Martin Indyk, who has recently been appointed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as the U.S. Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, tasked with supervising the fragile peace talks between Israel and Palestine. He talks here about the signifiEditor’s Note Vol.3 • No.1-2 • Spring-Summer 2013 9 cant role of the U.S. in maintaining peace and order in the Middle East, lamenting Washington’s unwillingness to take tangible steps in getting rid of Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad. He urges Washington to increase U.S. involvement in Middle East affairs. This interview took place just before his appointment as a senior American envoy to the Middle East.