Palestinians

The multitude of other crises in the region and the strong doubts among Israelis and Palestinians cannot be an argument for walking away from diplomatic efforts.

The discovery of murdered kidnap victims in the West Bank and increased rocket fire from Gaza have brought Hamas and Israel to the brink of a new round of hostilities.

New survey results show that violence is not a popular option among Palestinians and that Hamas is not benefiting from the current troubles, giving U.S. policymakers some breathing room to concentrate on more urgent crises in Iraq and Syria while backing practical steps to cool tensions.

West Bank and Gaza residents alike still appear more receptive to Fatah than Hamas viewpoints.

An update on a potentially important area of disagreement regarding U.S. and Israeli policy toward the next Palestinian government.

In the coming days, the Obama administration faces key decisions on how to respond to a Palestinian government "backed by Hamas," whether to condone Hamas participation in Palestinian elections, and what strategy to adopt in response to another effort by Palestinians to enhance their status in the UN.

Even if a permanent deal isn't achievable right now, Washington can still foster a process that contributes to peacemaking.

If the United States and the major donor nations endorsed a transition agreement, the conflict would become a dispute between two states, leaving the Palestinian leadership with little choice but to forge ahead toward a final-status solution.

Martin Indyk, the U.S. special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, addressed the 2014 Weinberg Founders Conference.