Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Europeans have paid lip service to a two-state solution based on an independent Palestine alongside Israel. But without a clear plan to make it happen, such a solution will remain unattainable.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become deeply ingrained in daily life. Work must begin now to heal deep-seated divisions, which are not likely to be resolved in a burst of diplomacy.
If a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to be found, the place to look first won’t be abroad, or to the UN, the United States, or NGOs, but much closer to home: in the hands of Palestinians and Israelis themselves.
Centering rights and human security will not only help create the conditions needed to achieve a durable political solution but also promote U.S. interests abroad.
The designations declared that elements of the crimes were applicable not simply in the occupied Palestinians territories but within the internationally recognized borders of Israel itself.
After decades of on and off negotiations and failed peace initiatives and as Israel continues to block the emergence of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, it is time for a shift in U.S. policy toward Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking.
The international organization Human Rights Watch released a report declaring, for the first time in its history, that the Israeli government is committing two crimes against humanity for its treatment of the Palestinians: the crimes of persecution and apartheid.
It is time for the international community to face a stark truth that, polls show, a majority of Palestinians have already come to understand: a two-state solution is no longer feasible.
In rapid succession, in its final months in office, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump negotiated agreements establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and, finally, Morocco.
Israel and Iran aren’t yet on the verge of a major escalation or war, and continued progress on the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna would likely forestall one, if Israel judges that trying to undermine a deal would exact too great a cost in its relations with Washington. But the factors that might well produce a significant blowup are now aligning in frightening fashion.