ABSTRACT
The round of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians that began in August 2013 under American auspices has received less attention than previous rounds of peace-making. Both parties, as well as the American mediator, decided to lower expectations so as not to provoke unwarranted hopes, given the realities on both sides and the failure of all previous encounters since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Nevertheless, the talks only took place because at least one side hoped that this time things might be different and that they might manage to conclude a historic settlement, leading to peace between them and between Israel and the Arab world in general.
