday April 20, 2009
In the weeks leading up to the Supreme Court decision ending the 2000 election, my brother, John Zogby, polled Democrats and Republicans, asking each whether or not they would respect the outcome of the contest and view as “legitimate” the presidency of either George W. Bush or Al Gore. Two-thirds of Democrats said that, despite their misgivings about the process, they would still respect the outcome and see Bush as the “legitimate” president. Less than one-third of Republicans said that they would respect Gore as “legitimate.”
Based on this finding, John expressed concern, at the time, that should Gore be declared the winner, Republicans would mount a rather strident opposition, doing their best to obstruct his presidency.
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Friday April 17, 2009
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Monday April 13, 2009
The Obamas’ European Odyssey was a success – despite the predictable complaints of some US critics. The President and First Lady took the continent by storm, helping to rebuild America’s partnerships and restore America’s image after several troubled years of decline.
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Monday April 06, 2009
Two major stories, prominently featured in the Washington Post and the New York Times last Sunday, dealt with the Bush Administration’s use of torture. When combined, they raised several important issues.
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Friday April 03, 2009
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Monday March 30, 2009
When Benjamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister in 1996, he ran on a platform dedicated to ending the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. That is what he said in Israel. For U.S. consumption, Netanyahu took a different approach, seeking instead to unilaterally alter the terms of the process. He rejected the “land for peace” formula, replacing it with “security for peace” (emphasizing Israeli security, while promising only economic improvements to the Palestinians). Netanyahu also imposed new parameters for judging Palestinian performance, focusing on “Palestinian incitement” (ignoring the fact that Leah Rabin, widow of assassinated Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, held Netanyahu, and his ilk, responsible for the incitement that inflamed passions leading to her husband’s murder).
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Monday March 23, 2009
By Dr. James Zogby
On the day after St. Patrick’s Day, a panel was convened on Capitol Hill to discuss the lessons learned from the Irish peace process, and reflect on their applicability to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Titled, “From Belfast to Jerusalem,” the panel brought together: EU Ambassador to Washington, former Irish Prime Minister, John Bruton; Susan Brophy, a former assistant to President Clinton; Irish Times’ Washington Bureau Chief, Denis Staunton; and Daniel Levy, a Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation.
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Friday March 20, 2009
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Monday March 16, 2009
While supporters of a two-state solution continue to insist that Israel freeze settlement construction in the West Bank, there is something quite maddening about this entire enterprise.
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Monday March 09, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent Middle East trip was striking, by any measure. Despite grumbling by some in the Arab media for what they derided as her “excessive caution,” or claiming that she merely echoed the policies of the previous administration – some going so far as to mock her as “Condi Clinton” – her overall performance was significant and substantial.
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Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013
