VIDEO
The Israeli-Hamas cease-fire has held so far, but "the important thing is to build on this truce ... to get a viable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement in place," founding director Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian said in a Nov. 24, 2012, CNN interview. If the truce is "only to be broken a year or two down the road, then I do not think this is a successful outcome."
In a previous interview with CNN, the ambassador described the violence in Gaza as "a play enacted time and time again ... There is no military solution." A peace agreement, he said, is "the only structural way out."
In an interview with The Daily Wrap, The Wall Street Journal"s nationally syndicated show, Djerejian noted challenges unfolding in the region, including the lack of forward movement in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; the Palestinian Authority"s move to seek nonmember state status for Palestine in the United Nations; the ongoing crisis in Syria; the ticking clock of Iran"s nuclear threat; and the countries whose national security interests are impacted by these developments. "This is a time for very coordinated multilateral action on the part of key countries," he said.
View Djerejian's Nov. 19, 2012, interview with CNN's Judy Woodruff, above.
Listen to Djerejian"s interview on the Wall Street Journal Daily Wrap. The ambassador's segment starts at 20:48.
View Djerejian's Nov. 17, 2012, CNN "Saturday Morning" interview on the violence in Gaza here .
View Djerejian's Nov. 24, 2012, CNN interview on the Gaza cease-fire here .
A full list of Ambassador Djerejian's media clips is below.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Read Jerusalem Post op-ed "Why U.S. engagement in Israeli-Palestinian peace is needed ," written by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (March 20, 2013).
Israeli newspaper Haaretz interviewed Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian about the implications of an Israeli attack on Iran, the ongoing conflict in Syria, and recommendations he and a Baker Institute team are developing to advance Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The interview is available in English and Hebrew (Dec. 25, 2012).
Read Palestine News Network article "Why the Stars are Lining Up For Palestine ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted (Dec. 13, 2012).
Watch a CNN interview (video ) on the Gaza cease-fire with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Nov. 24, 2012).
Listen to an interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on the Wall Street Journal Daily Wrap. The ambassador's segment starts at 20:48 (Nov. 20, 2012).
Watch an interview on CNN (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , who comments on the current crisis in the Gaza Strip (Nov. 19, 2012).
Listen to an interview on CNN's "Saturday Morning" (audio ) in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian discusses the Gaza crisis and how it will affect the Middle East (Nov. 17, 2012).
Read a Gulf News op-ed asking, "Why the American silence on Israel? ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian about the role of the United States in the Middle East (Aug. 23, 2012).
Watch an interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian during the IFRI World Policy Conference 2011 about how the Arab Awakening and events in the Middle East will affect Israeli-Palestinian relations (Dec. 10, 2011).
Read New York Times article "The Israel peace plan that still could be," which cites the Baker Institute Conflict Resolution special report "Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Settlement " (Feb. 7, 2011).
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Egypt
Read CNN Opinion piece "Don't blame Muslim Brotherhood for Morsy power grab ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted (Nov. 27, 2012).
Read Daily News Egypt article "One man, one vote, one time ," which cites Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian 's Meridian House Speech , delivered on June 2, 1992, when he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs (Nov. 25, 2012).
View a Bloomberg interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian that discusses the effects of Hosni Mubarak's resignation on Egypt and the Middle East (Feb. 11, 2011).
Read a Bloomberg article, "Obama Says Egypt Forever Changed by 'Moral Force,'" which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 11, 2011).
Read a Bloomberg article, "Biden Says Egypt Is Sign of 'Transformative Times,'" in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted (Feb. 10, 2011). This article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and Businessweek.
View a FOX News interview (video ) with former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III , discussing U.S. relations with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (Feb. 2, 2011).
Read a Council on Foreign Relations interview, "Egypt Is a 'Textbook' Foreign Policy Dilemma," with former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III (Feb. 2, 2011).
Read a New York Times article about "Frank Wisner, the Diplomat Sent to Prod Mubarak," which quotes founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 2, 2011).
View a Today Show interview (video ) with former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III , about who will rise to power in Egypt, and what this will mean for the Middle East (Feb. 2, 2011).
