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Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

Palestinian Expectations from The Biden Administration

The United States’ (US) foreign policy trend of intervention in the Middle East has long been accepted as a truism in international relations and politics. For decades, the US has demonstrated a

One step forward, one step back: International discourse on advancing Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking

Introduction The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been locked in a stalemate since the 2014 collapse of the US mediation initiative led by then-Secretary of State John Kerry. The relations

The Ministry of Regional Cooperation
and Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking

Among Israel’s many government ministries, one stands out in particular. It is small, its authority is limited, and many doubt its need. But it is tasked with realizing one of Israel’s greatest

Multilateralism is the key to peace

‘It is worth remembering,” Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein wrote five years ago on the 25th anniversary of the Madrid Conference, the multilateral event that launched the Israeli-Arab peace process of

Tsunami of Crime in Israel’s Arab Sector Has People Losing Faith in the Police

‘We have a new generation of young people who do not work or study,’ Arab activist says Ninety-six Israeli Arab citizens, men, women and children, have been murdered since the beginning of 2021.

What lessons does the Trump-Taliban deal hold for Israel, Hamas?

In September 2019, on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Trump and leaders of the Taliban were scheduled to meet at Camp David. The peace summit was scrapped at the

Mahmoud Abbas’s moment of truth: The road to renewed diplomacy traverses Amman and Cairo

The recent meetings between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and the trilateral meeting several days later between Abbas, the King

Israel’s ‘divide and conquer’ Palestinian policy does not serve its interests

Two months have elapsed since the military operation in Gaza, but the situation there remains volatile and dangerous. Negotiations on a return of Israeli prisoners and MIAs are stuck and Gaza’s

The dangerous game of the Jerusalem flag march

Last month’s flag march in Jerusalem drew extensive attention in Israel, the Palestinian arena and the international community. Israeli policymakers were forced to decide whether to allow the

Now that we’re rid of Trump and Bibi, what’s next?

Yes, even left-wing malcontents are sometimes allowed a sigh of relief and sense of pleasure in the return of sanity to our government. But we cannot rest on our laurels because the dramatic

middle east peace

Israel and Palestinians need separation for peace

The recent violent outbreak in the mixed Jewish and Arab cities is a wake-up call for those who chose not to think about the Palestinian issue or those who believed it existed only beyond the

Gabi Ashkenazi should meet with
Palestinian leaders in Ramallah

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi’s May 30 visit to Cairo was an unusual and positive event. For too long, the strategic ties between Israel and Egypt have been conducted mostly by security

There’s no military nor public diplomacy solution

Now that a ceasefire has been reached, we should try to understand why we return to the same futile pattern every time. As in every previous exchange of blows between Israel and Hamas, the

Solving the issue of a divided Jerusalem

 In January 2018, then-president Donald Trump declared that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, his administration “took Jerusalem off the table, so we don’t have to talk about it

Israeli-Palestinian mediation: Welcome back, America

The latest escalation with Gaza illustrates yet again Israel’s vital need for international support to end periodic rounds of fighting with Hamas. As was the case in previous rounds,

No, Jerusalem is not off the table

In January 2018, President Donald Trump declared that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, his administration “took Jerusalem off the table, so we don’t have to talk about it

Thoughts on the Postponement of the Palestinian Elections

When Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian Authority (PA) President in 2005, many regarded him as the harbinger of democracy and full independence for his people. However, a year after his

Assessing Operation Guardian of the Walls: Did it change any opinions?

Historians may agree that it is still too early to evaluate the results of the recent events in Israel and Gaza, but our limited historical perspective might suggest that several Israeli

Greece and Cyprus can play a modest role in advancing
Israeli-Palestinian peace

In March 2021, the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum held its first meeting as a recognized international organization. Delegations from member countries – including Cyprus, Egypt, Greece,

Solution to Violence Must Be Strategic

Every time an exchange of blows begins between Israel and Hamas, we hear advice from politicians and military commentators on what needs to be done in response – to strike, to renew deterrence,

middle east peace

Is the Middle East Quartet still relevant?

