one ongoing obstacle to peace

  The United Nations Security Council held a special session entitled "Illegal Israeli Settlements: One ongoing obstacle to peace and the Two-State Solution."  The countries of Malaysia, Venezuela, Egypt, Angola, and Senegal requested the meeting using the Arria Formula clause which allows Security Council members to call for debates on subjects of specific interest. 

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be characterized in many ways. Clearly, it has historic aspects, territorial, and for many, ideological aspects, as well as religious sources. For some, the conflict combines all of these, contributing in one form or another over the years to psychological aspects. Many factors have kept the conflict alive and prevented solutions. Yet there are also factors that could bring about a resolution relatively satisfactory for both sides.1 Such a solution, which is indeed possible, is genuine sovereignty for each people, in a two-state solution. This commentary will outline the obstacles to such a solution, as they have appeared over the past decades, but it will also highlight some of the efforts and proposals that have brought the two sides close to success.

The Middle East has long been of central importance to the United States as successive administrations pursued a broad set of interrelated goals including securing vital energy resources, staving off Soviet and Iranian influence, ensuring the survival and security of Israel and Arab allies, countering terrorism, promoting democracy, and reducing refugee flows. Correspondingly, the United States has sought to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been a major driver of regional dynamics, with an eye toward obtaining these strategic objectives while balancing its support for Israel and pushing for broader regional stability. At the same time, the dispute has been a core concern of the American Jewish community and Christian Evangelicals, both strong supporters of Israel.