Quartet on the Middle East
The Quartet on the Middle East or Middle East Quartet, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or Madrid Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international and supranational entities involved in mediating the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. The Quartet comprises the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia. The group was established in Madrid in 2002, recalling the Madrid Conference of 1991, as a result of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
"The Quartet" redirects here. For other uses, see Quartet (disambiguation).History
The initiative to establish the Quartet emerged in response to the Second Intifada, which began in September 2000. This period saw numerous unsuccessful attempts at implementing a cease-fire. On October 25, 2001, representatives from the European Union, the United Nations, the United States, and the Russian government met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. During this meeting, they collectively endorsed Arafat's approach towards implementing cease-fire and security reforms within the Palestinian Authority.[1]
In April 2002, during the Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas, the same four entities convened in Madrid. They reiterated their call for the implementation of previously brokered cease-fire agreements by the U.S. government. Additionally, they agreed to transform their cooperation into a permanent forum dedicated to overseeing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.[2]
In 2002, the Quartet established the Office of the Quartet in East Jerusalem. This office was tasked with taking "tangible steps on the ground to advance the Palestinian economy and preserve the possibility of a two-state solution".[3] Kito de Boer led the Office from January 2015 to June 2017, succeeding Tony Blair.[4][5] The head of the Office is responsible for promoting the Quartet's strategies on Palestinian economic and institutional empowerment, focusing on areas such as the rule of law and economic development, as well as movement and access.[6] As of August 2020, John N. Clarke is the head of the Office.[7]
On March 23, 2021, the Quartet discussed reviving "meaningful negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians. The focus was on both parties refraining from unilateral actions that would hinder the realization of a two-state solution.[8][9]
Criticism and shortcomings
Despite the significance officially attached to the Quartet's part in promoting the peace process, many of its statements are merely repetition of previous statements and no significant changes in policy by either the Israeli government or the Palestinian Authority have occurred resulting from a Quartet meeting.[31]
The Quartet has been fiercely criticized for its ineffectiveness. When Tony Blair held the function of Quartet representative, in December 2012, Palestinian officials said that "Tony Blair shouldn't take it personally, but he should pack up his desk at the Office of the Quartet Representative in Jerusalem and go home. They said his job, and the body he represents, are ′useless, useless, useless'".[32]
The Center for Middle East Policy said in February 2012 that "The Quartet has little to show for its decade-long involvement in the peace process. ... Having spent most of the last three years in a state of near paralysis, and having failed to dissuade the Palestinians from seeking UN membership and recognition in September 2011, the Quartet has finally reached the limits of its utility. ... The current mechanism is too outdated, dysfunctional, and discredited to be reformed. Instead of undertaking another vain attempt to 'reactivate' the Quartet, the United States, the European Union, United Nations, and Russia should simply allow the existing mechanism to go quietly into the night".[32]