Conference Summaries
/ The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
Almost 14 years after it was first unveiled, the Arab Peace Initiative (API) still has the potential to serve as a key incentive in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is true despite the fact that Israel has yet to respond to the initiative. The Arab League has reaffirmed the API time and again, the Quartet often meets with the leaders of Arab states in order to promote it, the US Secretary of State and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs emphasize its importance, and, according to the Mitvim Institute’s most recent polling, the Israeli public sees the prospects of normal relations with the Arab world as the most effective incentive to promoting peace. And yet, since the API was adopted by the Arab League in 2002, significant changes have occurred in the Middle East, which cast doubts about the initiative’s relevancy in today’s regional reality. In light of this reality, 25 experts from across academia and policy gathered to discuss ways in which the API can be made a more effective regional incentive for peace. The discussion revolved around issues relating to public awareness to the API, its attractiveness as an incentive, and its feasibility for implementation. This document summarizes the discussion’s main points. It does not reflect a consensus of the participants or the views of the host organizations.
