Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com
Published books available on Amazon include:
* A Strategy for Implementing the Reconciliation Process Between Israel and the Palestinians
*A War We Must Win
* Framework for Arab-Israeli Peace
* In Defiance of Time
* Israel: The Challenge of the Fourth Decade
* Lost Perspectives
* Middle East Imperatives and Choices
* Spring or Cruel Winter: The Evolution of the Arab Revolutions
* Toward The Abyss: Israel and the Palestinians
By Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D NEW YORK — Unless the Republicans and Democrats put the nation above their party and personal interests, our democracy will face the gravest danger in more than a hundred years. Authoritarianism will creep in, leading to the collapse of American political institutions and the demise of our democracy as we know […]
Our Democracy Faces the Gravest Danger Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, USABy Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D NEW YORK — Now that a third Israeli-Hamas war has ended as inconclusively as the two previous wars, will both sides prepare for the next one, or let sanity sink in and chart a dramatically new course that will end the vicious cycle from which neither side can ever escape? Righting
A Third Israeli-Hamas War—What’s Next Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USANo one should have the illusion that once a ceasefire is established, Israel and the Palestinians should or can negotiate a peace agreement. Given the decades-long deep hatred and distrust, a process of reconciliation must precede such negotiations to achieve an enduring peace. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
No Mideast Peace Without Prior Reconciliation Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle EastThe Israeli-Palestinian conflict will never be settled through violence. Both sides must wake up and decide whether to chart a new path leading to a mutually gratifying peace or continue a self-consuming conflict that leaves nothing but equally shattered people living in constant horror and fear. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Compromise Required to Settle Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USARegardless of how the current and future violent conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians in Jerusalem will end, there will be no Israeli-Palestinian peace unless East Jerusalem becomes the capital of a Palestinian state while the city remains united. [Alon Ben-Meir]
Jerusalem: Flashpoint or Microcosm for Peace Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle EastIt is hard to fathom how in a country that boasts about its technological advancements, scientific breakthroughs, economic prosperity, and military prowess, 23 percent of its population lives under the poverty line [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Israel Must Aid Its 23 Percent Living in Poverty Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle EastIt is hard to find something more scornful than President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sudden decision to withdraw Turkey from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. [Alon Ben-Meir, PhD]
Turkey’s Erdogan’s Despicable Disregard for Women Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USAThe result of the fourth election in two years clearly points to the dysfunction of Israel’s political system and the many fault lines of Israel’s democracy. Sadly, personal rivalries rather than political platforms that address foreign and domestic policies rule the day. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Israel’s Plight: An Absence Of Leadership Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle EastWhile a peace accord was reached in February 2020 to end civil war in South Sudan, the agreement remains extremely fragile and needs international support to hold together. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
‘Never Again’ Seems To Never Apply Anymore Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, USANow may be the opportune time for Serbia to reconcile its past unspeakable atrocities against the Albanian Kosovars. The sooner Belgrade comes to terms with its past, the sooner it can begin its moral self-salvation, without which it will continue to be shackled with no redemption in sight. Serbian leaders should ask themselves one simple question: under what circumstances would Kosovo’s independence be reversed? They know the answer, but do not have the moral courage to admit that it is beyond their ability to undo Kosovo’s independence now or ever. Here is why. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Serbia should repent for its atrocities, make peace with Kosovo Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, USATragically, the entire international community has failed miserably to muster the moral courage to end the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Syria’s civil war. Is it any wonder that such atrocities are happening time and again? The ten-year old civil war in Syria has gone far beyond tragic mass devastation. The body and soul of two Syrian generations have been crushed. Their hopes and dreams have been shattered. Their dignity and pride were robbed. Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons were left in utter despair, hoping to wake up each morning from a nightmare only to realize that a nightmarish life is their lot. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis: Stigma on the World’s Conscience Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle EastAfter 72 years of conflict, it is time for Israel and the Palestinians to realize that while a two-state solution remains the most viable option, there are irreversible realities on the ground that can be addressed only jointly in the context of a confederation. The contours of such a confederation are dictated by these realities, the resolution of which requires both sides to fully and permanently collaborate on many levels. The question is, why must Israel and the Palestinians reconcile these realities as a prerequisite to reaching a peace agreement, and how should they go about it to maintain the integrity and independence of their respective states? [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Israeli-Palestinian Confederation: Why and How Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USARecently I had an opportunity to brief a group of European diplomats and journalists on a variety of conflicts, with a focus on the Middle East. During the Q&A I was asked which of the region’s conflicts Biden should tackle first. Without much hesitation I said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not only because it is over seven decades old, but because it is an increasingly intractable, explosive, and destabilizing situation, which reverberates throughout the Mideast, and several regional powers are exploiting it to serve their own national interests, which sadly contributes to its endurance. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Biden Could End the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USAWhile I cheer Biden’s victory in the presidential election, I lament the state of the union Trump is leaving behind. Sadly, Biden’s victory has not been a repudiation of Trump, as he received more votes than any Republican candidate before him, which shocked millions of Americans. Why? Trump is a creature of our own making. He may be seen as an aberration, but he is not. Unless we pay more attention to the tens of millions who voted for him, among many other despairing Americans, and address their grievances and frustration, a hypocrite just like Trump will rise and feed on the public discontent—another rebel in Trump’s image who appeals to the masses sickened by being ignored, another demagogue who personifies Trump and thrives on hatred, division, and contempt. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
GOP Has Become a Danger to U.S. Democracy Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, USA