Mohamad Bazzi argues that regardless of whether the United States and Israel like it, Hamas represents a majority in Gaza.

Max Boot argues, "Israel had no obligation to allow the ships to reach Gaza, but surely there was a smarter way to stop them."

Israel's response to a humanitarian aid flotilla off Gaza marked another setback for U.S.-Turkish relations and could complicate the latest U.S.-brokered Mideast peace talks, says CFR's Steven Cook.

Leslie H. Gelb says that while Israeli commandos mishandled the situation on the aid flotilla, Israel was right to storm a ship bound for Gaza.

The"proximity talks" being conducted between Israelis and Palestinians probably won't lead to a final status agreement, say CFR experts Elliot Abrams and Steven A. Cook, but they could lead to the framework for a Palestinian state on the West Bank.

Walter Russell Mead examines "a new round of great power rivalry" involving the Palestinian Authority.

Walter Russell Mead discusses the "proximity talks" in Jerusalem.

While the time isn't ripe for an Obama administration peace plan, the White House should try to reignite proximity talks and possibly work to develop terms of reference and a structure for future final status talks, says CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Elliott Abrams argues that fifteen months of President Obama's diplomacy have undermined Palestinian autonomy and the willingness of Palestinian leaders to allow Arab states to determine their fate.

Richard N. Haass warns, "The danger of exaggerating the benefits of solving the Palestinian conflict is that doing so runs the risk of distorting American foreign policy."

In light of recent controversy surrounding the expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, international fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Ehud Yaari, and Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs Gideon Rose discuss the future of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

While the Obama administration has rejected any notion of a U.S.-Israel crisis, the announcement of plans to build sixteen hundred new housing units in East Jerusalem during Vice President Joseph Biden's recent trip to Israel has stirred considerable debate about whether the announcement was a snub, whether the U.S. overreacted, and how to move forward.

An Israeli announcement of more housing construction in East Jerusalem became the focus of Vice President Biden's Middle East trip, but CFR's Jacob Walles thinks the "proximity talks" starting next week are a practical, low-risk way to restart negotiations.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden, in the Middle East to build support for revived Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, issued a strong denouncement of Israeli plans to build another sixteen hundred housing units in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a Palestinian state. Commentators included those writing about the bad timing and substance of Israel's announcement; others speculated about Israel's stance on Iran and the readiness of both sides for real compromise.

Rather than pursuing a final-status deal now, Israel and the Palestinian Authority should agree to establish a Palestinian state within temporary armistice boundaries.

In this The Guardian op-ed, Aluf Benn talks about the discrepancy between how Israelis view their country and how it is viewed from the outside, offering an explanation for why American efforts to resume the Israeli-Palestinian talks fail to interest Israelis.

Congress is interested in issues related to Middle East peace because of its oversight role in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, its support for Israel, and keen constituent interest. It is especially concerned about U.S. financial and other commitments to the parties, and the 111th Congress is engaged in these matters. Congress also has endorsed Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, although U.S. Administrations have consistently maintained that the fate of the city is the subject of final status negotiations.

As the United States plans to spur Mideast peace efforts, CFR expert Elliott Abrams says progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will come through development and building a legal system in the West Bank, not negotiations when the conditions aren't ripe.

Explanations for the lack of progress in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians fail to acknowledge one fact: the Palestinians’ repeated rejection of increasingly attractive Israeli offers, write Elliott Abrams and Michael Singh. The reason behind this lies in demographics, evolving regional dynamics, political realities and increasingly asymmetric means of warfare--all of which are tilting the Palestinian people away from a two-state solution with Israel.

Steven Cook asks if Palestinian leadership is going to use violence against Israel as a means to strengthen domestic support and gain a political advantage.