In the Middle East, peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians have dragged on for decades. But actual peace has remained elusive, and the prospects for any kind of meaningful deal at this time look pretty bleak.
The Trump administration has made a final peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians a high priority. President Trump has placed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is one of his closest advisers, in charge of pursuing a peace deal—a choice that reflects the importance he seems to attach to the issue. And it may be possible to relaunch talks with the help of some key Arab countries. But as a former State Department Middle East peace negotiator, I know that the challenges lie not in Washington but with the Israelis and Palestinians and in the region at large.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presides over a very tough-minded government that’s not inclined to compromise with Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is unpopular and he doesn’t even control all Palestinian territory: Abbas’s party governs the West Bank, but Hamas, which the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist group, is the dominant force in Gaza. And Abbas and Netanyahu remain far apart in their positions on key issues. A skillful mediator might bridge gaps, but not when they’re as wide as the Grand Canyon.