—Voices from the Sensible Center—

Interpreting the Middle East for North Americans—
Interpreting North America for the Middle East

The U.S. and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

6 Whether It’s Clinton or Gore in the White House, “Mideast Peace Process” a Casualty of Monicagate—Richard H. Curtiss

8 Palestinian School Adds New Trouble With Palestinian Authority to Old Ones With Israeli Occupation—Barbara Kingsley

10 As Americans Learn the Facts They Are Turning Against Netanyahu’s Land-Grabbing Tactics—Richard H. Curtiss

11 Poison Used in Failed Amman Assassination Attempt Could Shed Light on Mysterious Death of Robert Maxwell—Victor Ostrovsky

11 Corrections for the Record From Prof. Benzion Netanyahu

12 With World Attention on Iraq, Israel Seized Opportunity to Demolish Record Number of Palestinian Homes—Maureen Meehan

14 From the Hebrew Press: The Sewage of Ma’ale Edumim—Translated by Dr. Edna Homa Hunt

29 What Price Holocaustomania? The Specter of Hitler That Drives Washington’s “Israel First” Mideast Policy—Dr. Alfred M. Lilienthal

54 Israeli Withdrawal From Southern Lebanon Would Likely Entail Unacceptable Conditions—Stephen J. Sosebee

112 Third International Sabeel Conference in Bethlehem Attracts Record Number of Participants—Elaine Kelley

15 Congressional Debate on Iraq More Thoughtful After Testimony of Non-Governmental Witnesses—Shirl McArthur

24  Administration Requests 1999 Foreign Aid Increase and Full Funding for Israeli Military and Economic Aid—Shirl McArthur

26 PAC Watch: Pro-Israel PACs Show More Early Activity Than in 1996 Cycle

Special Reports

7 As War Clouds Gather Over Kosovo and Serbia, Who Are the Adversaries and Their Allies?—Grace Halsell

16 Post-Mortem on the U.S. Iraq War That Didn’t Happen—Five Views
—Richard H. Curtiss
—Paul Findley
—Lucille Barnes
—Rachelle Marshall
—Kathy Kelly

31 India Elections Bring Forth a BJP Governing Coalition But Do Not End Nation’s Decade-Long Instability—M.M. Ali

32 Cool Clinton Response to Khatami Initiative Shows Israel-Inspired Dual Containment Policy Not Yet Dead—Paul Findley

34 ”Political Islam and the West” Conference in Cyprus Attracts 600 Participants—Dr. Farid Mirbagheri

35 Personality: Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Syeed—M.M. Ali

45 Central Asia: Iran Profiles Itself as a Regional Power Inside the Former U.S.S.R.—Gordon Feller

47 The Afghan Taliban: Like It or Not, It Occupies Two-Thirds of Afghanistan and Shows No Sign of Weakening—Musa M. Maroofi

48 Pakistanis Differ Over Nawaz Sharif’s First Year in Office—M.M. Ali

50 The Horror Gripping Algeria Is Not Mindless Violence But Carefully Choreographed Chaos and Corruption—Salim Saad

53 Despite Repression, Turkey’s Islamists Holding Their Own as Pressure Grows for New Elections—James M. Dorsey (coming soon)

55 Syria and Iran Make Significant Gestures in Lebanon—Carole Dagher

57 Egyptians Get Economic and Environmental News to Cheer About—James J. Napoli

87 The Mysterious Amman Massacre May Be Linked to Funds Embezzled by Saddam’s Murdered Sons-in-Law—Mohammad AL-Kattan

Departments

3 Letters to the Editor

33 Defense and Intelligence: Satellites Make News in Israel and the Gulf —Shawn L. Twing

36 Tri-State Talk: Thousands of New Yorkers Turn Out Feb. 28 for Second Major Demonstration Against Strike on Iraq—Jane Adas

38 Issues in the News—Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

44 United Nations Report: Annan’s Reward for Rescuing U.S. From Its Own Ineptitude Is More U.S. Welshing on Its U.N. Debt—Ian Williams

56 Media Watch: U.S. Jewish Weeklies Cautiously Assess Monicagate’s Effect on Israel—Richard H. Curtiss

59 Other People’s Mail

63 Northwest News: Oregon House’s Chief Clerk Helps Palestinians Develop Legislative Backstopping—Elaine Kelley

64 MUSLIM-AMERICAN ACTIVISM: The American University Hosts a Symposium on Islam and Peace in the 21st Century (coming soon)

65 WAGING PEACE: U.S. and Foreign Media Discover Iraqi-Americans

70 DIPLOMATIC DOINGS: The Future of Palestinian Society and Politics

71 HUMAN RIGHTS : Bassem Eid Discusses Human Rights Violations in Palestine Before UASR and CPAP Audiences

77 ARAB-AMERICAN ACTIVISM: ADC, American Committee on Jerusalem Co-Sponsor National Cathedral Exhibit Provided by Palestinian Heritage Foundation

78 Middle East History: April 1983: How George Shultz Became the Most Pro-Israel U.S. Secretary of State—Donald Neff

80 Trade and Finance: Not All the News From Palestine Is Bad These Days—Colin MacKinnon

82 In Memoriam: Dr. Mohammad T. Mehdi (1928-1998)—Richard H. Curtiss

84 Edna’s Essays: Israel’s Biological and Chemical Research and Development—Potential Menace at Home and Abroad—Dr. Edna Homa Hunt

85 Jews and Israel: Israeli Religious Intolerance and Rejection of the Peace Process Alienating Majority of American Jews—Allan C. Brownfeld

89 Education: Year-Long Exhibit on Michigan’s Arab-American Community to be Shown in Detroit, Lansing—Betsy Barlow

91 Mahjabeen’s Musings: Trapped Between Islam and Ideology, At This Critical Juncture Turkey Is Neither East nor West—Mahjabeen Islam-Husain

104 Northeast News: Boston University Professor Condemns Clinton’s Palestine Policy—David P. Johnson Jr.

108 California Chronicle: Christians, Jews and Muslims Thronged Five Separate Los Angeles Rallies Against Bombing Iraq—Pat and Samir Twair

117 Christianity and the Middle East: Deliver Food, Not Missiles, to Iraq, Churches Tell U.S. and U.K. Governments—Rev. L. Humphrey Walz

119 Facts for Your Files: Jan., Feb. 1998 Chronology of U.S.-Middle East Relations—Compiled by Janet McMahon

125 Book Reviews

Habibi—Reviewed by Delinda C. Hanley
Alice’s Kitchen—Reviewed by Raja M. Abu-Jabr

137 Bulletin Board

138 Publishers’ Page