Will the US Attempt to Renew the Political Process?

INSS Insight No. 651

Will the United States Attempt to Renew the Political Process after the Israeli Elections?

by Zaki Shalom, Ben-Gurion University and INSS

After the Israeli elections, the US administration might intensify its efforts to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Moreover, despite President Obama’s image as a lame duck, the fact that he is nearing the end of his second term in office may actually stir him to expend greater energy to promote an Israeli-Palestinian political settlement, in part through increasing pressure on Israel to soften its positions.

Furthermore, it is not inconceivable that when he brings the weight of his office to bear on the Israeli government to renew talks with the Palestinians, the administration will make use of the “political tsunami” Israel has experienced over the last few months. It is possible that some members of the US administration estimate that the post-election Israeli government will thus be more flexible both on the notion of renewing the talks and on mutually agreeable understandings with the Palestinians, if only to prevent heightened tension with the United States.

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