Read the Bloomberg article, "Obama Tell Mubarak Egypt's Transition to New Government 'Must Begin Now,'" in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted (Feb. 1, 2011).
Read The Atlantic article, "'Our S.O.B.s' and America's Revolutionary Dilemma Abroad," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 1, 2011).
Read a FOX News article, "Who is Mohamed Elbaradei?" which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 1, 2011).
Read "Danger and Opportunity in Egypt," by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , on the Baker Institute Blog (Feb. 1, 2011).
View a FOX News interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 30, 2011).
Read the Bloomberg article, "Obama's Words Put to Test in U.S. Response to Egypt Anti-Mubarak Uprising," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 31, 2011) .
Read The New York Times article, "With Egypt, Diplomatic Words Often Fail," with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 29, 2011).
View a CNN interview (article , video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 28, 2011).
View a CNN international interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 28, 2011).
View a Bloomberg News (article , video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 28, 2011).
Read the post "Is $100 WTI Inevitable for 2011?" by Amy Myers Jaffe, the institute's Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies, on the Fuel Fix Blog.
Listen to an American Public Radio's Marketplace interview with Amy Myers Jaffe, the institute's Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies, on what the crisis in Egypt means for the oil market (Feb. 1, 2011).
Read information technology policy fellow Chris Bronk 's blog on Egypt's decision to censor the Internet, "Short circuiting a revolution in Egypt " (Jan. 28, 2011).
View a KHOU story, "Friends wait on word from Rice student," which states that former Baker Institute intern Sean Graham is currently working in Egypt (Jan. 30, 2011).
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Syria
Watch Al Jazeera (Arabic only) interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on the crisis in Syria (April 22, 2013).
Read Foreign Policy op-ed "A coordinated U.S. strategy in Syria ," by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian and Middle East scholar Andrew Bowen (April 5, 2013).
Read StarTribune (Minneapolis) editorial "No end in sight as toll rises in Syria ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Jan. 3, 2013).
At a plenary session of the World Policy Conference in Cannes, Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian discussed the potential impact on Lebanon of the crisis in Syria and Iran's nuclear development program. L"Orient-Le Jour, a leading French-language daily newspaper published in Lebanon, featured the ambassador's insights in a story, available in French here . The English translation is available here (Dec. 12, 2012).
Watch a France 24 News interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on the political transitions in the Arab world, the crisis in Syria and Israeli-Palestinian peace (Dec. 12, 2012).
Listen to BBC World Service podcast "The House of Assad ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is interviewed (Sept. 24, 2012).
Listen to the interview on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Aug. 30, 2012).
Read The Daily Beast article "U.N. Syria Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi's Tough Assignment ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Aug. 27, 2012).
Watch an interview on Al Jazeera English with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , in which he talks about prospects for peace talks in Syria (Aug. 21, 2012).
Read the Council on Foreign Relations interview "The U.S. role in a changing Mideast " with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Aug. 17, 2012).
Read the Houston Chronicle interview "Former envoy talks Syria, chess game of Diplomacy " with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Aug. 11, 2012).
Watch "An Interview With Ambassador Edward Djerejian on the Current Developments in the Middle East " on China US Focus. Djerejian shares his opinion on the unrest in the Middle East, specifically addressing the current situation in Syria. He also addresses the China-U.S. bilateral relationship (Aug. 9, 2012).
Read The Daily Beast article "Manaf Tlass -- Our man in Syria? ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian says that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad squandered the chance to lead reforms in his country (Aug. 6, 2012).
Read Reuters article "Insight: Cautious on Syria, Obama moves to help rebels ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted about the Obama administration's involvement in the crisis in Syria (July 27, 2012).
Read CNN article "Syria: As al-Assad's grip loosens, what could come next? " which quoted Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (July 25, 2012).
Read the Foreign Policy Middle East Channel blog post "The unexceptional Islamists ," which cites Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian 's Meridian House Speech , delivered on June 2, 1992, when he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs (July 24, 2012).
Read UPI article "Djerejian: Most telling symbol of Arab spring was a placard reading 'Enough,' " in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian comments on the political uprisings in the Arab world, as well as what's next for Syria and the Bashar Al Assad regime (June 24, 2012).
