In a recent discussion on France 24, Mark Owen welcomed Yossi Mekelberg, a Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, to examine the trajectory of Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Mekelberg challenged the prevailing assumption that Israel can sustainably define its future through security measures, territorial control, and settlement expansion. He argued that military incursions and operations cannot serve as a viable long-term political strategy.
Instead, Mekelberg identified the potential transition beyond the current Netanyahu government as a critical window for rethinking the dynamic between Israeli and Palestinian societies. His central contention is that continuing war without a definitive political resolution risks locking both sides into a state of perpetual conflict.
The article skips over Palestinian agency entirely. A real reboot requires their full participation, not just Israeli policy shifts.
Optimistic, but naive. The current administration has every incentive to prolong the conflict for political survival.
History shows every attempt at a ‘reboot’ fails without binding international guarantees. Hard to see how this time is different.
But what happens if they don’t reboot? Are we prepared for the alternative to this vacuum?
Finally, someone admitting that bombs don’t build peace. The military solution is a dead end.