BICOM

Despite reasonable scepticism at the resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the chances for a successful negotiation process could be better this time round.

There are leaders on both sides in stable political positions, each with teams of experienced negotiators. Hamas and Hezbollah are on the back foot, and Arab regional players have given their backing. The EU and Britain need to help ensure that making a deal is better than the alternatives for both sets of leaders.

In the last fifteen years there have been three attempts to broker what is known as a “final status agreement.” To get Israeli and Palestinian leaders to sign the same piece of paper in nine months’ time, two sets of hurdles need to be cleared. The first is the nitty gritty of bridging significant gaps on issues that are both complicated and emotive: borders, Jerusalem, refugees and security arrangements.

Read this article in full at Prospect.