Analyst Says Israelis and Palestinians Must 'Reboot' Relations to Avoid Perpetual War

A leading Middle East analyst has argued that Israelis and Palestinians need to fundamentally reset their relationship, warning that the absence of a credible diplomatic path risks locking the region into a state of perpetual war.

Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, made the case in a discussion with France 24's Mark Owen, questioning whether Israel can continue to define its long-term future primarily through security operations and territorial control.

Mekelberg challenged the notion that military action, incursions into Palestinian territory, and continued settlement expansion can amount to a sustainable political objective on their own, arguing that security-focused policies cannot substitute for a genuine political process.

He pointed to a potential transition beyond the era of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a moment that could open space to reconsider the broader relationship between Israeli and Palestinian societies, suggesting that shifts in political leadership can create opportunities to revisit entrenched positions.

Central to his argument is a warning that continuing military conflict without a defined political endgame carries the risk of establishing a state of perpetual conflict, in which violence persists without any mechanism for a durable resolution.

The discussion adds to a broader debate among Middle East analysts and policymakers over how the international community, regional powers, and the parties themselves might chart a path away from cyclical violence and toward a negotiated settlement.