Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Israel is a long-standing ally of the United States in an increasingly unstable Middle East. It remains one of only two democracies in the region, with a powerful military, and a vibrant, sometimes fractious society that has struggled for decades to reach accommodations with its neighbors.

Israel is a long-standing ally of the United States in an increasingly unstable Middle East. It remains one of only two democracies in the region, with a powerful military, and a vibrant, sometimes fractious society that has struggled for decades to reach accommodations with its neighbors.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies supports a strong relationship with Israel, and a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which the Palestinians demonstrably renounce violence, and Israel withdraws from occupied territories.

FDD vice president of research Jonathan Schanzer focuses on the machinery of peacemaking. Author of Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine, the definitive book on the Palestinian internecine conflict that erupted in the wake of the legislative elections of 2006, Schanzer has spent much of his time since monitoring the political developments between Israel, the Palestinian factions, and the international community.

FDD scholars also focus on the impact of Israel’s policies toward its allies and adversaries, from its blockade of Gaza to its relations with Washington.