Rejectionism, reversibility and realism: The Middle East peace process in perspective

Abstract

Is there a linkage between the murder of 29 Palestinian worshipers at prayer in Hebron, the spate of suicide bombings in Israel's heartland, the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and the 1996 Israeli election results? If so, what are the implications for regional stability? In seeking answers to these questions, this article challenges the popular assumption that the Middle East peace process is irreversible. It calls attention to the very real, if largely unrecognized, dangers posed by Israeli and Palestinian rejectionists; that is, those who oppose territorial compromise on ideological or religious grounds. The article concludes with a set of policy recommendations designed to mitigate the threat and, thus, promote enduring U.S. interests in regional peace and stability. A more comprehensive analysis of both the prospects for and perils to peace is provided in the authors’ book, The Deadly Embrace: The Impact of Israeli and Palestinian Rejectionism on the Middle East Peace Process, which will be published in fall 1996, under the auspices of the National Institute for Public Policy, Fairfax, Virginia.