Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1 to 9 of about 9
A new U.S. approach should prioritize protecting the rights and human security of Palestinians and Israelis over maintaining a peace process and attempting short-term fixes.
International aid from other donors, despite recent U.S. policy changes, can help bolster Palestinian resiliency, even if the short-term prospects for a lasting political solution are dim.
A new generation of grassroots activists is shifting the focus from the goal of Palestinian statehood to the pursuit of new tactics to resist the Israeli occupation.
In both the West Bank and Gaza, a soft authoritarianism that has provoked uprisings elsewhere has only been further entrenching itself.
In both the West Bank and Gaza, security sector rebuilding and restructuring occurs without democratic governance and a constitutional order, which threatens not only the region's long-term security but also the ability to achieve Palestinian statehood.
A two-state solution requires reconciliation between Palestinian factions and reunification of the West Bank and Gaza. The United States should support Palestinian institution building and be open to political competition, including elections.
The bulk of development security sector aid in Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen has consisted of military training and equipment. The West should adopt a comprehensive approach to aid where security reform is only one part of a broader reform strategy.
For the EU to be an effective player in the Middle East, it should seek an efficient division of labor with the United States and pursue greater political engagement in the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Lebanon.
Criticism of the PA’s growing authoritarianism gave birth to a “paper Palestine,” in which citizens have rights of free speech and assembly; independent judiciary adjudicates disputes; leaders are selected in elections overseen by an independent electoral commission; and a representative assembly monitors the executive. Yet the institutions that would ensure democracy are missing or lagging.