Martin Indyk, diplomat who sought Mideast peace, dies
Martin Indyk, an author, think tank leader and diplomat who worked toward peace in the Middle East, has died aged 73.
Martin Indyk. Credit: Robert D. Ward via Wikimedia Commons
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank he helped establish, made the announcement on Thursday.
Indyk twice served as the United States ambassador to Israel, first from 1995 to 1997 and then from 2000 to 2001, during the presidency of Democrat Bill Clinton.
He was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs from 1997-2000, also under Clinton, and returned to government to serve as the US special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations from 2013 to 2014, under President Barack Obama.
Born in Britain in 1951 and raised in Australia, Indyk earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Sydney University and a doctorate from the Australian National University. He moved to the United States in 1982 to serve as a visiting professor and fellow at Columbia University, becoming a US citizen in 1993.
The top Middle East policy adviser on Clinton’s National Security Council before his tours in Israel and time at the State Department, Indyk was deeply involved in Clinton’s failed 2000 effort to coax the Israelis and Palestinians to a peace deal. He wrote a book about the experience, Innocent Abroad: An Intimate Account of American Peace Diplomacy in the Middle East.
Resigning as Middle East peace envoy in 2014 following the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian talks, Indyk returned to the world of policy analysis. On his departure from government, Secretary of State John Kerry praised Indyk as an indefatigable diplomat who had dedicated decades of his career to trying to achieve peace.
More recently, Indyk was a leading scholar on Middle East policy at the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations.
His books also included Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy, published in 2021.
Dr Colin Rubenstein, executive director of The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, told J-Wire: “We are deeply saddened at Martin Indyk’s untimely passing. He was a brilliant scholar, analyst and diplomat who made a remarkable contribution to our understanding of ,and efforts to resolve conflicts across,the broader Middle East.
From the moment he left Australia after completing his doctorate at the ANU and arrived in Washington in the early 1980s, he began to influence the Middle East foreign policy of successive US Administrations.
First, his impressive work at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee led him to co-found the outstanding think tank the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in 1985. Then, he went on to serve two stints as U.S. ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs.
A high point of his stellar career was his critical involvement in the Oslo peace process in the 1990s and beyond. Whether you agreed with him or not, his commitment to Israel and the Jewish people was never in doubt.
Indeed, he was a tireless advocate of the importance of the Western alliance anchored in a strong America working closely with like-minded allies, including Israel and Australia, standing firm against tyranny and dictatorship.”
Robert Goot, deputy president of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said: “Martin Indyk was an outstanding Australian Jew who dedicated his life to the pursuit of peace in his beloved Israel. As an Australian he was uniquely positioned to influence events as an academic, a visionary thinker, an Ambassador for the USA and as a sought after adviser.
He brought a very deep commitment and great intellect and knowledge to his quest which sadly proved to be illusionary in his lifetime. His wisdom and persons will be sorely missed. We can but hope that we will see peace in our lifetime.”
The CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Alon Cassuto, said: “Martin made a meaningful contribution to international diplomacy and pursued the noble cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. On behalf of the Zionist Federation of Australia, may his memory be a blessing.”
AAP with J-Wire
