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Palestinian-Israeli Direct Talks: The Case for a Regional Approach

(Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) Marwan Muasher - The history of Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking has shown that incrementalism a la Oslo has exhausted its possibilities. The Israeli public is skeptical of continuing to offer what it believes to be open-ended compromises without a clear picture of the end result, and doubt that their Arab partners can deliver on their commitments. The requirements for a separate peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis are no longer attainable and are unattractive to the public on either side. It is difficult for the Israelis to accept painful compromises on their part in return for peace with "half of the Palestinians." The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, is unable to make painful compromises (for example, on the refugee or Jerusalem issues) without Arab cover. Given the shortcomings of the incremental approach in the Palestinian-Israeli arena, efforts should focus on a comprehensive accord between Israel and the entire Arab world. The writer, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment, served as foreign minister (2002-2004) and deputy prime minister (2004-2005) of Jordan.
2010-08-27 08:17:47
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