Martin Indyk said he believes the next president of the United States has to heed advice from Albert Einstein.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

After his time as the U.S. Middle East peace envoy, Indyk, who is now executive vice president of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., realized this insanity was exactly how he and the U.S. were treating the endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Multiple U.S. presidents have tried using similar methods over and over again, with the same predictable results, he said.

Indyk appeared somewhat defeated by his attempts at solving this long-standing conflict during his Wednesday lecture in Syracuse University’s Eggers Hall. The lecture was hosted by LIME: An Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue Group at SU.

Indyk became sarcastic when talking about the prospects of presidential candidates Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton solving the issue, which both candidates have promised to do.

Over his long career, Indyk has become one of the most respected diplomats in the U.S.’s arsenal. He served as two-time ambassador to Israel, and was individually chosen by President Barack Obama to lead the latest attempt at a solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Needless to say, his attempt at peace did not work out how he had planned.

During his lecture, Indyk explained how domestic politics are deterring both the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators from a peaceful resolution.

On the Palestinian side, the long-standing government in the West Bank — the Palestinian Authority — has lost its legitimacy due to the election of Hamas in Gaza.

In Israel, recent events have culminated in the election of a far-right government that is hostile to negotiation. Indyk cites Obama for failing to calm Israeli fears, which led to the public’s embrace of the right.

While a two-state solution is controversial in Israel and Palestine, Indyk said he believes there is an international consensus in support of this possible solution. He said a United Nations Security Council resolution outlining the parameters of a two-state solution is the best chance at expediting the stalled peace process. He faulted the lack of this “rule-book” for the failure of recent negotiations.

Along with discussing Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Indyk exposed some important Middle Eastern geopolitical trends that have gone under the radar.

The first is a stark increase in strategic cooperation between Israel and the governments of Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.

The common threats from Iran, Hezbollah, Islamic extremism and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime are all serving to drive these former foes together, and Indyk said their relations are at an all-time high.

Their cooperation, based around the sense of a common enemy, can also explain the increasing support the Israeli security forces are lending to the Palestinian Authority’s police, Indyk said. He added that this coordination is driven by a resolve, on both sides, to avoid Syrian-type chaos. This cooperation is a crucial link between the opposing sides, which Indyk said will lead to an increasingly stable situation.

Looking forward, Indyk said, in order for the next president to achieve greater stability in the Middle East, certain issues must be a priority. These issues include defeating the Islamic State, containing Iran’s hegemonic ambitions, removing Assad and reconnecting with the U.S.’ traditional allies in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

But unless a drastic shift occurs, Indyk said he thinks the chance for peace between Israel and Palestine in the near future is slim.

Published on April 13, 2016 at 11:04 pm

Contact Matt: msilverm@syr.edu