Peace Process

Policy Analysis on Peace Process

Israeli and Arab foreign ministers, along with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, at the Negev Summit - source: Reuters

A New Regional Role for Israel, as Washington Shows Signs of Stepping Back

By participating in the Negev Summit, Arab states are signaling their appreciation for Israel’s status as both a local power and a unique interlocutor with the United States.

Mar 28, 2022

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David Makovsky

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

Articles & Testimony

Axis of Abraham: Arab-Israeli Normalization Could Remake the Middle East

The accords may point to a future in which the United States can do less in the region—but to get there, Washington must first do more.

March-April 2022

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Michael Singh

Video

Brief Analysis

An Arab Leader in Israel: A Conversation with Mansour Abbas

The head of the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition answers questions about the country’s domestic and foreign policies, including its approach to Palestinian issues and diplomacy with Arab states.

Feb 10, 2022

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Mansour Abbas
David Makovsky
Robert Satloff

Photo of Naftali Bennett and Abdul Fattah al-Sisi meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh.

Brief Analysis

Israeli Coalition Leaders Navigate Protests and Political Constraints

With their constituents upping the pressure on hot-button factional issues, Prime Minister Bennett and Mansour Abbas are starting to feel the vulnerabilities inherent in their still-fragile coalition.

Jan 14, 2022

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David Makovsky

President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin shake hands at the White House as the Camp David Accords are announced.

Video

Brief Analysis

American Peace Process Diplomacy: What Works? What Doesn’t?

The authors of three recent books on Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, and James Baker explore the lessons that today’s leaders can learn from their landmark peacemaking efforts.

Nov 30, 2021

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Martin Indyk
Stuart Eizenstat
Susan Glasser

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets US officials in Washington

Articles & Testimony

How Israel Should Navigate the New American Landscape

America’s broad inclination toward retrenchment is unlikely to abate anytime soon, but Israeli leaders can still do much to remind Washington why basic regional stability is so essential to its interests.

Nov 9, 2021

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Why a Political Comeback for Israel’s Netanyahu Just Became a Lot Less Likely

By passing a budget, avoiding fatal polarization, and toning down the rhetoric (if not the military pressure) on Iran, the young coalition government may have marginalized the former leader for the long term.

Nov 5, 2021

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Neri Zilber

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Sabereen News Calls for Beheading of Iraqi Citizens

After the Erbil conference, which called for normalizing ties between Iraq and Israel, the largest resistance social media organ called for beheadings and then tried to cover its tracks.

Oct 3, 2021

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Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

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

Articles & Testimony

Think Regionally: A US Role for Deepening the Abraham Accords

Washington should look to economic forums in other regions as a model for establishing regular cooperation between Arab and Israeli officials, business leaders, academics, and civil society groups.

Oct 3, 2021

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David Makovsky
Josh Kram

Iraqi Kurds display Kurdish and Israeli flags

Articles & Testimony

A Pro-Israel Summit in Erbil Breaks New Ground

At great personal risk, Iraqi civil society leaders gathered to demand entry into the Abraham Accords, and their efforts need more American support.

Sep 30, 2021

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

The Bennett-Sisi Meeting: A Rare Chance to Publicly Boost Relations

The welcome visit indicates that Egypt-Israel ties can thrive post-Netanyahu, potentially expanding from the security domain to economic and civil affairs.

Sep 13, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

Last Call for Gaza?

Proposing an Alternative to Israeli-Palestinian “Conflict Management”

With Iran looming ever larger as Israel’s top security priority, the window for breaking the dangerous cycle of ceasefire and conflagration with the Palestinians may be closing—unless all of the actors are willing to throw their weight behind a fresh “4x4” strategy.

Aug 30, 2021

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Dror Shalom

Brief Analysis

State of Investigation? The International Criminal Court and the “Situation in Palestine”

The legal details of recent preliminary rulings presage the difficulties that the ICC will likely encounter while investigating the Israeli-Palestinian scene, highlighting the broader dilemma of importing political conflicts into the courtroom.

Aug 26, 2021

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Alexander Loengarov

Brief Analysis

Bennett Meets Biden: Resetting the Tone and Discussing Differences

The two leaders have been looking forward to an upbeat summit, but the test will be if they can establish trust and work through their differences on thorny regional issues.

Aug 25, 2021

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Biden Will Discover Bennett Is No Bibi

Given Bennett’s emphasis on bipartisanship and Biden’s desire for good news, Washington has ample room to avoid the public tensions seen during Netanyahu's tenure.

Aug 25, 2021

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David Makovsky

A Palestinian woman walks by a mural in Bethlehem

Articles & Testimony

What Do Palestinians Want?

Those who support permanent peace with Israel are in the minority even among the younger generation, but Washington should still prepare for the future by working around the economic edges.

Jul 23, 2021

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David Pollock
Catherine Cleveland

Video

Brief Analysis

Anti-Normalization Laws: A Powerful Weapon in the Fight Against Peace

A panel of experts discuss Hezbollah’s efforts to neutralize the Abraham Accords by threatening and prosecuting Lebanese citizens who interact with Israelis, including expatriates living or working in Gulf countries.

Jun 24, 2021

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Nadim Koteich
Majd Harb
Hanin Ghaddar
Joseph Braude

Articles & Testimony

A One-State Solution Is Unworkable

The road to two states is arduous, but the one-state path guarantees endless bloodshed and is not something the Biden administration intends to pursue.

Jun 21, 2021

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

The Biden Administration’s Formula Suggests an Aspiration and a Direction

No one is going to invest in massive Gaza reconstruction unless there is a credible mechanism for ensuring that Hamas does not divert the bulk of this material for military purposes.

Jun 21, 2021

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Sword of Jerusalem vs. Guardian of the Walls: Gaza and the Next Lebanon War

The military particulars of the clash between Hamas and IDF doctrines reveal much common ground with potential future conflicts involving the other members of Iran’s “axis of resistance.”

Jun 15, 2021

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Assaf Orion

Supported by the

Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations

Through moments of hope and challenge in the Middle East diplomacy, The Washington Institute's Koret Project 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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Featured experts

Ghaith al-Omari

Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.

David Makovsky

David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.

Dennis Ross

Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Ehud Yaari

Ehud Yaari is the Lafer International Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Peace Process

Policy Analysis on Peace Process

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