Abstract
This article presents the case for arbitrating the territorial dispute over the West Bank between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After nearly two decades of intense intermediary activity but with still no signs of progress, and against the inability of the parties themselves to move towards reconciliation, the article argues that as a method of conflict resolution, mediation has exhausted its primary objective - namely the establishing of direct channels of communication between the disputants - and it is now time to examine alternative methods to conflict resolution. The article debunks the myths surrounding the success of American mediation in the conflict, and uses the historical case of the Taba arbitration between Israel and Egypt to demonstrate under what terms the arbitration of the West Bank dispute might be presented, while taking into consideration its advantages and drawbacks compared with the more established method of mediation in this conflict.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 117-129 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | International Politics |
Volume | 49 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 23 Dec 2011 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |
Keywords
- mediation
- arbitration
- Obama administration
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Political Science and International Relations