Listen to an interview on BBC Radio's "Up All Night" with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on the civil unrest in Syria (June 5, 2012).
Listen to an interview on Public Radio International's "The Takeaway" with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , in which he discusses if Syria has become President Obama's Bosnia (June 5, 2012).
Read the ABC News article "A massacre in Syria brings foreign affairs into the race, briefly ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted on why civil unrest in Syria would affect its neighbors in the Middle East and the rest of the world (June 2, 2012).
Read the US News and World Report article, "Russia's Putin -- not sanctions -- could end Syrian violence ." Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted on the role the Russian leader should take if his country is to be a superpower (May 31, 2012).
Read The New York Times article "For the White House, a wary wait as Syria boils ." Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted on what might possibly galvanize international support for an intervention in Syria (May 31, 2012).
Read CNN article "Analysts: Syria has 'nothing to lose, something to gain' from Annan plan ," in which Baker Institute founding director Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian comments on the Syrian government's acceptance of a U.N. special envoy's peace proposal (March 28, 2012).
Read CNN's "Syria: Who would take over after al-Assad ?," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (March 27, 2012).
Watch an Al Jazeera interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on civil unrest in Syria. The ambassador's remarks have been translated to Arabic (Feb. 27, 2012).
Read an issue of the Baker Institute Update newsletter that features commentary from Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on the turmoil in Syria (Feb. 8, 2012).
Listen to an "On Point with Tom Ashbrook" interview (audio ) on the mounting crisis in Syria with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 7, 2012).
Read "Al-Assad missed chance to reform Syria ," a commentary on CNN by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 6, 2012).
Read an interview in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian about the unrest in Syria (Feb. 1, 2012). Please note that this article is in Hebrew.
Watch Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian 's interview on CNN (video ) about the uprising in Syria and President Bashar al-Assad's regime (Jan. 13, 2012).
Read Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian 's interview with Al-Hayat on the ongoing crisis in Syria (Sept. 15, 2011).
Watch an Al Jazeera interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on U.S. policy toward the Syrian crisis (June 28, 2011).
Watch a CNN interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , in which he comments on the latest speech by Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (June 22, 2011).
Watch an Al Jazeera English interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , who discusses the demonstrations in Syria (June 21, 2011). A news article is also available.
Listen to NPR Morning Edition segment "'Coordinated Response' Needed to Syria's Crackdown ," an interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (May 12, 2011).
Listen to a BBC Radio interview (mp3 ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian about the protests in Syria (April 28, 2011).
Read a Voice of America News story "Syria Popular Uprising Fails to Force Authentic Reform ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (March 31, 2011).
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Middle East
Watch a WPC-TV interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian . Djerejian, who was in Cannes for the World Policy Conference 2012, commented on the turmoil in Syria, the Arab Awakening and the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace (Dec. 9, 2012).
Listen to a Minnesota Public Radio "Daily Circuit" interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian and New York Times writer Robert Worth. Djerejian discusses how ongoing violence, among other issues, has changed the nature of U.S. diplomacy overseas, as well as what these shifts mean for the future (Nov. 28, 2012).
Read The Sacramento Bee/McClatchy Newspapers story "Obama struggles for unifying strategy post-Arab Spring ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Sept. 21, 2012).
Read The New York Times article "Diplomats Pulled 2 Ways, Between High Walls and Open Doors ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted on his experience as a U.S. ambassador to Syria and to Israel (Sept. 13, 2012).
Read "Assessing U.S. Leadership in Mideast ," a Council on Foreign Relations interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Sept. 22, 2011).
Read the Voice of American News article "Former U.S. ambassador optimistic about Arab democracy ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian discusses the way forward for the democratization of the Middle East and how the West should respond (Sept. 6, 2011).
Read a Washington Post op-ed "Grounds for U.S. military intervention ," in which former secretaries of state James A. Baker, III , and Henry Kissinger discuss how the United States can successfully approach Middle East policy with a balance of realism and idealism (April 11, 2011).
