U.S. pres. Donald Trump continues working on a largely undefined peace initiative with little success. Violence in the Old City of Jerusalem interrupts U.S. diplomatic efforts and the Israeli govt. imposes new security measures at Haram al-Sharif. These restrictions spark a wave of unrest across the occupied Palestinian territories and a Muslim boycott of the sanctuary, testing the nascent U.S. initiative. Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas increases pressure on Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza to the PA.
Palestinians continue a diplomatic offensive in anticipation of the 9/2011 target for de facto statehood; Israel launches a counteroffensive; Fatah and Hamas sign a unity agreement; the U.S. vetoes a UNSC resolution on Israeli settlements (Obama’s first veto); ongoing Obama-Netanyahu tensions over the stalled peace process, with each weighing the launch of new initiatives; Richard Goldstone “reconsiders” conclusions of the UN’s “Goldstone Report” on Operation Cast Lead; U.S. special envoy George Mitchell resigns; Palestinian refugees stage a “March to Palestine” to commemorate the Nakba; new Israeli legislation targets Israeli Palestinians and the Israeli Left; U.S. universities charged with tolerating anti-Semitism under Title VI; ongoing antigovernment protests and government crackdowns regionwide (the Arab Spring), including the spiraling events in Syria of particular importance for the Palestinian-Israeli situation.