Daniel Shapiro is a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv and former U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Articles & Testimony
Skillful U.S. and Arab diplomacy could use normalization and the accompanying annexation freeze as a base for renewed momentum toward an eventual two-state solution.
Some observers seem to assume that the recent agreement to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE means the end of efforts to achieve a reasonable, two-state outcome to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Some Israelis may hope that improving relations with Arab states would obviate the need for further negotiations with the Palestinians. Yet the Palestinians are not going anywhere, and the reality is that Israel cannot retain its core character as both a Jewish and democratic state if it ignores the Palestinian issue. Fortunately, those who still seek a two-state solution have no cause for despair...