Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
After decades of failed negotiations, many argue that little that can be achieved in pursuing Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking right now. Yet parking the conflict or returning to the pre-Trump status quo ante could have serious implications not only for Israelis and Palestinians but also for the region and the United States. How can the U.S. administration do more by doing less and help reverse negative trends that are cementing occupation and inequality, while avoiding previous failed policies that have empowered anti-democratic forces in both Israel and Palestine?
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's government is midway through an ambitious two-year plan to build the necessary infrastructure for a viable Palestinian state. One year on, what progress have the Palestinians made?
As Islamist movements in the Arab world become more politically active, they are struggling to pursue their moral and religious agenda while navigating daily political tussles. In the face of repressive regimes, they have achieved some popular support, but enjoyed few concrete successes.
As Islamist movements in the Arab world become more politically active, they are struggling to pursue their moral and religious agenda under unfriendly or repressive regimes.
As a new round of direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders gets underway, U.S. efforts to isolate Hamas in Gaza could jeopardize the prospects for a diplomatic reconciliation between the two sides.
Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad’s program to build a Palestinian state despite occupation and internal division does not offer a solution to the deeper problems afflicting Palestinian politics.
The best hope for a two state solution is a new, comprehensive approach that involves the most important regional players, including Saudi Arabia and Syria.
The timing of the recent direct peace talks in Washington has more to do with local political realities in the United States, Palestine, and Israel than any belief that the time is ripe for negotiating a sustainable peace.
Prime Minister Netanyahu must minimize the political and financial support for hard-core settlers, in order to mitigate the possibility that they negatively affect the peace talks.
With little chance for a breakthrough in Israeli–Palestinian direct talks, the best hope for the Middle East is a regional approach that secures peace between Israel and the entire Arab world.
In advance of President Obama's meetings with Egypt's Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II and the Palestinian–Israeli direct talks, Carnegie experts previewed expectations for the talks and discussed Mubarak’s visit as the country approaches critical parliamentary elections this fall.