The Middle East Peace Process: the case for jaw-jaw not war-war
Michael Ancram (2008)
To resolve a conflict you usually have to talk to your enemies. Michael Ancram briefly reviews his experience in Northern Ireland, finding that exploratory dialogue - during the conflict and without preconditions - was essential for progress. Exploring all the protagonists' 'lines in the sand' enabled them to seek out the eventual compromises upon which a long-term settlement would inevitably be built. He draws several lessons to apply to the the Middle East experience. He criticizes the international community's isolation of Hamas after they won Palestinian elections in 2006, and advocates exploratory dialogue as a way forward.