ABSTRACT
The principal difference between Egypt and Israel, of course, does not center on bilateral issues but on the steps required for an overall settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, particularly of the Palestinian problem. This chapter explores possible first steps toward such a resolution by focusing on ways to create the political and psychological conditions that might allow Israelis and Palestinians to begin the process of negotiating a mutually advantageous settlement. It discusses the prospects for initiating negotiations based on the assumptions and analyzes the barriers to their initiation. If negotiations are to produce not merely a tenuous nonbelligerency agreement but a stable, genuine peace, conducive to reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, they must meet certain special requirements. Palestinian case, however, the nature of the conflict, of the power relations between the parties, and of the international environment preclude building a stable peace and reconciliation on a settlement that spells total defeat for either party.
