The Israeli-Palestinian “peace process,” focused on the future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, has continued for almost three decades. But it is more of a carousel - lots of movement but no direction - than a process of moving the state of affairs in a particular direction. Ian Lustick will explain why the carousel continues when no one involved really believes a negotiated two-state solution is possible. In this view, whether the White House is occupied by a president named Bush, Clinton, Obama, or Trump makes no substantial difference for Israeli-Palestinian peace. He will also explain what to look for to know that real change is happening. Lustick is a world-renowned expert on Middle Eastern politics. His present research focuses on the demise of states and the implications of the disappearance of the option of a negotiated “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

If you have any questions about the event, please e-mail Julian Shendelman at juliansh@upenn.edu.