By: Col Emad Elganzory, EGY Army, CSAG CCJ5
25 June 2021
Introduction:
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been described as the mother of all issues in the Middle East. It is one of the most protracted and potentially dangerous conflicts in the world. After more than seven decades, resolving the conflict remains a distant dream. It has caused wars, bloodshed, chaos, and destabilization in the region. Indeed, the impact of the conflict is not limited to the region, almost the whole world bears the brunt of it. This Palestinian issue has become a symbol and a root cause of extremism and anti-Western sentiments and its colonial history between countries of the world in general and between Arabs and Muslims in particular. Moreover, the Palestinian issue is being exploited in conflicts and rivalries between various major and regional powers, from extremist groups to great power competitors. Based on the above, peace between the Palestinians and Israel is multidimensional, therefore the entire international community has to bring an end to this conflict.
Key Points:
- Normalization between some Arab countries and Israel cannot replace a comprehensive peace between the Palestinians and Israel.
- A comprehensive peace between the Palestinians and Israel is still important to the US and its allies in the region, especially Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
- The Palestinian cause is being exploited within the framework of Great Power Competition by China and Russia.
- Iran uses the Palestinian cause to expand its influence in the Middle East and undermine the influence of the US and its allies.
- The Palestinian cause can be analyzed through a counter-terrorism lens.
The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of a number of international officers within the Combined Strategic Analysis Group (CSAG) and do not necessarily reflect the views of United States Central Command, not of the nations represented within the CSAG or any other governmental agency.