Peace Process

Policy Analysis on Peace Process

Iron Dome rockets intercepting Hamas missiles over Tel Aviv

Israel and Gaza Keep Up Their Precarious Dance

What the latest round of fighting against PIJ—and not, conspicuously, Hamas—means, and why it will probably happen again.

Aug 9, 2022

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Neri Zilber

U.S., Israeli, Bahraini, and Qatari flags on a mural celebrating the Abraham Accords

Articles & Testimony

A Path to Peace from Biden’s Trip—How the Arab States Can Help

Regional governments are going to reach out to Israel anyway, so why not take advantage of this activity to help the Palestinians and encourage Jerusalem toward constructive moves?

Aug 1, 2022

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Video

Brief Analysis

Biden in the Middle East: Opportunities and Challenges

A panel of veteran diplomats and scholars from the Gulf, Israel, and Washington discuss the trip’s goals and risks, as well as the president’s chances for success.

Jul 14, 2022

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Tamar Hermann
Dennis Ross
Ebtesam al-Ketbi
Robert Satloff

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in the Knesset chamber in Jerusalem on June 30, 2022 - Source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

What Biden and Lapid Have in Common

Their political temperaments and policy priorities are a good match, but this chemistry does not guarantee progress on Iranian and Palestinian issues during an election year.

Jul 8, 2022

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David Makovsky

Fikra Forum

New Poll Reveals Moderate Trend Among East Jerusalem Palestinians

A new poll captures East Jerusalem attitudes towards Arab-Israeli rapprochement, involvement from other Arab countries, and the U.S. policy on the conflict.

Jul 8, 2022

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Biden-Abbas Meeting Is About Symbolism, Not Diplomatic Progress

The meeting itself is the objective, and the more uneventful it is, the more it will be deemed a success.

Jul 8, 2022

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Ghaith al-Omari

Articles & Testimony

Engaging the Saudis Does Not Require Biden to Forego Our Concern for Human Rights

The president will still be able to set boundaries with Riyadh—while also addressing other major issues such as national security, rampant energy costs, and normalization with Israel.

Jun 22, 2022

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Dennis Ross

Israeli and UAE flags flying together in Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Abraham Accords and the Changing Shape of the Middle East

A veteran U.S. diplomat reflects on the decades of direct engagement that paved the way to the accords, which have since opened a new avenue for curbing Iran and reanimating Israeli-Palestinian progress.

Jun 21, 2022

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Dennis Ross

Three-star rank insignia of a US Army Lieutenant General

Articles & Testimony

How Pentagon Bureaucracy Could Undermine West Bank Security

The proposal to downgrade the U.S. Security Coordinator from a three-star general to a colonel could decimate a crucial mission, especially amid the recent uptick in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Jun 16, 2022

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Shira Efron
Ghaith al-Omari

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at a cabinet meeting in 2022 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Bennett on the Brink: Israel’s Precarious Coalition One Year On

Despite the government’s progress on deepening foreign ties, safeguarding domestic institutions, and bringing Arab Israeli leaders into national decisionmaking, it may soon be brought down by opposition maneuvers and fallout from terrorist attacks.

Jun 13, 2022

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Lebanon’s (Verbal) Threat Against Israeli Gas Exploration

Production from Israel’s Karish offshore natural gas field is scheduled to start later this year.

Jun 6, 2022

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Simon Henderson

An Egyptian guard inspects bomb damage near the Gaza border in Sinai

Articles & Testimony

Egypt's Remilitarized Sinai Is a Future Powder Keg

Cairo needs to hear from Israel, the United States, and the Multinational Force & Observers that its security violations erode the Egypt-Israel peace.

Jun 3, 2022

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David Schenker

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets with the UAE's foreign minister in December 2021 - Source: Reuters

Video

Brief Analysis

Building an Arab-Israel Bloc: Can It Compensate for a Reluctant Washington?

Arab, European, and Israeli experts assess the possibilities and limits of normalization, discussing concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. retrenchment, and the Palestinian issue.

May 12, 2022

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Nickolay Mladenov
Zohar Palti
Ebtesam al-Ketbi
Karim Haggag

Arab Approval of UAE, Bahrain Peace with Israel

Video

Brief Analysis

New Arab Polls on Ukraine, Iran, Israel, and China: Analysis and Implications

Three public opinion experts discuss what March and April surveys in key states reveal about local attitudes toward U.S. policy.

May 3, 2022

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David Pollock
Catherine Cleveland
Munqith Dagher

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Beyond the Blocs

Jewish Settlement East of Israel's Security Barrier and How to Avert the Slide to a One-State Outcome

Communities outside the West Bank security barrier constitute an obstacle to a future two-state solution and a potential source of friction between Washington and Jerusalem.

Apr 26, 2022

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David Makovsky

An Israeli security officer stands guard at the scene of a terrorist shooting in Tel Aviv, March 2022.

Articles & Testimony

A Badly Needed New Approach to Quelling the Violence

A U.S.-Israel attempt to compel Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas to end terrorist attacks against Israelis could ultimately help reset dynamics, even if such a move generates a costly short-term backlash.

Apr 25, 2022

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Ehud Yaari

Brief Analysis

Egypt, Israel, and Hamas: Opportunities for Progress in Gaza

Cairo is signaling more initiative than ever on rebuilding Gaza, curbing Hamas, and openly engaging Israel, but longer-term progress will require greater international donor resources and U.S. diplomatic support.

Apr 19, 2022

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Ramy Aziz

Brief Analysis

Political Tempest in Israel: Can Bennett Right the Ship?

His coalition is just one lost seat from being legislatively hobbled or even ousted altogether, leaving him and his allies in Washington with little time for essential damage control.

Apr 11, 2022

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David Makovsky

Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz - source: Israeli Ministry of Defense

Video

Brief Analysis

Defense Minister Benny Gantz Discusses Israel's Strategic Challenges

The country's top defense official shares his insights on recent terrorist attacks, the Iran nuclear talks, the Ukraine war, expanding cooperation with regional countries, and more.

Apr 11, 2022

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Benny Gantz

Israeli police respond to a shooting in Tel Aviv - source: Reuters

Video

Brief Analysis

Terror and Turbulence in Israel and the West Bank

Three experts discuss the risks of escalating violence on the ground, the Israeli and PA response so far, and U.S. policy options.

Apr 8, 2022

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Anna Ahronheim
Matthew Levitt
Ghaith al-Omari

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Koret Program on Arab-Israel Relations

Through moments of hope and challenge in the Middle East diplomacy, The Washington Institute's Koret Program on Arab-Israel Relations is committed to providing America's policymakers with timely analysis on issues of critical concern to Israel and its Arab neighbors.

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Policy Analysis on Peace Process

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Policy Analysis on Peace Process

Koret Program on Arab-Israel Relations

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