With an extensive background in direct and equity investments, David Colin Burke leads Selby Lane LLC as its chairman and CEO. Possessing a JD and an MA in international relations from the University of Virginia, David Colin Burke maintains an abiding interest in international relations and serves on the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP).
A recent article by a CEIP scholar brought focus to the possibilities and challenges associated with the announcements by a pair of Arab Gulf states, the UAE and, more recently, Bahrain, that they would be normalizing relations with Israel. What is unique about these agreements, brokered by President Trump, is that they did not involve a resolution of the Palestinian question, which centers on withdrawal from occupied territories.
The public narrative presented is one in which normalization can serve as a positive force in moving toward an eventual withdrawal, though this is not guaranteed. Whether normalization can truly happen without a commitment by Israel not to annex Palestinian territories is a profound question that remains unanswered.
According to the scholar’s article, a true “people-to-people normalization” that brings cultural ties to the forefront is unlikely to occur unless Israel makes more profound commitments. He gives as an example the past Egyptian and Jordanian peace accords, which did not change fundamental attitudes as much as some had hoped.
A recent article by a CEIP scholar brought focus to the possibilities and challenges associated with the announcements by a pair of Arab Gulf states, the UAE and, more recently, Bahrain, that they would be normalizing relations with Israel. What is unique about these agreements, brokered by President Trump, is that they did not involve a resolution of the Palestinian question, which centers on withdrawal from occupied territories.
The public narrative presented is one in which normalization can serve as a positive force in moving toward an eventual withdrawal, though this is not guaranteed. Whether normalization can truly happen without a commitment by Israel not to annex Palestinian territories is a profound question that remains unanswered.
According to the scholar’s article, a true “people-to-people normalization” that brings cultural ties to the forefront is unlikely to occur unless Israel makes more profound commitments. He gives as an example the past Egyptian and Jordanian peace accords, which did not change fundamental attitudes as much as some had hoped.
