The situation in Israel and Palestine - including continued Israeli military presence in the West Bank and Gaza and the absence of a Palestinian state, dim future prospects for Palestinian youth and Israel’s ongoing security concerns - remains a source of instability in both the region and for the world. The human costs of conflict remain high and continued failure to progress on a viable solution risks closing down options for a peaceful solution. Demographic trends, with significantly higher growth among the Palestinian population than the Israeli, will produce additional pressure. Without a two-state solution, Israel may soon be faced with a less than majority Jewish state, which was the basis of its foundation.

This tense situation fuels broader grievances in the Arab world. Iran continues to deny Israel’s right to exist, as well as the historical reality of the Holocaust. Other Arab leaders are politically constrained from engagement with Israel because of the ongoing conflict. Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan continue to hold, but are far from friendly, and government to government acceptance has not been reflected in the general populace. It is clear that Israelis living is peace with their Palestinian neighbors is a prerequisite for broader regional stability.

Strong majorities in both Palestine and Israel support peace. But more aggressive minorities on both sides continue to make the tough political decisions extremely difficult. The U.S. remains an indispensable player in the process, a key ally of Israel in its efforts to ensure secure independence, yet also acknowledged by the Palestinians as critical to driving toward and maintaining peace. Among all players, public support and the political space for making the difficult choices needed for peace is key.

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Grants
The Skoll Global Threats Fund has made grants of $750,000 to J Street to support its efforts to elevate the voices of moderates in pushing for a peaceful negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.