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The Middle East Studies Center held a seminar entitled "Israeli- Palestinian Confrontation 2021: Strategic Dimensions," which aims to monitor the strategic dimensions of the results of the confrontation politically, militarily, socially, intellectually, and at multiple levels: Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, and international. The seminar highlighted the postconfrontation opportunities for Palestinians and Arabs, as well as to find out the emerging paths and tools necessary for Palestinians and Arabs to manage the conflict, to change its equations in favor of achieving the goals of the Palestinians through ending the Israeli occupation and the return of Palestinian refugees. Fifteen researchers, academics, and strategic experts from Algeria, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, and the United Kingdom participated. The seminar was divided into two sessions. The first session addressed the strategic dimensions of confrontation. The second has studied strategic opportunities to the post-confrontation. This report projects the outcome of the papers of researchers and experts and the participants' discussions, and it is divided into six main parts. At the Israeli level, the seminar concluded that the recent confrontation had reflected a significant and central strategic challenge to Israel. Participants noted that the current fight had affected the political weight and overall national value of Hamas behavior and thinking at the Palestinian level. It demonstrated the unity of the Palestinian people and restored their compass to the Palestinians in Israel and their suffering of discrimination. The confrontation contributed to the vision, based on the suspicion that real Israeli power revived the spirit of resistance for the Arab peoples, especially for the new Arab generation. Moreover, it strengthened the Palestinian-Muslim Arab voice in Western Israeli-aligned capitals. Concerning strategic opportunities for the Palestinian people beyond confrontation; participants noted that adopting the strategy as a demonstration instead of a negotiation approach, and ending the division, in addition to deepening the building of a global solidarity movement with the Palestinians, will be the most critical political opportunities offered by this confrontation. In discussing the strategic opportunities for the Arab world to manage the conflict with Israel, participants summarized the most prominent. It included leaving the box of peace agreements, not necessarily by formally abolishing them, but by effectively eliminating their effects, supporting the unity of the Palestinian people and their struggle, and establishing a fund to support Palestine in every Arab State. Concerning the paths and tools necessary to counteract the Israeli occupation at the Palestinian level, the participants stressed the need to create a new Palestinian strategic vision for managing the conflict and confrontation. Furthermore, at the Arab and international levels, the fight results must be invested to enhance the status of the Palestinian cause and develop relations with Arab and Islamic States, particularly Jordan. The aim is to agree on a shared vision in defense of Jerusalem and counter Israeli policy of transfer and any other alternative homeland projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Tuesday 13 October 2020, the MESC organized its annual scholarly symposium titled Impacts of Shifts in Arab-Israeli Relations on Arab Security and Palestinian Cause. The event was joined by about 30 experts, academics and politicians from 5 Arab states. Seven papers were presented on the current developments in the Arab-Israeli ties, especially in the period 2015-2020, and their impacts on the Arab security and the Palestinian cause. The gathering highlighted supporting the Arab countries against the US pressure to normalize relations with the Hebrew State and adopting a stronger Arab position in regional and international forums. On the other hand, it is warned that the normalization steps pave the way for Arab political, economic and security segments which go in line with Israel. That would cause threats to the Arab states in terms of further internal problems and divides. The final statement contained a set of conclusions and recommendations made by the participants, mainly: 1. Working hard on refuting the sayings some attempt to consolidate that normalizing relations with Israel is the way to solve the Arab countries’ internal issues 2. Highlighting the Palestinian internal reform and ending the divide, which would prevent any relevant justifications 3. Asserting support to resistance as a legal right for the Palestinian people under occupation 4. Calling for the institutionalization of the scattered Arab efforts to back the Palestinian cause and counter the Deal of the Century in all its forms 5. The MESC’s call to extract the main thoughts of the symposium to set a new pan-Arab strategy in handling the conflict with Israel and deliver it to Arab public and official decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]