For more on the Middle East negotiations, Daljit Dhaliwal speaks to two specialists on the region: Ghassan Shabaneh, assistant professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, and in Washington, Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The decision to reinforce current anti-smuggling efforts came after the devastating Operation Cast Lead, which Israel said was necessary to stop rocket attacks.

The extensive tunnel network is used to import civilian goods as well as military weaponry.

For more on recent events in the Palestinian territories, Daljit Dhaliwal interviews Ghassan Shabaneh, a Palestinian-American professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College.

Is Egypt justified in cutting off access to Gaza, even if it means severe hardship for the Gazan people?

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For more on the latest announcement, Martin Savidge speaks with Ghassan Shabaneh, a Palestinian-American professor at Marymount College.

Shabaneh talks about how Netanyahu might be trying to prop up Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and why the Palestinians have already rejected Israel’s offer.

On Monday, Iran said it was ready for any military threat and flexed its muscles by test-firing upgraded versions of its longest-range missiles, which have a range of 1,200 miles. It tested shorter-range missiles over the weekend.

While Iran’s foreign ministry said the tests have nothing to do with last week’s disclosure that Iran is developing a second uranium enrichment plant, analysts said the timing seemed aimed at bolstering Iran’s position going into this week’s talks.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday that the American aim is to get Iran to resume negotiations on its nuclear program.

Ghassan Shabaneh, an assistant professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, joins Martin Savidge to discuss how Arab nations view Iran.

The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not produce a breakthrough, but it was a moment deep in symbolism — the beginning, perhaps, of a new and more productive phase in the struggle for peace in the Middle East.

For his part, Obama had a strong message for the leaders after meeting with them individually: Get moving again on a comprehensive peace agreement.

After the meeting, Netanyahu said there was general agreement that the peace process has to be resumed as soon as possible with no preconditions.

Ghassan Shabaneh, an assistant professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss the significance of the meeting for the peace process.

The meeting was held one day after it was reported that Israel may be open to a freeze on settlement building.

Ghassan Shabaneh, an assistant professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, joins Martin Savidge to discuss Palestinians’ concerns about settlements and other issues.

Along with his brother, al-khazali was accused of staging a raid on government headquarters in Karbala. Both are also members of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a group which is thought to be Iranian-backed.

Ghassan Shabaneh, assistant professor of international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, discusses the implications of al-khazali’s release.

Ghassan Shabaneh, an assistant professor of Middle East and International studies at Marymount Manhattan College, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the dispute, what steps the Obama administration can take and Obama’s meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Worldfocus.org presents a webcasted radio show on Gaza with the help of BlogTalkRadio.

Worldfocus.org and anchor Martin Savidge host a panel featuring a range of voices and perspectives on Gaza, addressing questions submitted by Worldfocus viewers:

Ehud Eiran is a research fellow at the Belfer Center’s International Security Program at Harvard University. Prior to his studies, Eiran served as an officer in the Israeli Army and is currently a reserve major. He was a legal clerk for two Israeli attorney generals and assistant to Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s Foreign Policy Advisor.

Wendy Pearlman is a political science professor at Northwestern University specializing in Palestinian politics. She is currently finishing a book that examines fragmentation and violence in the history of the Palestinian national movement. She is the author of “Occupied Voices: Stories of Everyday Life from the Second Intifada.”

Ghassan Shabaneh is a professor of Middle East and international studies at Marymount Manhattan College. During his career, Mr. Shabaneh has done extensive field research in the Middle East, and most recently in the West Bank, Syria and Jordan. He is currently working on a book tentatively called “The Role of the United Nations in State Building: The Case of Palestine.” Watch his previous interviews on the Worldfocus newscast.

Charles D. Smith is a professor of Middle East history at the University of Arizona. He has written extensively on the Arab-Israeli conflict and is the author of “Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict,” currently in its seventh edition. He is a former president of the American Research Center in Egypt and a former research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has lived and done research in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Tunisia.

Music courtesy of the Search for Common Ground.

Credits:
Host: Martin Savidge
Producers: Lisa Biagiotti, Katie Combs and Stephen Puschel

Worldfocus talks with Marymount Manhattan College professor and Palestinian-American Ghassan Shabaneh about the failing popularity of the U.S.’s Middle Eastern allies.

The new pact calls for most U.S. forces to leave the country by the end of 2011, and to withdraw from Iraq’s cities to bases by the middle of next year.

In return for their support, Sunnis asked for a public referendum on the pact, which will be held by July 2009.

A group of Shiite lawmakers loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr opposed the pact and protested, wanting Americans to leave Iraq immediately.

Ghassan Shabaneh, a professor of Middle East and international studies at Marymount Manhattan College, speaks with Martin Savidge about the forthcoming public referendum, the significance of Shiite protests and the future of American involvement in Iraq. 

Middle East specialist Dr. Ghassan Shabaneh speaks with Martin Savidge about the likelihood of Khatami’s candidacy amid the souring socio-economic climate under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He also discusses the potential benefits of an American Interests Section in Tehran.

Khatami and other reformists seek a nuclear power program linked to economy rather than the military — a key issue in U.S.-Iran relations.

Ghassan Shabaneh speaks with Martin Savidge about the timing of the attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, the role of the U.S. military surge and Iran’s goals in the region.