The Kerry Rounds are part of a chronology of attempts at American peace brokering between the PA and Israel. The preliminary talks in D.C come after a three year hiatus caused by dispute over Israeli settlement projects in 2010 when the Obama administration attempted its first try at negotiations. Prior to this, the Road Map by George W. Bush suggested the establishment of security before a final settlement. This entailed an emphasis on building a robust Palestinian security forces to guarantee Israeli security. Today, the Palestinian security sector receives more than 41% of the total PA budget. Other noteworthy chapters in the peace process saga include the 2007 Annapolis, and Bill Clinton’s contention with the 2000 Camp David summit. Most importantly, the genesis of the peace talks, the infamous 1993 Oslo Accords were observed as a breaking point as it was the first time that the PLO and the Israeli government held direct public talks. It was quickly shattered by the killing of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Yigal Amir, a religious radical. Given the crescendo of failure of U.S. mediations over the years, what elements are worthy of optimism (if any) this time around with the Kerry Rounds?
The following analysis offers a local, regional and global landscape of key issues and actors in regards to the new rounds of the American brokered peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority under the Kerry Talks. It first contextualises the Kerry rounds in a rapidly changing Arab world and a growing transnational advocacy campaign for Palestinian rights. This is followed by an overview of current calamities within the Palestinian political sphere as well as the intensification of Israeli land grab and security coordination in the Occupied Palestinian Territority. By connecting the realities on the ground with the power dynamics at the negotation table, the analysis posits that until the power dynamics are left unchallenged and unchanged at the negotiation table, it is unlikely to expect anything but a grim future from these peace talks.
