U.S. Policy in the Israeli-Palestinian Dispute: Peace Agreement Resulting in an Independent Palestinian State Increasingly Unlikely, History of the Peace Process, Influence of Hard-Line Factions

This late 2017 report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. The purpose of this thesis is to examine why a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that would result in an independent Palestinian state appears increasingly unlikely. The thesis explores the history of the peace process with particular emphasis on the role played by the United States in attempting to fashion an agreement that guaranteed an independent Palestinian state. The results of the thesis suggest a historical path dependency and the power of spoilers in the peace process. Also important has been the nature of U.S. support for Israel, the lack of a truly representative Palestinian body, and the increased influence of more hard-line political parties within Israel and Palestine in recent decades. All these factors have shaped the process and made the prospect of an independent Palestinian state increasingly unlikely. The conclusions point to the need for a change in the status quo and the likelihood of U.S. involvement in whatever negotiations take place in the future. Recommendations for the path ahead include a range of potential solutions to the issues surrounding the problem and the possible U.S. role.

I. MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTION * A. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION * B. LITERATURE REVIEW * 1. Issues Surrounding the Two-State Solution * 2. Managing the Problem * 3. A Way Ahead * C. POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS AND HYPOTHESIS * D. RESEARCH DESIGN * E. THESIS OVERVIEW AND CHAPTER OUTLINE * II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT * A. EARLY ZIONISM TO WORLD WAR II * 1. The Zionist Movement * 2. The British: Israel's Protector * 3. Israel's Establishment and the Creation of the Palestine Refugee Problem * B. THE COLD WAR ERA AND REGIONAL STRIFE * 1. Nasser, the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War * 2. PLO Beginnings 1964-1982 * 3. The Intifadas and the Quest for Peace * III. FRAMING AND ASSESSING INTENT * A. ANALYSIS OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE * 1. Israel * 2. The Palestinians * B. THE UNITED STATES * 1. The Evolving Friendship and the Global Context * 2. Financial Aid and the Qualitative Military Edge * 3. The U.S. Role in the Peace Process * 4. U.S. Neutrality * IV. WAYS AHEAD * A. ALLOWING THE RETURN * B. A TWO- OR THREE-STATE SOLUTION * C. MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO * D. PARTICIPANTS * V. IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION * A. IMPLICATIONS * 1. The Identity Spiral * 2. Terrorism, Refugees, and the World Order * B. CONCLUSION