Skip to main content

Boxed in: Bennett, Abbas can’t win despite ‘goodwill gestures’

Domestic politics are complicating any moves toward better ties, and Hamas is seeking an advantage by stoking resistance.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett looks on during a plenum session on the state budget on Sept. 2, 2021.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett followed through on his promise to US President Joe Biden at their White House meeting on Aug. 27 to improve conditions for the Palestinians and de-escalate political tensions. These goodwill gestures, including $155 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), have so far fallen flat. What are considered compromised or halfway measures have given no political bounces for Bennett and PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who are boxed in by domestic politics.

Gantz meeting with Abbas backfires for Bennett …

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.