Lowy welcomes Indyk
The Chairman of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, Mr Frank Lowy AC, has congratulated long-serving Lowy Institute Board member Ambassador Martin Indyk on his appointment as the U.S. Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Martin Indyk
Frank Lowy
“I am delighted by the news that President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have appointed Martin Indyk to this important role,” said Frank Lowy. “Martin will bring to this vital task a brilliant mind, deep knowledge of and expertise in the Middle East, and a unique diplomatic capacity. We are proud of our colleague’s appointment.”
The Lowy Institute’s bio of Indyk reads:
Ambassador Martin S. Indyk is the Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. He is currently serving as the U.S. Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
During the Clinton Administration he was Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and South Asia in the U.S. National Security Council. Before entering government, he was the founding Executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Ambassador Indyk holds a PhD from the Australian National University (ANU) and is the author of Innocent Abroad: An Intimate Account of American Peace Diplomacy in the Middle East, and most recently, Bending History: Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy (with Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Lieberthal).
There were also words of encouragement from Federal Labor MO Michael Danby. He said: “10th rate academics from Macquarie-U scorned Dr Martin Indyk when he taught there in the 1980’s. Best thing that ever happened to Indyk. He left Australia, became a US citizen, worked for Clinton and later at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. Now elevated by Barack Obama, President of the United States, as Chief Negotiator for the Israeli-Palestinian direct peace talks. Dr Indyk will be a formidable advocate for negotiations in a seemingly intractable conflict. My view is the previous peace talks floundered by failing to take into account Palestinian popular culture, which is indoctrinating current generations against real peace. Go Martin!”
Since nobody had the courage to throw the first pebble, I shall do the honours.
Dear Mr. Lowy, we all admire you for what you have achieved in life, soccer, business etc.
Yet, your best haver , Martin , is not quite the flavour of the month right where it counts most, Israel. He has NEVER been a darling of the Ben Yahuda, not even of the Tahana Merkazit.
Lately he has been on the reserve bench as far as US politics. His admission by Bibi’s team as a “referee” of sorts is predicated on the simple fact that Israel does not regard Indyk as an impediment in her strategy of goal scoring. Israel is much bigger than Martin’s CV, not to mention his szay ( mouth in Hungarian ). Yes, Martin’s say ( Engl.) is limited to his tacit presence, unless he insists on criticizing – as he does – Israel for having the audacity of following a State policy NOT vetted by the acclaimed Ambassador ( and proeminent NIF patron ).
Otherwise I love Westfilled Bondi Junction. The other day I bought my wife a hair straightener at JB Hi Fi at a 30% discount. I couldn’t ask for more. I was just about , but they gave me also a parking voucher worth ten bucks. I didn’t need it because I live just next door, but I sold it to my twin Brother for 5 bucks, so there ………………..
Frank was good at running a delicatessen, he excels at running shopping centres and he knows his soccer. He should stick to them because he know diddly-squat about politics.
Martin Indyk is a has-been who is no friend of Israel. He is a leading light in the NIF and he works for the Washington Institution for Near Wast Policy which is headquartered in both Washington DC and Doha, Qatar.
Indyk an impartial facilitator? You’ve got to be dreaming, Frank.