November 2021 marked 30 years since the Madrid Peace Conference, the culmination of diplomacy catalyzed by President George H. W. Bush and Secretary James A. Baker, III, announcing that “the time has come to put an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.” What in 1991 was a motivating force for that multilateral effort — the destabilizing impacts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — appeared in 2021 to be less central to regional politics, amid evolving Middle East relations and international focus on other, more pressing matters of national and regional security.
But while regional relations have changed, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists amid trends that bode ill for its resolution, suggesting a challenging road ahead for the interests of all stakeholders. In this context, the once-dominant two-state discourse — an ultimate outgrowth of the Madrid peace talks — is being increasingly challenged as new approaches around the fate and future of the conflict and continued occupation are debated.
At this event, a panel of experts reflected on the future of Madrid’s unfinished business in the shadow of triumphs and failed efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Introductory remarks were delivered by Baker Institute Director Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian and Lise Grande, president and CEO of the U.S. Institute of Peace.
This event was co-sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for the Middle East and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Follow @BakerInstitute on Twitter, and join the conversation with #BakerMiddleEast.
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Agenda
9:00 am |
Welcome RemarksThe Honorable Edward P. Djerejian Lise Grande |
9:10 am |
Opening Framing: Eroding Possibilities and the Non-Static Status QuoModerated by: His Excellency Hesham Youssef, Senior Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace; Former Ambassador of Egypt Khaled Elgindy Limor Yehuda, Ph.D. |
9:45 am |
First Responses: Madrid's Lessons for the New Landscape of Israeli-Palestinian PeacemakingModerated by: Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Director, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Program, U.S. Institute of Peace Samih Al-Abid, Ph.D. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D. The Honorable Daniel C. Kurtzer Gilead Sher |
10:15 am |
Audience Q&AModerated by: Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Director, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Program, U.S. Institute of Peace |