---
title: "The Middle East Has Thrown in the Towel on Making Peace with Israel"
description: "New polls from across the Middle East show a deep pessimism on the possibility of a non-violent, two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians."
date: "2014-06-27"
authors:
  - name: "No Author"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2014/06/27/the-middle-east-has-thrown-in-the-towel-on-making-peace-with-israel/"
---

# The Middle East Has Thrown in the Towel on Making Peace with Israel

*By Bruce Stokes, Director of Global Economic Programs, Pew Research Center*

*Special to [Foreign Policy](http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/06/27/middle_east_peace_is_not_possible_pew)*

Remember the Middle East peace process and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's ultimately unsuccessful shuttle diplomacy to restart meaningful Israeli-Palestinian negotiations? In the wake of recent developments in Ukraine and Iraq such ambitions seem so much yesterday's news. The recent creation of a Palestinian "unity" government has made it even less likely that the talks will be resumed anytime soon. And now Martin Indyk, the Obama administration's special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, has resigned in frustration with the absence of any likelihood of meaningful progress in the foreseeable future.

Such failures have consequences. In the wake of the breakdown in the initiative, people in the region have little faith that a way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully with each other.

Read more at [*Foreign Policy*](http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/06/27/middle_east_peace_is_not_possible_pew)