Peace Process

Policy Analysis on Peace Process

Toward a New Paradigm for Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Like many of his predecessors, President Trump has come to office pledging to solve the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In this paper, two veteran U.S. peace negotiators point out the repeated failure of past efforts to reach "all-or-nothing" solutions to this conflict, urge the president not to seek a comprehensive settlement

Jan 30, 2017

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David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Jordan's King Abdullah Visits Trump's Washington

Because the proposed Israeli embassy move is a potential headache for the palace, it will no doubt be high on the king's agenda, but U.S. officials should be prepared to offer assurances on other pressing security and economic concerns as well.

Jan 30, 2017

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

What Trump Would Gain From Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

It is a mistake to focus solely on the potential costs of such a move, however real and substantial they may be, when the potential benefits are real and substantial too.

Jan 25, 2017

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

The Way Forward on Settlements: Advice for Trump From Two Veteran Mideast Negotiators

Only a new U.S. policy that accepts some settlements while rejecting others would practically maintain the viability of two states in the future.

Jan 23, 2017

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem:

From Campaign Promise to Policy Challenge

If President Trump decides to honor his commitment to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he should move quickly to consult with Israel, assess and prepare responses for potential security challenges, and engage key regional and international partners in the context of a broader adjustment

Jan 17, 2017

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Tempering Expectations for the Paris Conference

The meeting's main outcomes will probably disappoint ardent supporters and detractors alike, but the parties should not dismiss the potential progress offered by its more modest, concrete recommendations.

Jan 13, 2017

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Ghaith al-Omari

Articles & Testimony

Here's What Plan B in the Middle East Should Look Like

The Trump administration should take a new approach to the conflict, refining U.S. policy toward Israeli settlements and more actively promoting peaceful coexistence until meaningful negotiations become feasible again.

Jan 12, 2017

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Stuart Eizenstat
Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Commercial Diplomacy in the Middle East

In addition to boosting the economic prospects of individual countries, the QIZ arrangements between Egypt, Israel, and the United States show how trade can be used as a powerful catalyst for multilateral cooperation on other fronts.

Jan 11, 2017

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Haisam Hassanein

Articles & Testimony

How Israel Catches Lone Wolves

The successful campaign to curb the latest 'eruption' of attacks has relied on technology, smart policing, and cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.

Jan 10, 2017

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Ehud Yaari

President Donald Trump meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Can Trump Overcome Obama's Israel Failure?

The new administration must restore intimacy and common purpose to the bilateral partnership.

Jan 3, 2017

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Kerry's Speech: Some Continuity, Some Disconnect

The secretary's latest remarks beg the question: at a time when Israelis and Palestinians are clearly unable to strike a grand deal, why not put ideology aside, jettison the administration's all-or-nothing approach, and lay out more modest parameters on settlements, incitement, and other concrete issues?

Dec 29, 2016

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Israel's Amona Compromise May Bolster the Settler Movement

The generous relocation deal and proposed outpost legalization bill have drawn fire for appeasing settlers, who seem to believe that the Trump administration will give them even more leverage to expand their presence in the West Bank.

Dec 28, 2016

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Mitchel Hochberg

Brief Analysis

Early Implications of the UN Settlements Resolution

The legal consequences of UNSCR 2334 may be significant, while the impact on U.S.-Israeli relations and future peacemaking efforts could be profound.

Dec 27, 2016

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

President Obama Has Been Against Israel Settlements Since Taking Office

Making the concept of Israeli-Palestinian land swaps harder to implement is probably not the legacy President Obama wants, yet it may be one he has just made more likely.

Dec 23, 2016

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

The United States Just Made Middle East Peace Harder

Peace in the Middle East will not be accomplished through a UN vote, but rather through the renewal of U.S. leadership in the region and the rebuilding of trust with America's partners there.

Dec 23, 2016

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Elliott Abrams
Michael Singh

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

Maintaining Relationships Behind Closed Doors

Although Egypt's security, diplomatic, and economic cooperation with Israel continues to improve, the optics of such rapprochement remain a political liability for President Sisi.

Dec 15, 2016

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

How Trump Could Surprise the World on Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking

Reconciling Israeli security with Palestinian sovereignty will likely require a fresh U.S. approach, so the incoming administration would be wise to heed certain lessons from past failures.

Nov 30, 2016

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Fatah's General Conference: Clarifying Succession and Managing Dissent

After numerous postponements, the upcoming conference could inject energy into the aging movement and stabilize its ranks, but not if the internal elections exclude large constituencies or come across as rigged.

Nov 28, 2016

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Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Israel's Brewing Settlements Law Could Stir Problems in Washington

Although the Israeli political tussle over settlement outposts may have no real domestic legal impact in the end, it could spur President Obama to take UN action during his last days in office.

Nov 17, 2016

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David Makovsky

Video

Brief Analysis

A New President and the Middle East

How will the election's outcome shape the direction of U.S. Middle East policy, and how do America's friends in the region view the prospect of a new administration? Read or watch a conversation between leading Middle Eastern journalists and U.S. policy experts.

Nov 15, 2016

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Jamal Khashoggi
Jumana Ghunaimat
David Horovitz
Norman Ornstein
Dennis Ross

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

Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations

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Policy Analysis on Peace Process

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