While the political fight over her successor continues in Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is headed to the Middle East this morning in a diplomatic effort to “advance the discussions” between Israel and Hamas. The conflict in Gaza has left more than 100 dead and has put the region on the brink of war.
Clinton had been attending a summit of Asian leaders in Cambodia. After conferring with President Obama, who was also in Cambodia attending the same meetings, Secretary Clinton departed for Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Cairo. She is set to meet first with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many details of the trip have yet to be released, but White House aides did note that the Secretary will not meet with representatives of Hamas, citing longstanding U.S. policy.
While the outcome of her visit is far from certain, it is clear that it will likely be the last major diplomatic effort Clinton will lead as Secretary of State. The exact timing of Clinton’s departure from the Obama administration is largely dependent on the politics surrounding her successor’s nomination and confirmation. If the President selects current U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, Clinton could be on the job longer than anticipated, considering a potential veto threat from some Republicans, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
So how will it all turn out? And is Secretary Clinton risking her stellar reputation on her biggest foreign policy challenge yet? We’ll pose those questions and more to the panel when we see you today at noon ET on NOW.
PANEL
Sam Stein, The Huffington Post (@samsteinhp)
Rana Foroohar, Assisting Managing Editor, TIME Magazine (@ranaforoohar)
Joy Reid, Managing Editor, theGrio.com (@thereidreport)
GUEST
Sam Sifton, National Editor, The New York Times/Author, “Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well” (@samsifton)
Maura Daly, Chief Communication and Development Officer, Feeding America (@feedingamerica)
Bill Shore, Founder and CEO, Share Our Strength (@sharestrength)
BULLPEN
Martin Bashir, msnbc host, “Martin Bashir” (@bashirlive)
REPORTER
Luke Russert, NBC News (@lukerussert)
Dax Tejera