Middle East Peacemaking Has Failed

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In The Media

Middle East Peacemaking Has Failed

The Obama administration should focus on establishing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that can evolve into an armistice, providing the necessary stability for Palestinians to rebuild their political system and engage in meaningful negotiations.

By Nathan J. Brown

Published on Mar 1, 2009

Source: Foreign Policy March

Middle East Peacemaking Has FailedAddressing the international conference gathered in Egypt this week to discuss aid to Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made clear that her inclination is to continue precisely where the Bush administration left off -- using assistance to shore up the Palestinian government based in Ramallah, ignoring the Palestinian government based in Gaza, and hoping that the Ramallah government can realize enough success to help lead the path back to a two-state solution.

But if the past two years have shown nothing else, it is that showering Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad with help, hoping Hamas will disappear, and going through the motions of two-state diplomacy only opens the door to a darker future.

It is time to choose a different path.

The full article appears in Foreign Policy.

About the Author

Nathan J. Brown

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Nathan J. Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, is a distinguished scholar and author of nine books on Arab politics and governance, as well as editor of five books.

Recent Work

Commentary
Israel’s Forever Wars
- Nathan J. Brown
Article
For Younger Palestinians, Crisis Has Become a Way of Life
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Foreign Policy North America United States Middle East Israel Palestine

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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