On this episode of “Occupied Thoughts”  FMEP non-resident fellow Peter Beinart is joined by Ghaith al-Omari and Neri Zilber to discuss the end of PA security cooperation with Israel — including examination of what that cooperation has accomplished, how it has evolved over the years, and what are the context for and implications of the PA ending that cooperation now. Gaith and Neri are co-authors of the report, “State with No Army, Army with No State Evolution of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces, 1994–2018.”

Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow in The Washington Institute’s Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship, is the former executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. He served as advisor to the negotiating team during the 1999–2001 permanent-status talks in addition to holding various other positions within the Palestinian Authority.

Neri Zilber is a journalist and analyst on Middle East politics and culture and an adjunct fellow of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He is a regular contributor to The Daily Beast, Foreign Policy, and Politico Magazine, and his work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, The Atlantic, New Republic, and Foreign Affairs, among other outlets.  He is the co-author of State with No Army, Army with No State: Evolution of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces 1994-2018, and the contributing author on Israel’s social protest demonstrations for The Occupy Handbook, a chronicle of the global “Occupy” movement.  Neri holds a bachelor’s degree from the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University and a master’s degree from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London.

Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributor to The Atlantic, a Senior Columnist at The Forward, and a CNN Political Commentator.