The Mideast After Arafat The death of Yasser Arafat, who for four decades symbolized the struggle for a Palestinian homeland, has renewed focus on the stalled Middle East peace process and raised questions about the future of the Palestinian leadership. Follow NPR coverage.

Special Series

The Mideast After Arafat

NPR looks at the future of the Palestinian leadership and the Mideast peace process.

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Abbas Victory Seems Assured as Palestinian Vote Nears

January 6, 2005 • As the campaign to replace Yasser Arafat as Palestinian president reaches the closing stages, it is all but certain that Mahmoud Abbas, designated head of the PLO, will emerge the victor in Sunday's vote. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports.

Israelis React to Abbas' Campaign Rhetoric

January 6, 2005 • Mahmoud Abbas, the frontrunner ahead of Sunday's Palestinian presidential election, has adjusted his stance toward Israel, after a week of hard-line rhetoric in his campaign appearances. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports on the Israeli reaction.

Analysis

A Reality Check on Prospects for Mideast Peace

December 16, 2004 • NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Hirsh Goodman, senior fellow at the Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies, and with Daoud Kuttab, director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University.

Palestinians Anticipate Upcoming Election

January 4, 2005 • In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are looking ahead to next Sunday's presidential elections and the prospect of an Israeli withdrawal from the territory later in the year. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports.

Analysis

Surveying the Middle East Peace Process

December 13, 2004 • Despite recent violence, there have been increasingly positive signs in the Middle East over the last few weeks. The death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the withdrawal of Israeli settlers may be thawing the hardened conflict. However, observers on both sides say they aren't getting their hopes up yet. Hear NPR's Peter Kenyon.

Barghouti Joins Palestine Race

December 1, 2004 • Jailed Palestinian militant Marwan Barghouti announces he will run for president in the Jan. 9 election, reversing an earlier decision not to run. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports.

Palestinian Vote Gets Support

November 22, 2004 • The Israeli government announces it will hold talks with Palestinian officials to coordinate presidential elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Jericho Monday. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports.

Analysis

Analysis: Updating The Mideast Peace 'Roadmap'

November 22, 2004 • Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin talks about the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations after the death of Yasser Arafat. He also discusses Colin Powell's current trip to the Middle East. As a former Israeli delegate, Beilin helped negotiate the Oslo peace accord in 1993. Hear Beilin and NPR's Renee Montagne.

Analysis

Author Argues Sharon Is an Obstructionist to Peace Process

November 18, 2004 • NPR's Melissa Block speaks with Henry Siegman about his article, "Sharon and the Future of Palestine, which appears in the Dec. 2 issue of the New York Review of Books. Siegman argues that Sharon's pullout from Gaza is not at all part of a larger movement towards a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis.

Pursuit of Sharon's Gaza Withdrawal Debated

November 18, 2004 • In the wake of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death, Israelis are divided over how Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon should now approach his plan to withdraw Israeli troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports.

Analysis

A New Era for Israelis and Palestinians?

November 14, 2004 • The world's eyes are on the Middle East in the wake of Yasser Arafat's death, with many hoping Israelis and Palestinians will seize a new opportunity for peace talks. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden and professor Gerald Steinberg, director of the Program on Conflict Management and Negotiation at Bar Illan University in Israel.

Palestinians Vow Speedy Vote

November 14, 2004 • Palestinian leaders vow to hold elections within 60 days to replace Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority. Arafat died this past week in Paris. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports.

Palestinians Vow Speedy Vote

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Analysis

Egypt Seeks to Shape Post-Arafat Region

November 13, 2004 • Egyptian officials hope the death of Yasser Arafat will lead to a fresh Middle East peace initiative. Egyptian diplomats have been meeting with Palestinian factions, including Hamas, in hopes of ensuring calm in Gaza ahead of Israel's planned withdrawal. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

Analysis

Peering into the Palestinians' Future

November 13, 2004 • What are the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians now that Yasser Arafat is dead? The first step could be another cease-fire agreement. A key may be political participation by the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University.

Palestinian Elections Seen Key to New Peace Talks

November 12, 2004 • Rami Khouri, executive editor of the Lebanese paper The Daily Star, says Palestinians are ready to restart the Mideast peace process and willing to compromise. He says smooth Palestinian elections for president, parliament and other offices will be key to new negotiations. Khouri speaks with NPR's Renee Montagne.

Hope for a Languishing Peace Process?

November 11, 2004 • NPR's Michele Norris talks Martin Indyk, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Indyk was heavily involved in negotiations with Yasser Arafat for a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, and present during the breakdown of the Camp David accords. Indyk talks about what he believes the U.S. needs to do to get peace talks back on track.

New Palestinian Leadership Emerges

November 11, 2004 • In the wake of Yasser Arafat's death early Thursday, a collective leadership is emerging, with a division of authority unheard of in Arafat's time. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports.

Palestinian Polls Find Disappointment in Leadership

November 11, 2004 • NPR's Robert Siegel talks with pollster Khalil Shikaki about how Palestinians feel about Yasser Arafat and possible successors, and public sentiment suggests significant challenges ahead. Shikaki is the director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.