Peace Process

Rather than trying to punish the PA by supporting West Bank annexations or other draconian measures, Washington should simply press forward with other willing partners until Ramallah comes around.

Lost revenue transfers from Israel frame the latest crisis, and Washington can help ease it even without restoring direct aid to the PA.

Facing multiple indictments, Netanyahu may try to keep himself out of jail by annexing the West Bank, but what happens to the 2.5 million Palestinians living there, and to Israel’s identity?

Releasing a U.S. proposal that is bound to fail would legitimize Israeli calls for annexation, give Saudi Arabia leverage over Washington, and strengthen Iran.

Resuming conditional aid to the PA is the best way to bolster peace diplomacy, or help ensure stability if the process founders.

In the Israeli elections scheduled for April 9, the old left-right fault lines will no longer apply. They have yielded to a center-right split, mirroring an increasingly conservative electorate, with recent data suggesting 63 percent of Israeli Jews identify with the political right. This makes the path for the centrist

Sadat and Begin gambled everything, and the bet continues to pay off despite the dearth of normalization between the two societies.

Past administrations have publicized their plans too soon, provoking fury from extremists on both sides.

A new political merger has distilled the campaign into a two-faction race, and each side is already crafting its message accordingly.