Hussein Ibish

Arab-Americans are this week reminded of a simple choice: they can continue to ignore the lessons of the March on Washington, or work together to claim their rights.

Despite its "pivot to Asia", the United States is still very much engaged in the Middle East, and will be for a long time.

For the US to cut off aid to Egypt, as some in Washington are now demanding, would be a serious mistake, for several reasons.

America gets far more blame for events in the Middle East than its policies and power warrant, while nations like Russia rarely face the consequences of intervention

In Syria, extremist prominence has badly divided the opposition and the public, allowing for some significant government military gains. What is to be done about radicals?

After the dismissal of Mohammed Morsi, the future of political Islamism across the region is now not at all clear.

Palestinian politics have long existed relatively independent of the regional developments surrounding them. As Hamas knows well, this is no longer possible.

If Palestinians continue to leave matters to Hamas and Fatah operatives, all they can expect is either no unity at all, or a counterfeit unity.

Institution-building is the only policy that promises to lay the groundwork for the creation of a successful Palestinian state.

The Palestinian national movement will have to choose between the PLO vision of a state, or Hamas' vision of am armed struggle

The conflict in Gaza, and its political aftermath, should serve as a clear wake-up call for everyone who does not want a Hamas-dominated Palestinian national agenda.

Several players are seeking a compromise on the Palestinians' UN gambit. That would be in everyone's interest; otherwise the effort could lead to some nasty surprises.