ABSTRACT
Israel’s parties face the future with the realization that serious dangers confront the state. The country’s limited economic resources and the narrowness of its margin for error aggravate the burden of decision-making. The period of economic stress and foreign dependence in which Israel has been mired since the Yom Kippur War will persist for the indefinite future. The Israeli political dialogue would degenerate notably, precluding the adoption of necessary economic measures. Future Israeli policy toward the nexus of issues central to the peace process will be shaped by the dynamic interaction of internal with external considerations and pressures. American efforts to influence basic Israeli peace process and negotiating policies have enjoyed only insubstantial success. The deep-rootedness of Israeli suspicions of Arab intent incline the Israeli public to be responsive to the arguments of the hardliners. Israeli trust and confidence in the United States which is the indispensable prerequisite for generating the more accommodative stance the latter desires Israel to manifest.