 In recent months, following the change of government in the United States, the Middle East Quartet resumed its activities. The Quartet, comprised of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN, was

Tensions in Jerusalem:
Initial Commentaries by Mitvim Institute Experts

The latest events in Jerusalem – at Muslim holy sites, the Damascus Gate and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood – have brought tensions in the city to new heights and affect Israel’s relationship

Morocco and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

By dint of its position in the Arab and Muslim arena, Morocco is strongly committed to the Palestinian issue and the safeguarding of Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites. Throughout its history, Morocco

The UAE and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

The Abraham Accords have stirred a contentious international debate over the UAE’s support for the national aspirations of the Palestinians. The Palestinian leadership views the UAE’s

Greece, Cyprus, and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

For decades, the US operated as the central mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. However, after decades of stalled negotiations, it is likely that future peacemaking efforts will be

middle east peace

Where Do We Go from Here?
The International Discourse on Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been in a prolonged freeze since talks between the sides on a permanent status agreement, promoted by US Secretary of State John Kerry, collapsed in

The Palestinian reconciliation is an opportunity

The Netanyahu government’s approach to maintaining segregation between Hamas and Fatah and between Gaza and the West Bank is detrimental to Israel’s long-term goals, which are Israeli-Palestinian

Changing the Equation: International Incentives
for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

How can the international community advance peace? Leaders and diplomats have pondered this question for years with regard to conflicts and wars around the world. International incentives for

The Two-State Solution Won’t Save Itself, Mr. President

During the last four years of Trump administration, many important words and concepts such as “human rights” or “two-states solution” were effectively omitted completely

middle east peace

ICC investigation is Israel’s wake-up call

The decision of the International Criminal Court in The Hague that it has jurisdiction over the Israeli-Palestinian context arouses a variety of tormenting, yet conflicting, thoughts and

How Biden should handle Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Joe Biden began his term as US president at a time when the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was in a deep and continued stagnation. The Trump administration’s policies on

How did Zionist symbol KKL-JNF become an organization that hurts Israel?

Many of us still remember the blue Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund in which our parents would toss coins in order to “redeem the Land of Israel” and fulfill the Zionist dream. Then,

Between a Rock and a hard place

It seems a just resolution of the Palestinian issue is the minimum that Pakistan will settle for if it is to recognize Israel. Following the series of agreements between Israel, the United Arab

Biden, It’s Time to Promote Israeli-Palestinian Peace

It has been only a few days after President Biden entered the Oval Office until senior officials of his voiced clear statements about the administration’s Israeli-Palestinian policy. Secretary of

Addressing Needs, Promoting Peace: A Proposal for an
International Incentives Package for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

A Policy Paper Based on Deliberations by a Team of Israeli and Palestinian Experts. Edited by Dr. Lior Lehrs, with Moien Odeh, Dr. Nimrod Goren, Huda Abu Arqoub. Incentives are an important tool

Initial Biden Administration Policy Steps to Advance
Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking – Summary

This document summarizes recommendations for initial policy steps that the Biden Administration could take to advance Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. It identifies nine key goals for the new

Initial Biden Administration Policy Steps to Advance
Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking

This document presents recommendations for initial policy steps that the Biden Administration can take to advance Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. It describes the current state of play in the

Promoting Democracy and Peace Will Bring Israel
Closer to the Biden Administration

Israel’s special relationship with the US is a cornerstone in Israel’s foreign policy and national security. In recent years, alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu’s close bond with outgoing

Abraham Accords does not solve Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israel’s newly established relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco are a welcome development signaling a paradigm shift. The working assumption for decades was that

With Mladenov’s Departure, Who Will Prevent the Next War in Gaza?

The next time Israel and Hamas come to blows and need someone to hold them in check, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov will no longer be there to help

What are Trump’s last Israel policy moves before he leaves?

The Trump administration is taking advantage of the transition period to advance several final policy moves pertaining to Israel. These include the visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the

Biden could generate momentum for Israeli-Palestinian peace

An article by Dr. Nimrod Goren for the Middle East Institute

Biden’s victory, Erekat’s death teach valuable lessons for peace camp

Nadav Tamir on Jpost

Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies: An Annual Assessment, November 2020

The Mitvim Institute presented its annual assessment of Israel’s regional foreign policies at its fourth annual conference on October 28, 2020. The conference was held in cooperation with the

middle east peace

The turning point for normalization was in 1993, not 2020

Prof. Elie Podeh on Jpost

Normalizations with Israel bring new challenge for Palestinians

Dr. Ido Zelkovitz on Jpost

Photo: Yossi Zamir

A win-win approach for Israelis, Palestinians is a two-state solution

Nadav Tamir on The Jerusalem Post

The Palestinian Issue as Ground and Ceiling for Arab-Israeli Cooperation

A new research by Thair Abu Ras

The 2020 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute

The 2020 Israeli Foreign Policy Index

To recognize or not to recognize: EU recognition of Palestine

Op-ed by Dr. Lior Lehrs

Trends in Israel’s Regional Foreign Policies, January – June 2020

Issue 5

Who Decided Trump Was Good for Israel?

