Palestinian Issue and Israel in the Post Arab Uprisings Regional (Dis)Order

Zeynep Koc | 22 August 2016 | AR

Hugh Lovatt Zeynep Koc 22 August 2016

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Expert Brief / / Regional Security, Regional Order, Regional Politics

Abstract: The regional (dis)order brought about as a result of the tectonic shifts set in motion by the Arab Uprisings have afforded Israel a number of opportunities to advance a process of backdoor normalization with the Arab world. An Arab-Israeli rapprochement centered on a number of files of common interest is likely to remain a facet of the geopolitical landscape for the foreseeable future. This process however does not mark Israel’s acceptance into the Middle East nor the full normalization of ties. Israel tries to render the Palestinian issue irrelevant for normalization in the face of rising opportunities of strategic cooperation with the Arab states. However, Israel’s unresolved conflict with the Palestinians will still remain a salient issue that will continues to constrain their developing relations.

About the Author:

Hugh Lovatt

Hugh Lovatt is the Israel/Palestine Project Coordinator for ECFR's Middle East and North Africa Programme. Prior to this, he worked as a researcher for International Crisis Group and as a Schuman Fellow in the European Parliament focusing on Middle-East policy. He also worked for the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations as an Arabic translator, specialising in Muslim cultures and Islamic law

About the Author:

Zeynep Koc

Zeynep Koç is a research fellow at Al Sharq Forum, and she currently leads the research on the US - Middle East Relations and the political economy of regional integration at the Forum. Prior to joining Al Sharq, she was a Dr. Herchel Smith fellow at the University of Cambridge conducting Economic and Anthropological research about the MENA region. Zeynep has an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge and a B.A. from Williams College in Economics and Arabic Studies.