Introduction

Since 1973, we have been witness to the beginnings of a whittling down of the psychological barriers of non-contact, a process highlighted in November 1977 by the historic visit of Egypt’s late President Anwar el-Sadat to Jerusalem. The Egyptian-Israeli peace process which followed has had its ups and downs, and analysts of the conflict have begun examining different dimensions than those previously focused on. One question often addressed in this new era of Arab-Israeli relations is: Can the accumulated effects of wars and the hardening of attitudes on both sides be overcome through diplomacy and renewed contacts?2