Democracy and Conflict Resolution: The Dilemmas of Israel’s Peacemaking

Miriam F. Elman

Syracuse University Press, December 2014

Miriam F. Elman

Political Science Department

Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs

Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict & Collaboration

Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy & Law

Government

Middle East & North Africa

Syracuse University Press

Democracy and Conflict Resolution: The Dilemmas of Israel’s Peacemaking

Studies of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict typically focus on how international conditions drive the likelihood of conflict resolution. By contrast, Democracy and Conflict Resolution considers the understudied impact of domestic factors. Using the contested theory of “democratic peace” as a foundational framework, the contributors explore the effects of various internal influences on Israeli government practices related to peace-making: electoral systems, political parties, identity, leadership, and social movements. Most strikingly, Democracy and Conflict Resolution explores the possibility that features of democracy inhibit resolution of conflict, a possibility that resonates far outside the contested region. In reflecting on how domestic political configurations matter in a practical sense, this book offers policy-relevant and timely suggestions for advancing Israel’s capacity to pursue effective peacemaking policies.