Peace Process

Policy Analysis on Peace Process

The Case for Continuing the U.S. Mission in Sinai

For almost four decades, the Multinational Force & Observers has protected Israel-Egypt peace and anchored stability in the Sinai Peninsula, but a new Pentagon initiative could end the American contribution by late next year. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has indicated that all military endeavors must now fall within a National

May 27, 2020

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Assaf Orion
Denis Thompson

Brief Analysis

Did Pompeo’s Visit Shift the Annexation Debate in Israel and Washington?

The Trump administration has signaled that it won’t be bound by Netanyahu’s summer rush schedule on the issue, adding to the many foreign and domestic factors that could lead the prime minister to delay or curtail the move.

May 20, 2020

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

How Israeli Annexation Talk Is Already Reshaping the Middle East

The Palestinians are withdrawing from peace deals, and Jordan could be next as Israel edges closer to appropriating land outright.

May 19, 2020

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Neri Zilber

Brief Analysis

Violence Targeting Palestinian Banks Comes at a Sensitive Time

The latest row over prisoner payments has highlighted the PA’s longstanding legitimacy deficit and its potential inability to control events on the ground if public unrest escalates this summer.

May 14, 2020

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Ghaith al-Omari
Katherine Bauer

Articles & Testimony

On Annexation, Netanyahu Must Choose a Lasting Legacy

The prime minister no longer needs to lean on the transactional politics of partisan campaign promises, so history will judge him harshly if he keeps pursuing policies that threaten Israel’s peace prospects and Jewish identity.

May 5, 2020

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David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Coronavirus on the Israeli-Palestinian Scene (Part 2): The Gaza Strip

Hamas authorities have taken various measures to stave off the pandemic, but Gaza’s major healthcare shortfalls, deep economic problems, and high risk of wider infection could lead to violent flare-ups with Israel.

May 1, 2020

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Michael Herzog
Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Coronavirus on the Israeli-Palestinian Scene (Part 1): The West Bank and East Jerusalem

The outbreak has temporarily shifted the two sides from squabbling over the ‘deal of the century’ to cooperating against the ‘pandemic of the century,’ though bitter political differences continue to cause tensions.

Apr 28, 2020

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Michael Herzog
Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

State of Jurisdiction: The International Criminal Court and the ‘Situation in Palestine’

The question of whether the ICC is able to proceed with cases against Israeli and Palestinian officials may hinge on fuzzy international legal criteria and competing arguments by sympathetic governments.

Apr 24, 2020

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Alexander Loengarov

Brief Analysis

Israel’s Rush to ‘Apply Sovereignty’ in the West Bank: Timing and Potential Consequences

Given the short U.S. election calendar, Netanyahu is adamant about securing approval for unilateral moves in the West Bank by July 1, a timetable that may hold damaging implications for Israeli relations with multiple countries.

Apr 22, 2020

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Benny Gantz Did the Right Thing by Putting His Country First

The Blue-White leader’s former allies have denounced him for caving to Netanyahu, but his conciliatory gesture is a sign of statesmanship, not weakness.

Apr 7, 2020

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

U.S. Policy in the Middle East Amid Great Power Competition

Viewing regional issues through this broader strategic lens will require Washington to accept painful trade-offs and take a tougher stance with difficult allies.

Mar 30, 2020

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Gantz’s Gamble

In the name of Israeli unity, the former Blue-White leader has opted to detonate his bloc and allow Netanyahu to remain in power until next year, with uncertain consequences for domestic politics, West Bank annexations, and other issues.

Mar 27, 2020

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

As Israel’s Kingmaker Gets Off the Fence, Gantz Gets a Boost

Although Benny Gantz’s party lost the head-to-head battle, Avigdor Liberman’s favorable influence on the coalition math has left the general in a stronger position—and taken some diplomatic weight off the Trump administration’s shoulders.

Mar 9, 2020

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Israel’s Electoral Marathon: Coalition Scenarios and Policy Implications

Although another abortive government formation process is possible, the main players could assemble an assortment of coalitions that differ widely in their approach to West Bank annexation and other issues.

Feb 28, 2020

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

The Problem with Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan

The administration seemingly cannot decide if its plan is an opening gambit to trigger a compromise or a fait accompli that precludes one.

Feb 23, 2020

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Trump’s Mideast Plan Represents a Deep Paradigm Shift. What Should Israel Do Next?

The proposal could create a powerful new point of reference for any future Israeli leader, but it must not be adopted as a rigid operative blueprint.

Feb 21, 2020

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Michael Herzog

Articles & Testimony

The Middle East Peace Process: Analysis from a Former Negotiator

An in-depth assessment of how Washington should approach Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy at a time when the strategic foundation for American involvement has deteriorated.

Feb 12, 2020

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

We Need a Corrective to Old Catechisms on Peace. Trump’s Plan Isn’t It

The best ideas in the plan will be delegitimized by its overall failure, because on each count the administration has stretched a laudable principle beyond recognition.

Feb 5, 2020

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Continuity vs. Overreach in the Trump Peace Plan (Part 2): Security, Refugees, and Narratives

By granting Israel much more say over the sovereignty of a future Palestinian state and its ability to absorb refugees, the document may undermine the administration’s ability to build an international coalition behind its policies.

Feb 4, 2020

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Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Continuity vs. Overreach in the Trump Peace Plan (Part 1): Borders and Jerusalem

If the latest U.S. effort winds up backing the Palestinians into a territorial corner from the outset, then Washington may not be able to move the process any closer to direct negotiations.

Feb 4, 2020

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David Makovsky

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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Policy Analysis on Peace Process

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