2010 saw the longest ever effort (21 months) to resume Israel-Palestinian peace talks followed by the shortest ever talks (30 days). Finding little hope in continuing with the status quo process, the Palestinian leadership intends to take their case to the United Nations in September. With that as a backdrop, the New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force is pleased to host a delegation of Palestinian business and civil society leaders who will look at the diplomatic, political, and legal aspects involved with the U.N. move.

The move coincides with the end deadline of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s 2-year building of the institutions of future statehood. Can Palestine now be considered ‘state-ready’? On the legal front, what are the ramifications of the Palestinian move for the international community, for the U.S., and for Israel? Politically and diplomatically, what do Palestinians envision for the day after a resolution at the U.N.? What do they hope to achieve?

Highlights from this September 2011 discussion are available above, while audio and video recordings of the full event can be accessed at right.