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?
A two-state solution requires reconciliation between Palestinian factions and reunification of the West Bank and Gaza. The United States should support Palestinian institution building and be open to political competition, including elections.
Israel’s raid on a flotilla of humanitarian aid ships bound for Gaza, which reportedly left at least nine people dead, drew condemnation from international leaders and leaves prospects for Israeli-Palestinian talks even more dismal.
The recent flotilla incident is the culmination of a steep decline in Israeli-Turkish relations that started with the Gaza war in 2008 and 2009.
Israel’s raid on a flotilla of humanitarian aid has refocused global attention on Gaza’s isolation. Israel’s action have helped Hamas, and the group is now operating from a position of greater strength.
The flotilla incident is the culmination of a slow drift in Turkish-Israeli relations. As the Israelis are increasingly subject to international opprobrium, Turkey’s strategic importance in the region is ascendant.
The Israeli raid on a humanitarian flotilla headed for Gaza has been a present for Hamas. The sooner the United States and Israel realize that the popularity of Hamas is the result of failed policies, the better off the peace process will be.
The Israeli raid on the flotilla headed for Gaza continues a pattern of diplomatic disasters that are increasingly isolating Israel on the international stage and do not augur well for its future.
The only good thing that can come out of this tragedy is that the Israeli public will hold the government accountable for poor decision-making and incompetent execution that has handed Hamas and its allies the victory of their lifetime.
The Gaza flotilla incident highlights not only the unsustainability of the closure of Gaza, but also the unsustainability of the U.S. position discouraging reconciliation between the Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas.
Carnegie experts respond to Israel's raid on a flotilla of humanitarian aid ships bound for Gaza, warning that it threatens to destabilize relations between key actors in the region.