Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s veteran Middle East editor, has dropped a grim assessment. His verdict: the Trump-Netanyahu partnership is steering the region toward a 'permacrisis'. The phrase itself is a warning. It suggests a conflict without end, a cycle of violence that no one can break.
Bowen is not a sensationalist. He has reported from Gaza, Beirut, and Baghdad for decades. He knows the taste of tear gas and the sound of airstrikes. So when he speaks, the foreign office listens. Or they should.
His analysis is blunt. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, his green light on settlements, and his withdrawal from the Iran deal have dismantled the old diplomatic architecture. Netanyahu, emboldened, has shifted right. The two-state solution? Bowen calls it a corpse. The peace process is dead. What remains is a vacuum, waiting to be filled by extremists.
The Whitehall chatter this morning is telling. One senior source described Bowen’s piece as 'a bucket of cold water'. Another admitted the UK has been 'caught napping'. The special relationship with Washington has been strained. May’s government has tried to balance support for Israel with a commitment to Palestinian rights. But Bowen argues that this balancing act is no longer possible.
Now the question is: can the UK act as a bridge? The foreign office has a history of quiet diplomacy. But quiet diplomacy in a shouting match may not be heard. There is talk of a new push for a peace conference. But without US buy-in, it is dead on arrival.
The backbenches are restless. Labour’s shadow foreign office has already pounced, accusing the government of 'complicity in chaos'. Tory remainers are uneasy. The Brexiteers are silent, focused on trade deals. But this is bigger than Brexit. This is about stability on Europe’s doorstep.
Bowen’s phrase 'permacrisis' will enter the lexicon. It will be used in select committees, in diplomatic cables, in late-night Westminster bars. The challenge for the UK is to prove it still has a role. The region is on a knife’s edge. One miscalculation, one attack, one retaliation, and the slide into permacrisis becomes irreversible.
Today’s news is a warning. Not a prophecy. But warnings exist to be heeded. The clock is ticking.
