The UN’s Call for a Global Ceasefire: Can It Help Advance Israeli-Palestinian Peace?

Summary of an online conference of Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies and The Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 17 May 2020. In March 2020, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued an appeal for a global ceasefire. “There should be one fight in our world today, our shared battle against COVID-19,” he said. In the weeks that followed, leaders, organizations and citizens  from different countries have voiced their support for a global ceasefire. In some conflicts around the world, there were signs of reduced escalation and increased humanitarian cooperation. Israelis and Palestinians have also stepped up their cooperation these days, as both sides work to confront the health crisis and its domestic implications. However, the current political climate poses obstacles for additional progress. Statements about an upcoming Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories raise the likelihood of escalation over the coming months. In light of this background, the conference introduced the UN’s call for a global ceasefire, explored the impact it has made so far on international conflicts, assessed its relevance to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and discussed ways to increase Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and to advance peace. This document sums up the main points presented by H.E. Nickolay Mladenov, Richard Gowan, Dr. Lior Lehrs, Dr. Yael Berda, Huda Abuarquob, Prof. Dan Midownik and Dr. Nimrod Goren.  

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European Responses to an Israeli Annexation in the West Bank: From Statements to Actions?

On 30 June 2020, Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, The Israeli Association for the Study of European Integration (IASEI) and Friedrich-EbertStiftung conducted an online conference on “European Responses to an Israeli Annexation in the West Bank: From Statements to Actions?”, featuring Israeli and European politicians and experts. The conference focused on possible political, economic, and legal responses, and this document summarizes its key points.    

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The Trump Plan: Not the Way to Advance Israeli-Palestinian Peace

Following the publication of the Trump plan, Mitvim Institute experts argue that this is not the way to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace. This document includes initial commentaries by Nadav Tamir, who claims that Israel needs a real peace plan; Dr. Nimrod Goren, who calls on the international community to say “no” to the Trump plan; Dr. Lior Lehrs, who explains that on the Jerusalem issue, Trump shatters the status quo and previous understandings; Yonatan Touval, who argues that Trump takes problematic diplomatic practices of his predecessors to the extreme; Prof. Elie Podeh, who contends that the Trump plan is not even an opportunity for peace; Former MK Ksenia Svetlova, who warns that the Trump plan might endanger Israel’s warming ties with Arab countries; Dr. Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, who claims that while the EU remains committed to the two-state solution, it struggles to respond to the Trump plan; Merav Kahana-Dagan, who identifies an opportunity to bring the Palestinian issue back to the forefront; Amb. (ret.) Barukh Binah, who calls on Israeli leaders to seek diplomatic, not only security, advice; and Dr. Roee Kibrik, who thinks that Israelis should decide what type of country they want to live in. Israel Needs a Real Peace Plan Former Diplomat Nadav Tamir, Board Member at the Mitvim Institute The Trump plan contradicts Israel’s interests, distances the two-state solution and was published at a problematic political timing. Therefore, it is likely to bring more damage than benefit. A two-state solution is an existential Israeli interest and is required

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