David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.
Articles & Testimony
Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Because the issue of U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority has become intertwined with the upcoming Palestinian bid for United Nations membership, I feel it is necessary to address these two issues together. I would like to say, from the outset, that I do not support the Palestinian appeal to the UN. This measure would only be appropriate if Israel was unwilling to directly negotiate an end to this ongoing, tragic conflict. Israel, however, has repeatedly called for such direct talks. I will return shortly to the question of whether it is possible to avoid a political confrontation at the United Nations. If not, the question then becomes whether its possible on-the-ground implications are containable, or whether it will lead to violence.
The Palestinian leadership's UN approach is wrong-headed and contrary to longstanding Palestinian commitments. Should the Palestinians follow through with it, there should be a price to pay in their relations with Washington. That said, I am not convinced that a reflexive decision to cut off assistance to the Palestinians is the best possible response. Rather, in considering future aid levels for the Palestinians, we should consider the totality of the effect of that aid...
