Description
An in-depth study of the effects
of Israel's internal struggles
on the Arab-Israeli peace process,
this book examines how Israel's
leaders and citizens have reacted
to the various proposals in
the post–Camp David era,
including the 1982 Reagan plan,
the 1988 Shultz initiative,
and the 1989 Mubarak and Baker
plans. Ziva Flamhaft also analyzes
reactions to the signing of
the Declaration of Principles
in 1993. Focusing on the domestic
political scene, she exposes
the efforts of the Israeli
political right to undermine
the peace process and illuminates
the dramatic consequences of
that process—the reaction
of Prime Minister Begin to
the Reagan plan, the near collapse
of the National Unity Government
(NUG) in 1987-88, and the ultimate
fall of the NUG in 1990 as
a result of the Baker plan.Flamhaft
then looks at how the end of
the Cold War and the Gulf War
helped to encourage negotiations
and evaluates why the Likud
Party was replaced by Labor
in 1992. Finally, Flamhaft
demonstrates the futility of
third-party mediation when
negotiations are rejected domestically
and discusses the essential
conditions required for effective
mediation.
Choice: "Flamhaft's
examination of Israeli reactions
to the various peace proposals,
from the 1982 Reagan plan to
the 1994 agreement with Jordan,
is a useful supplement to the
plethora of books on Israel-Arab
negotiations published in recent
years."
Middle East Quarterly: "Providing
a needed corrective to 'process-oriented'
writing about Arab-Israeli
negotiations, Flamhaft offers
wise observations about domestic
politics' placing limits on
third-party mediation.... Flamhaft
makes a real contribution by
unraveling this confusing period
of abortive peace initiatives
and frustrated American mediators."
"With the fragility of the peace process painfully clear, it is vital
to have a realistic sense of obstacles yet to be overcome. Written with a rare
sensitivity to the divisions in Israeli society and a keen understanding of
their implications, Flamhaft's analysis of various phases of the negotiations
between the parties is a much-needed contribution at this critical time."
Asher Arian, City University of New York, Graduate Center and University
of Haifa |
