Suchergebnisse

FIERCE IN ITS INTENSITY, THE ARAB-ISRAEL CONFLICT HAS NOW RESISTED RESOLUTION FOR MORE THAN THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AND, INDEED, HAS EXPLODED INTO LARGE-SCALE WAR SIX TIMES. TO THOSE OUTSIDE THE ARENA OF CONFRONTATION, THE FAILURE TO ATTENUATE THE CONFLICT IS AS PUZZLING AS THE SOLUTIONS ARE OBVIOUS. IT GENERALLY TAKES NO MORE THAN A FEW MOMENTS FOR 'ARMCHAIR CARTOGRAPHERS' TO REDRAW THE MAP OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND SPECIFY THE COMPONENTS OF SETTLEMENT: MUTUAL AND SIMULTANEOUS RECOGNITION BY ISRAELIS AND PALESTININANS, A TERRITORIAL BASE WHICH GIVES EXPRESSION TO THE NATIONAL IDENTITY OF THE TWO PEOPLES, ACCEPTANCE BY ARAB GOVERNMENTS OF THE LEGITIMACY OF ISRAEL, CREATION OF APPROPRIATE SECURITY REGIMES, AND A RICH FLOW OF IDEAS, PEOPLE, GOODS, AND SERVICES ACROSS PERMEABLE BORDERS BECAUSE THE SOLUTIONS APPEAR SO OBVIOUS, SO PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND LOGICALLY SALIENT, IT SEEMS DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE DISPUTE RESIST CONCESSION SO TENACIOUSLY AND AT SUCH EXORBITANT COST. WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, ARAB AND ISRAELI LEADERS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO NEGOTIATE ACCOMMODATION OR REACH AGREEMENT. AND WHAT IS MORE DISTURBING, IT IS NOT FOR WANT OF TRYING. BUT THE PASSIONS, THE DEEPLY FELT GRIEVANCES, THE VIVID HISTORICAL MEMORIES,THE INTENSE ATTACHMENT TO THE SAME LAND, THE RECIPROCAL AND REINFORCING FEARS, THE RELIGIOUS COMMITMENTS ALL THESE HAVE DEFEATED REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO RECONCILE THE INCOMPATIBLE CLAIMS TO PALESTINE MADE BY THE JEWISH AND ARAB NATIONAL MOVEMENTSPY: 1983