The following is a summary of the 34th session of the Congressional Study Group on Foreign Relations and National Security, a program for congressional staff focused on critically engaging the legal and policy factors that define the role that Congress plays in various aspects of U.S. foreign relations and national security policy.
On March 14, 2024, the Congressional Study Group on Foreign Relations and National Security convened virtually to discuss legal barriers to U.S. engagement with the Palestinian Authority and related entities. Discussions about a possible end to the conflict in Gaza and what would come next had come to center on who would govern Gaza in Hamas’s stead. One of the more widely discussed possibilities—and the one reportedly favored by the United States—was a Gaza governed by a reformed Palestinian Authority (or some successor entity) with substantial backing and support by other states in the region as well as the broader international community. But serious U.S. engagement with Palestinian governing institutions would be complicated by a complex set of longstanding and frequently evolving legal barriers, which could undermine U.S. efforts to play a meaningful role in post-conflict Gaza governance.
The study group was joined by two outside experts for the session:
- Joel Braunold, managing director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace; and
- Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP).
A full synopsis of this session is forthcoming.
Visit the Congressional Study Group on Foreign Relations and National Security landing page to access notes and information on other sessions.
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