On May 26, 2026, the Israeli military conducted operations in the West Bank, intensifying international debate over the region's future. While Israel maintains its actions are necessary for defense, critics argue the heavy-handed approach is actively undermining any path toward a lasting resolution.
Speaking on The Ezra Klein Show, historian Yuval Noah Harari offered a blunt assessment of the strategy, arguing that while the conflict continues in Gaza, "in the West Bank, there is no security justification for that." He emphasized that the local population "did not attack Israel on the seventh of October," making the aggressive military posture difficult to defend on purely strategic grounds.
According to Harari, the current policy only serves to alienate potential partners and reduce the likelihood of a diplomatic breakthrough. He warned that "by its actions, Israel is making the, the chances that there will be a peaceful agreement with, with the Palestinians is decreasing." While acknowledging that Israel "cannot force the Palestinians to make peace against their will," he insisted that the government could still "take many actions that will make this more likely, easier" if it chose to pivot its strategy.
As tensions persist, the international community continues to watch whether Israel will shift toward these de-escalatory measures or maintain its security operations in the West Bank, leaving the prospects for a lasting peace highly uncertain.