Future Arab-Israeli Negotiations

     When dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is important to keep in mind an idea presented by Dr. Joel Peters  - that there are two types of conflict present within the Arab-Israeli conflict.

1. Interstate conflict between Israel and Arab States
2. Inter-communal conflict between two groups of peoples

     As a result, the plans for negotations must be prepared to deal with the two aspects as well.

1. To deal with the first conflict, a two-state solution should be pursued

• This gives both states independence
• Negotiations need to deal with border issues, citizenship issues, and refugee issues

    2.   To deal with the second conflict, the city of Jerusalem needs to be made its own entity - separate of any state.

• Jerusalem will become a city where no religion has more control than any other
• Neither is Jerusalem to be controlled by any one state

   In order to do both of these, the negotiations need to be secret and open.  By this I mean to propose a process like the one President Wilson found to work after World War I.  President Wilson realized that the important fact was that the areement - and not so much the process of arriving at it - was open.  Both parties need to agree to negotiations without loopholes.  Naomi Chazan wrote in her article and talked in class about the ridiculousness of Israel requiring that Palestine recognize it as a Jewish state before accepting any negotiations.  Pre-requisites of recognition should not be a part of these negotiations.  Finally, all negotiations should be entered with the goal of finding the best solution for each party involved - the solution that will best end the conflict.