Read "Handling the Middle East's 'Tectonic' Shifts ," a Council on Foreign Relations interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (April 1, 2011).
Read an article in The New Republic that discusses what America has learned through various diplomats, including Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , speaking to the Muslim Brotherhood (March 3, 2011). A subscription is required to read the full article.
Read the McClatchy Newspapers article "Like new Middle East, Obama doctrine is a work in progress ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (March 4, 2011).
Read a Boston Globe article, "Critics question billions in aid routed back to U.S. contractors," which quotes founding director Edward P. Djerejian (Feb. 3, 2011).
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Iran
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Libya
Read Foreign Policy blog post "The thankless task of the Foreign Service officer ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian comments on late ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens (Sept. 14, 2012).
Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted in BusinessWeek article "Libya: Can It Become an Oil Superpower? " (Aug. 24, 2011).
Read the CNN op-ed "Keys to a brighter future for Libya " by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian d (Aug. 23, 2011).
Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is interviewed (video ) on CNN about the outlook for Libya and the rest of the world, including Syria, as Col. Moammar Gadhafi's government nears collapse (Aug. 22, 2011).
Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is interviewed (audio ) about U.S. intervention in Libya's political crisis on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" (March 28, 2011).
Read a Bloomberg News story "Obama Under Pressure to Clear 'Ambiguity' From Libya Strategy ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian comments on U.S. involvement in Libya (March 25, 2011).
Read the Voice of America article, "U.S.-Libya relations rocky during Gadhafi's leadership," which examines the relationship between the two countries from a historical perspective. Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted (Feb. 25, 2011).
Watch an Al Jazeera English interview (video ) with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian , who discusses the demonstrations in Libya (Feb. 23, 2011).
Read the Washington Post article "U.S. struggles with little leverage to restrain Libyan government ," which discusses diplomatic challenges the Obama administration faces in Libya. Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted (Feb. 22, 2011).
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President Obama's June 22, 2011, speech on the way forward in Afghanistan
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President Obama's May 19, 2011, Middle East policy speech
Read International Business Times article "Peace deal only if 1967 borders are considered: Rice varsity report ," which discusses the Baker Institute special report "Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Settlement " (May 20, 2011).
Read Reuters article "Obama measures democracy pitch for wary Gulf allies " to learn what Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian has to say about President Barack Obama's recent speech on the Middle East (May 20, 2011).
Read Christian Science Monitor article "Obama Middle East Speech: U.S. is with street protesters, not palace dictators ," in which Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian is quoted on maintaining the Unites States' Middle East policy balance between "values, principles and security concerns" (May 19, 2011).
Read National Journal article "Obama's Middle East Speech: Historic Opportunities, Uncomfortable Truths ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (May 19, 2011).
Watch an interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on Bloomberg TV"s "InBusiness " ahead of President Obama"s speech (May 19, 2011).
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Osama bin Laden
Read Politico article "News of Osama bin Laden"s death unlikely to impact gas price debate ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (May 3, 2011).
Read Baker Institute Blog post "The next move for Al Qaeda " by Rice scholar Richard Stoll (May 3, 2011).
Watch an interview with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian on Bloomberg TV"s "Bloomberg Bottom Line with Mark Crumpton " discussing the international reaction to Osama bin Laden"s death (May 2, 2011).
Listen to Bloomberg Radio interview (AIFF ) on the death of Osama bin Laden with Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (May 2, 2011).
Read Houston Chronicle article "Reaction to terrorist"s death from around Houston, Texas ," which quotes Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian (May 2, 2011).
Read Baker Institute Blog post "Bin Laden is dead: Now what? " by fellow Joe Barnes (May 2, 2011).
Read Fuel Fix Blog post "Al Qaeda, oil and summer air conditioning " by energy fellow Amy Myers Jaffe (May 2, 2011).
Read Houston Chronicle article "President picked up where Bush left off ," in which political science fellow Mark Jones is quoted on the death of Osama bin Laden (May 2, 2011).
Read National Journal article "If History Is Guide, bin Laden Killing May Not Boost Obama ," in which Rice scholar Richard Stoll is quoted (May 2, 2011).
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