The Palestinian Issue Comes Back to the Fore: Mideast Briefing

For years, Middle East headlines have been dominated by Gulf Arab nations formalizing ties with Israel. There’s been talk of business, trade, investment. It’s no longer unusual to hear Hebrew spoken in Dubai’s malls or see Israeli ministers at glitzy events.

The allure of a Middle East free of conflict and focused on prosperity was intoxicating. And it was all too tempting to reach for it while leaving unresolved the issue of Palestine, whose quest for statehood shaped war and peace in the region for decades.