July 2020

The 2013 Israeli Foreign Policy Index

Findings of a Mitvim Poll on Israel’s Foreign Policy, November 2013 The majority of the Israeli public believes Israel’s foreign policy is more reactive than proactive and that it is not

Why Israel Should Avoid Annexation

July 2020

It Is Time for the Arab League to Act Against Annexation

July 2020

The 2017 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute

The annual public opinion of the Mitvim Institute on Israel’s foreign policy was conducted, for the fifth consecutive year in mid-September 2017. It was carried out by the Rafi Smith Institute,

Europe’s Initial Reactions to Israel’s Annexation Intentions

US President Donald Trump’s plan for resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, presented in January 2020, was perceived in Jerusalem as a green light to annexation of some 30 percent

The 2018 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute

The sixth annual public opinion poll of the Mitvim Institute on Israel’s foreign policy was conducted in September 2018. It was carried out by the Rafi Smith Institute and in cooperation with

The 2019 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute

The 2019 Israeli Foreign Policy Index

2019-2020

 US Policies towards Israel and the Middle East is a monthly publication of the Mitvim Institute, currently written by Amb. (Ret.) Barukh Binah. The publication covers issues related to US-Israel

Avoiding a small annexation will not prevent the larger occupation

Israel’s mythic foreign minister, Abba Eban, once quipped that “history teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” His insight presumed that

Israel and the US: Is the Special Relationship Still Special?

What would a change in the US administration in January 2021 bode for Israel? Does the symbiosis in the relationship between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu attest to a historic high in

Now Is the Time for an Israeli Diplomatic Initiative, Not Annexation

Israel has always had trouble effectively formulating a diplomatic initiative that balances its given (and favorable) strategic-diplomatic circumstances with its long-term national interests. Now

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

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

Challenges and Opportunities for Gaza: A Mediterranean Perspective

The Gaza Strip constitutes a unique point of convergence of regional politics, a military and political conflict, a humanitarian crisis, international legal issues, environmental and energy

Beyond the Trump Plan: How Can the International Community Advance Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking?

Trump’s vision for Israeli-Palestinian peace was supposed to be the ultimate gift to Binyamin Netanyahu’s electoral campaign rather than the ultimate deal for Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Role of Economy in US Efforts to Promote Israeli-Arab Peacemaking

The Trump Peace Plan follows a familiar American pattern of using economic tools to promote regional peace in the Middle East. This paper puts the recent plan in its appropriate context. More

The Diplomatic Potential in Developing Gaza’s Offshore Gas Field

Israel, Hamas and Egypt have long been debating whether to move ahead with an arrangement on Gaza and how to do so. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has to a large extent been excluded from this

Israel, the EU and Annexation Intentions

Israel has been increasingly critical of the EU in recent days, as multiple European leaders are voicing their opposition to a possible Israeli annexation in the West Bank. The Israeli response

Seven reasons for not annexing West Bank territories

In its coalition agreement with the Likud, the Blue and White Party under the leadership of Benny Gantz has given a seal of approval to annexing parts of Judea and Samaria. According to the

Now is the time for the EU to put all of Hezbollah on its terror list

It happened at last. Germany finally announced on Thursday it has designated Lebanese Hezbollah a terror organization, banning all of its activities in the nation. Germany – and other European

This Day of Independence, We Are in Danger of Risking the Zionist Dream

The corona crisis is sidelining the true threat to the Zionist vision of a democratic homeland to the Jewish People. The threat is the legitimization of annexation which is included in the

Israeli annexation talks threaten ties with Arab world

The issue of possible Israeli land annexation in the West Bank has become an endless source of spin for Israeli politicians. The hard-line right-wing Yamina party is accusing the right-wing Likud

The Diplomatic Potential in Developing Gaza’s Offshore Gas Field

Israel, Hamas and Egypt have long been debating whether to move ahead with an arrangement on Gaza and how to do so. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has to a large extent been excluded from this

The Solution to Gaza is a Diplomatic One

So, what do we do about Gaza? Every new round of violence generates a marathon of media interviews with the usual suspects mouthing the usual platitudes – Israel must rehabilitate its deterrence,

No preelection gifts from Arab leaders to Benjamin Netanyahu

At the annual Munich Security Conference in mid-February, the most important event of its kind – to which Israel did not bother send a single senior representative this year, Saudi Arabian

A new type of peace in the Middle East

With Washington trying once again to randomly sketch new Middle East maps, intellectuals, politicians and Arab journalists are dreaming of a fundamental change in attitudes and true normalization

Moving on from Trump’s plan for the Middle East

Trump’s vision for Israeli-Palestinian peace was supposed to be the ultimate gift for Netanyahu’s electoral campaign, rather than the ultimate deal for Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution.

