The MED This Week newsletter provides informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions and reliable foresight on future scenarios. Today, we shed light on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trip to the US and the Beijing reconciliation agreement among Palestinian factions.
Amid political turmoil in the US, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visits Washington, marking his first trip outside of Israel since October 7. The visit, intended to strengthen ties with Israel’s closest ally, features meetings with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and former President Trump, along with a congressional speech already delivered yesterday that received some ambivalent reactions. Netanyahu seeks also to rehabilitate his image and reinforce the narrative he has been building around the fight against Hamas in Gaza. Indeed, while the Prime Minister still enjoys the support of his government, he is also widely criticised both internationally and domestically for his handling of the war in Gaza and the failure to secure a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. In fact, US-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas have yet to yield results. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, another significant but different mediation effort has taken place in China, resulting in a joint declaration between Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, aimed at ending intra-Palestinian divisions and forming a post-war national unity government in Gaza. Nonetheless, the implementation of this agreement will still have to face many challenges.
Experts from the ISPI network discuss Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trip to the US and the Beijing reconciliation agreement among Palestinian factions.
