The Palestinians: Overview, Aid, and U.S. Policy Issues
Abstract
The Palestinians are an Arab people whose origins are in present-day Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Their ongoing disputes and interactions with Israel raise significant issues for U.S. policy (see "U.S. Policy Issues and Aid" below). After a serious rupture in U.S.-Palestinian relations during the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration has reengaged with the Palestinian people and their leaders in the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), and resumed some aid - with hopes of preserving the viability of a negotiated two-state solution. The Palestinians aspire to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, near-term prospects for diplomatic progress toward Israeli-Palestinian peace reportedly remain dim. Palestinian leaders lamented some Arab states normalization of relations with Israel near the end of the Trump Administration because it could undermine past Arab efforts to link such improvements with addressing Palestinian negotiating demands. Palestinian domestic politics are dominated by two factions. Fatah, an Arab nationalist faction, is the driving force within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which represents Palestinians internationally. The Sunni Islamist group Hamas (a U.S.-designated terrorist organization) has not accepted PLO recognition of Israel and constitutes the main opposition to Fatah. Since 2007, the United States and other Western countries have generally sought to bolster the Fatah-led PA vis-a-vis Hamas.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 18, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1174972
Entities
People
- Jeremy M. Sharp
- Jim Zanotti
Organizations
- Congressional Research Service