Marwan Muasher, a prominent Jordanian diplomat, has been instrumental in shaping Middle East peace efforts for nearly twenty years. He served as Jordan’s first ambassador to Israel and was also ambassador to the United States, spokesperson at peace talks in Madrid and Washington, minister of foreign affairs, and deputy prime minister in charge of reform. Here he recounts the behind-the-scenes details of diplomatic ventures over the past two decades, including such recent undertakings as the Arab Peace Initiative and the Middle East Road Map.   Muasher’s insights into internal Arab politics and the successes and failures of the Arab Center are uniquely informed and deeply felt. He assesses how the middle road approach to reform is faring and explains why current tactics used by the West to deal with Islamic groups are doomed to failure. He examines why the Arab Center has made so little progress and which Arab, Israeli, and American policies need rethinking. Part memoir and part analysis, this book reveals the human side of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is essential reading for all who share the hope that moderate, pragmatic Arab voices will be heard in today’s vitriolic debates over how to achieve an enduring peace in the Middle East.   “To be constructive, rational, and moderate in the Arab Middle East may be the most dangerous approach of all; Muasher therefore exhibits courage as well as intellectual energy applied toward making a positive contribution.”—­Charles Hill, Diplomat-in-Residence, Yale University (Charles Hill) “Must reading for those who recognize that a comprehensive strategic approach to the Middle East is indispensable to a more stable and secure U.S. and world.”—Mara Rudman, former Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Chief of Staff for the National Security Council (Mara Rudman) "Few Arab thinkers are better positioned to discuss the challenge to moderation in the Middle East, and I hope that Marwan Muasher's distinguished voice of reason and pragmatism will be heard well beyond our region."—His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan (His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan) “This book is a must read to understand how to address the challenges facing the Middle East today.”—President Bill Clinton (President Bill Clinton) "Marwan Muasher is not just a witness, but also an active participant and a shaper of realities in the Middle East. His book is indeed a valuable and unique contribution to the field with insights, inside information, and a superb grasp of history in the making. Such an authentic Arab voice from within, writing in English to engage a Western readership, is an opportunity not to be missed. I have developed the greatest respect for his integrity, courage, and humanity—precisely those qualities that make his book exceptional."— Hanan Ashrawi (Hanan Ashrawi) "A fascinating inside look by a 50-year-old Arab statesman, the first to write a book in English, who was privy to all the secret machinations since the age of 30."—Arnaud de Borchgrave, UPI Editor-at-Large (Arnaud de Borchgrave UPI 2008-05-29) "Excellent."—Al Kamen, Washington Post (Al Kamen Washington Post 2008-05-14) "[This is] one of the most important books on the Middle East, and is required reading for everyone interested in finding solutions to the many problems the region faces today. . . .Arab leaders, and America's next president, would do well to heed the experiences and advice of an Arab statesman."—Scott MacLeod, Time 's Middle East Blog by Cairo Bureau Chief (Scott MacLeod Time 2008-05-29) "Muasher's book raises what may be the most damning criticism of the Bush administration's Middle East policy — that it has unwittingly undercut the very people the United States wanted most to help."—David Ignatius, Washington Post (David Ignatius Washington Post 2008-05-15) "A gem of memoir as history, The Arab Center traces the torturous negotiations among Israel, the Palestinians, the Arab states, and the outside world from 1991 to 2004, with well-chosen documents appended."—L. Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs (L. Carl Brown Foreign Affairs 2008-08-28) ". . . One of [ The Arab Center's ] important contributions . . . is to question the meaning of an Arab 'moderate' and the selective application of moderation to a single issue—the pursuit of a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. . . ."—Roula Khalaf, Financial Times (Roula Khalaf Financial Times 2008-07-07) " The Arab Center . . . is worth reading for both the valor and the failures it describes. . . . It has the credibility, factual specificity and reflective, often self-critical, analysis that official government statements and authorized histories usually lack."—Rami G. Khouri, Middle East Times (Rami G. Khouri Middle East Times 2008-09-16) "In this painstakingly fair-minded and sensible memoir [Muasher] tries to show why there is still no solution to the Palestinian-Israeli imbro