At various moments in recent years, the Arab-Israeli conflict has seemed to be moving toward resolution, propelled forward by impressive acts of statesmanship. At other moments, the parties to the conflict seem hopelessly mired in fear and violence, unable to bridge the gaps that separate them. One message of Peace Process is that the United States has had, and will continue to have, a crucial role in helping Israel and her Arab neighbors reach peace. If American presidents play their role with skill, they can make a lasting contribution. But just as likely, they may misread the realities of the Middle East and add to the impasse by their own errors.
This new edition of Peace Process will bring the story up to date through the crucial Israeli election of May 1999. Two new chapters on the Clinton Administration have been added. The text has been streamlined, revised, and new sources have been consulted, resulting in a compact, authoritative, and timely version of this classic study of American diplomacy in the Middle East. Related documentary material is available on easily accessible web sites that will be kept current for students and scholars.
This is a book especially designed for classroom use, but also of importance for policymakers and anyone interested in this vital region of the world.
William B. Quandt is the Byrd Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. During the 1970s, he twice served on the staff of the National Security Council with responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa. His previous books include Between Ballots and Bullets: Algeria’s Transition from Authoritarianism (Brookings, 1998), and Camp David: Peacemaking and Politics (Brookings, 1986).
