Since the current Israeli government was established in December 2022, Israeli-Palestinian escalation has seemed inevitable. The far-right composition of the coalition, its initial actions, and the early statements made by key members all indicated things were heading in a negative direction.
In the months that followed, despite some international efforts toward de-escalation, tensions steadily mounted: In March-April, during the month of Ramadan and its overlap with Passover, violence erupted in Jerusalem; in May, there was a new round of fighting between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip; and in July, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a major military operation in Jenin, the largest in two decades.
The trend is clear and if it continues unchecked, a wider and more significant Israeli-Palestinian flare up, which has been avoided thus far, might eventually happen. Given the worrying trajectory, the United States should be more involved in Israeli-Palestinian relations. In recent months, U.S. efforts have focused mostly on preventing escalation and condemning negative actions and statements, rather than advancing peace or creating a political horizon that can catalyze diplomatic advancements.
The U.S. should revive the regional security summits it convened in February and March, in Jordan and Egypt, as a channel for “minilateral” preventative diplomacy and dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian officials. The U.S. should ensure that the two sides fulfill the commitments they made at the summits, that agreed-upon follow-up meetings take place, and that the mechanisms defined in the Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh joint communiques — on security and economic issues — be set up and implemented. Despite the prevailing skepticism toward this process, the mere establishment of such a channel for dialogue is an accomplishment, and one worth trying to build on.
Source : MEI