Big SFRC hearing tomorrow

[Luftmensch067]

MIDDLE EAST PEACE:
GROUND TRUTHS, CHALLENGES AHEAD

Presiding:
Senator Kerry

Date:
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Time:
10:00 A.M.

Witnesses

The Honorable Daniel Kurtzer
Lecturer and S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies
Princeton, University
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt
Washington, DC

Dr. Robert Malley
Director of Middle East/North Africa Program
International Crisis Group
Washington, DC

Dr. Ziad Asali
President
American Task Force on Palestine
Washington, DC

Mr. David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director
Project on the Middle East Peace Process
Washington Institute of Near East Policy
Washington, DC

I'm hoping CSPAN will see fit to film this, but fully prepared that they won't. Seems to me that JK's visit to Israel and this hearing are part of coordinated attempt to push forward (together with Biden's speech in Israel next week.) Should be interesting!

[karynnj]

1. Thanks for the heads up

It really should be interesting. I doubt it will get much coverage as the witness are academics, not Obama administration people. This will though be a serious discussion of reality with many points of view. This is unlikely to have the flashy comments that attract the media, but it could be, like the Afghanistan hearings, a better basis for really understanding what the current situation is. It will be interesting to hear what JK got out of his visit and previous visits. It was interesting looking at the comments that google pulled up from various Israeli and Palestinian media, but they all had their own agenda.

[Luftmensch067]

2. Archived video now available

Here:
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/20100304/

[karynnj]

3. Some coverage

This source put out Kerry's opening remarks:
http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14362:chairman-kerry-opening-statement-at-hearing-on-middle-east-peace-&catid=88888983:latest-national-news&Itemid=88889930

(Park Forrest is a NW suburb of Chicago. )