Time to revive the diplomatic track

Since the 50 days of conflict between Israel and Hamas over the summer some signs have emerged of a desire to energize the diplomatic track. The new government of Sweden has promised to recognize the state of Palestine and the British parliament voted 274-12 to approve a non-binding but widely noted motion to do the same.

These are mere gestures without a concrete plan of action. But there is a plan. The Egyptian leader, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, told a Gaza donors conference in mid-October that it was time to revive the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. ‘We should turn this moment into a real starting point to achieve a peace that secures stability and renders the dream of coexistence a reality.’