How an Imbalance of Power Stands in the Way of a Durable, Equitable Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Quirk, James M.
The Catholic University of America
2020
111
M.A.
The Catholic University of America
2020
This paper seeks to answer the following questions: Why have all attempts to achieve a durable and equitable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict failed? Is this a problem to which there is no solution? This paper concludes that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a symptom of a larger systemic conflict that must be addressed as a foundational matter to achieve a durable and equitable peace. By focusing specifically on the issues that divide the Israelis and the Palestinians, prior peace negotiations have failed to account properly for exogenous influences and external stakeholders who hold the power to make or break a deal. This paper posits that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is really a balance of power problem on both a regional and global scale. Finding a durable and equitable solution for the Israelis and the Palestinians is therefore predicate on the negotiators' ability to navigate - and manipulate - the complex web of interests, alliances, and rivalries that drive the Middle Eastern power system.