An Israeli announcement of more housing construction in East Jerusalem became the focus of Vice President Biden's Middle East trip, but CFR's Jacob Walles thinks the "proximity talks" starting next week are a practical, low-risk way to restart negotiations.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden, in the Middle East to build support for revived Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, issued a strong denouncement of Israeli plans to build another sixteen hundred housing units in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a Palestinian state. Commentators included those writing about the bad timing and substance of Israel's announcement; others speculated about Israel's stance on Iran and the readiness of both sides for real compromise.

Report

Instead of fighting jihad in Somalia by supporting the weak transitional government, the United States would have more success focusing on humanitarian aid and development, says democracy and governance expert Bronwyn Bruton.

Israeli Ministry of Defense adviser Uri Lubrani's opinion that supporting Iranian opposition is a better policy than considering a nuclear strike has gained momentum in Israeli policy cirlces, the Wall Street Journal reports.

This timeline looks at the history of U.S.-Russia arms control milestones from 1949 to present.

Iraq's security forces performed especially well during parliamentary elections but a big test looms in the months ahead as votes are counted and Iraqi factions try to form a government, says CFR's Brett McGurk.

Statement

9 March 2010 -- WHO is releasing new guidelines for the treatment of malaria, and the first ever guidance on procuring safe and efficient anti-malarial medicines.

Watch Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus and Nobel peace laureate, discuss faith and foreign policy.

This meeting was the annual David A. Morse Lecture and was cosponsored with the CFR Religion and Foreign Policy Initiative.

Four experts debate whether the Obama administration's proposal to legalize immigrants would help or harm U.S. workers and economic growth.

Listen to Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus and Nobel peace laureate, discuss faith and foreign policy.

This meeting was the annual David A. Morse Lecture and was cosponsored with the CFR Religion and Foreign Policy Initiative.

Four experts debate whether Obama's immigration reform plan, including an expanded path to legalization, would help or harm U.S. workers and economic growth.

 

This meeting was the annual David A. Morse Lecture and was cosponsored with the CFR Religion and Foreign Policy Initiative.

8 March -- On the occasion of International Women's Day, WHO encourages joining forces to fix the failures in health systems so that girls and women may enjoy equal access to health information and services.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org and Foreign Affairs.

Arnaud de Borchgrave comments in UPI on the downfall of Dubai as the capital of 'casino capitalism' and rising Qatar as its replacement.

The global effort to extinguish the nuclear peril needs to regain momentum. A bold act of leadership and imagination by one of the weapons-states could provide it.

A U.S. House panel's vote recognizing the 1915 deaths of ethnic Armenians as genocide could rupture U.S. ties with Ankara and set back Turkey's own effort to confront its past, writes CFR's Steven Cook.

Listen to Kenneth R. Feinberg, special master for TARP Executive Compensation, discuss federal regulation of executive pay.

This session was part of the 2010 CFR Corporate Conference.