Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, From Balfour to Trump

In an exciting new book, “Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, From Balfour to Trump,” Brookings Nonresident Fellow Khaled Elgindy takes a historical view of America’s engagement with the Palestinians and Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. He argues that while the United States has often presented itself as an honest broker and the one power best suited to mediate peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Washington’s ability to serve as an effective peace broker has been hampered by a “blind spot” in two critical areas: Israeli power and Palestinian politics. The Trump administration’s policies, such as moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, are only the most extreme manifestations of this age-old, American blind spot, Elgindy writes.

On Wednesday, April 24, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings hosted the launch of “Blind Spot”, which featured a discussion with the author. Laura Rozen, the diplomatic correspondent for Al-Monitor, moderated the conversation. Following the discussion, panelists answered questions from the audience.