הארץ

Peace-Spoilers or Negotiation Partners? Netanyahu’s Understandings with Hamas

How should Israel relate to Hamas? How directly should it engage with an organization whose rule over Gaza makes it a key player in any negotiations towards an end to the Palestinian-Israel

Israel Needs a Real Peace Plan

As someone who has dealt with Israel-US relations for almost his entire career, it is clear to me how important American leadership is for us to reach an agreement with the Palestinians. The US

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

הארץ

The Trump Peace Plan: Not Even an Opportunity

It is a special event when a peace plan for the resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict commissioned by an American president is launched. But true to President Donald Trump’s record, his peace

Sorry, Jared, This Time It’s Not the Palestinians Who Have ‘Screwed Up,’ It’s You

Prof. Elie Podeh, January 2020

The international community should say no to the Trump plan

President Donald Trump’s Israel-Palestinian blueprint is neither a peace plan nor “best for Israel” (as some in Israel have claimed). On the contrary, it reportedly runs counter to previous

Recommendations for restarting Israel-Jordan relations

Some 25 years after the historic peace agreement between Israel and Jordan was signed the time has come to restart the strategic relationship between the states and fuse the written words with

Ten trends in Israel’s regional foreign policies July-December 2019

Every six months, the Mitvim Institute maps key trends in Israel’s regional foreign policies, based on the institute’s monthly reports that monitor ongoing developments. From July through

Academia is also turning its back on peace

Tel Aviv University has decided to close its Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research. Two reasons led to the closure, according to the university and the donor family: the fact that the subject

The PA’s shrinking space for freedom of expression

At the beginning of Mahmoud Abbas’s presidency, many in the international community placed their hopes in him, seeing him as a leader who could build a pluralistic Palestinian society. But that

When Israelis and Palestinians Meet at the European Parliament

Less than a month before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Brussels, we – a group of young Israelis and Palestinians – arrived at the European Parliament for a second meeting of the

Meeting with China’s Special envoy to the Middle East

Meeting with China's Special envoy to the Middle East, December 2019

International Responses to Annexation: Lessons for Israel from Other Conflicts

Over the last decade, Israel has accelerated a long-term process of annexation in the West Bank through legal, political, physical and rhetorical steps that are both explicit, and increasingly

The Palestinian Foreign Service at a Time of Diplomatic Freeze

The annual commemoration of the UN’s vote on 29 November 1947 for the partition plan provides an opportunity for the Palestinian Foreign Service and the Palestinian President to shine a global

The Quality of Israel’s Peace with Jordan is Dependent on the Israeli-Palestinian Issue

The question of the affinity between the Israeli-Palestinian track and the Israeli-Arab track is a contentious issue in Israeli public discourse. Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly claims that

When Israel Smiled at the World, the World Smiled Back

“In the last decade of the twentieth century, atlases, history and geography books no longer present an up-to-date picture of the world. Walls of enmity have fallen, borders have disappeared,

The Importance of Ties between Palestinian Citizens of Israel and Diaspora Jewry: A View from Britain

Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, who feel their political representatives cannot achieve significant change for them on domestic issues, find it hard to believe that their voice could be

Israeli Election Analysis: Netanyahu’s Dominant Grip is Coming to an End

While the Israeli elections results do not yet provide clarity regarding the identity of the next prime minister or the composition of the next government, they do indicate that Netanyahu’s

The Resignation of Jason Greenblatt, the Peace Envoy Who Did Not Broker

President Trump’s Middle East envoy Greenblatt was very different from his predecessors. While leading US mediators and envoys were generally experienced in diplomacy and foreign policy, as well

הארץ

The Israeli Elections and the Global Competition between the Liberal and Non-Liberal Camps

The giant posters adorning the Likud party’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, showing party leader and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and

House Demolitions in Sur Baher: Out of Jerusalem, Inside the Fence

The route of the Separation Fence/Wall/Barrier in the area of Jerusalem generally follows the city’s municipal boundaries, separating East Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighborhoods from the West

The US became a Dishonest Broker between Israel and the Palestinians

Jason Greenblatt, US special envoy, said in a recent interview, “There has never been an honest mediator for this conflict. The mindset of a so-called honest mediator never existed and will never

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11 Tuval St.Ramat Gan, Israel 5252226 | info@mitvim.org.il

 

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    Mitvim - The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies

    11 Tuval St. Ramat Gan, Israel

     5252226

    info@mitvim.org.il