Peace Process

Policy Analysis on Peace Process

Police walk past the Palestinian Legislative Council in Ramallah

Will the Palestinian Election Decree Produce Actual Elections?

Even if Fatah and Hamas somehow get past the same towering political obstacles that derailed past decrees, elections hold little prospect of reconciling their deeply entrenched leaders and institutions anytime soon.

Jan 27, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari

Articles & Testimony

Are There Pieces of Trump’s Foreign Policy Worth Keeping?

Although the instinct to make dramatic changes is understandable and sometimes correct, certain elements of Trump policy provide good opportunities for furthering Arab-Israel engagement, pressuring Iran, and advancing other issues.

Jan 27, 2021

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Dennis Ross
Juan Zarate

Map of Israeli bilateral relationships with Arab states

In-Depth Reports

Building Bridges for Peace:

U.S. Policy Toward Arab States, Palestinians, and Israel

The Biden administration can succeed by strengthening and expanding Israeli normalization with Arab states and pursuing gradualism on the Palestinian issue.

Jan 26, 2021

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David Makovsky

◆ Transition 2021

Brief Analysis

What Did the Confirmation Hearings Reveal About Biden’s Middle East Policy?

Antony Blinken, Avril Haines, and Lloyd Austin responded at length to congressional questions about the Iran nuclear deal, the Yemen war, Arab-Israel normalization, and other pressing regional issues.

Jan 22, 2021

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Ilari Papa

Articles & Testimony

Biden Should Build on the Abraham Accords, Not Roll Them Back

Party leaders are providing constructive input, but the administration should stop short of any measures that risk sabotaging this moment of historic progress in Arab-Israel relations.

Jan 14, 2021

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Jay Solomon

Video

Brief Analysis

America, the Middle East, and the World: A Conversation with Tony Blair

The former Prime Minister discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the Biden administration twenty years after 9/11 and a decade after the Arab Spring.

January 11, 2021

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Tony Blair

Brief Analysis

Israel’s Political Churn Continues: Implications for Netanyahu and U.S. Policy

Internal rifts and defections have upended the prime minister’s coalition, and the dynamics of the upcoming election campaign mean that Netanyahu will need to carefully avoid tensions with the Biden administration.

Dec 23, 2020

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Saudi-Israeli Diplomacy Progresses Amid Looming Middle East Challenges

The reported meeting between the crown prince and Netanyahu will likely shift normalization into the fast lane, but much can happen to slow, stop, or even reverse it.

Nov 24, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

Israeli President: Biden Should Help 'Build Confidence' Between Israelis, Palestinians

Watch video or read a transcript of President Rivlin's post-election interview with the executive director of The Washington Institute, along with remarks by King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Nov 23, 2020

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Reuven Rivlin
Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Saeb Erekat: The Friend, the Negotiator and the Politician

Remembering the late Palestinian official's long institutional memory and wide-ranging role in decades of peace diplomacy.

Nov 11, 2020

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

On Israel-Palestine, Biden Is Not Just Another Version of Obama

A veteran Israeli official explains how the next administration will differ from its predecessors and why immediate consultations between Biden and Netanyahu’s teams are crucial.

Nov 9, 2020

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Michael Herzog

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

America Votes, the Middle East Reacts: Views on U.S. Elections from Across the Region

Experts from the Gulf, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel respond to the initial voting results and discuss factors that may help or hinder the next administration.

Nov 9, 2020

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Abdulrahman al-Rashed
Mohamed Anwar E. al-Sadat
Asli Aydintasbas
David Horovitz

Brief Analysis

Israel Expands West Bank Settler Units: Where Demography Meets Geography

Given how attuned Netanyahu’s government is to political vicissitudes in Washington, the U.S. election results will likely determine whether Israel continues its trend of approving more construction outside the security barrier.

Oct 30, 2020

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David Makovsky
Basia Rosenbaum
David Patkin

Articles & Testimony

Yitzhak Rabin Was Always a Realist. How Would He Have Handled the 2020 Mideast?

For starters, he would have used the new ties with Gulf states as a bridge to the Palestinians, not a bypass road.

Oct 28, 2020

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

The Sudan Agreement: Implications of Another Arab-Israel Milestone

The latest deal shows how firm U.S. pressure, quiet contacts with Israel, and domestic political breakthroughs can help Arab governments advance normalization even in the face of popular opposition and past military conflict.

Oct 26, 2020

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Ehud Yaari

Articles & Testimony

Bandar Speaks Out: The Changing Landscape in the Mideast

Palestinian leaders previously never had to acknowledge their mistakes or account for missed opportunities, preventing them from learning critical lessons and adjusting their behavior.

Oct 19, 2020

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Risks of the Palestinian Authority’s Outreach to Qatar and Turkey

Recent gestures, which have included reconciliation talks with Hamas, could strengthen the PA’s Gaza-based rival, further strain relations with its traditional Arab allies, and spur elections with destabilizing results.

Oct 13, 2020

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Ghaith al-Omari

Video

Brief Analysis

Arabs Taking Risks for Peace: Stories from the Frontlines of People-to-People Contact with Israelis

Courageous Arab civic actors discuss the enormous hurdles they have faced in engaging with Israelis and supporting broader social and legislative normalization.

Oct 8, 2020

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Ismail Sayyid Ahmad
Sukina Meshekhis
Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed
Mohamed Al-Hammadi
Joseph Braude

Articles & Testimony

UAE-Israel Peace Is Revealing the Middle East’s Faultlines

Much of the commentary surrounding the deal has focused on what it portends for the Palestinian issue and other Israeli relationships, but it may say just as much about the four rival factions that have crystallized in the region since 2011.

Sep 26, 2020

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Sarah Feuer

Brief Analysis

How to Balance Competing Priorities with an F-35 Sale to the UAE

The sale offers strategic opportunities at a time of pivoting U.S. policy, and the concerns raised in Washington and abroad can be addressed through deliberate technical limitations, financing restrictions, offsetting benefits for Israel, and other measures.

Sep 23, 2020

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Christine McVann

Supported by the

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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Featured experts

Ghaith al-Omari

Ghaith al-Omari is a 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 a 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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